Consensus Candidate: Adamu is on its own, I have no anointed candidate -Buhari

…Northern Governors reject Lawan, insists power must shit to south

By Akpos Oghenetega,

Ahead of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) National Convention slated for Tuesday, to pick the party’s Presidential flagbearer, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, at a meeting with some APC governors from the north debunked the rumours which gained traction earlier in the day that the ruling party had settled for Senate President, Ahmed Lawan as its candidate.

President Buhari who distanced himself from the alleged endorsement of Lawan by the APC’s National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, told the Governors that consultations should be broadened to ensure that a candidate with popular appeal emerges as the consensus candidate before the commencement of the Convention on Tuesday.

The President also said he is in agreement with the position of the APC northern governors that power should be shifted to the southern part of the country in 2023.

Meanwhile, APC Northern governors also disowned the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello for opposing their position that power should go to the south.

Briefing State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong said that the President made it clear that he has no anointed candidate for the presidential primary.

According to him, “Out of that discussions, Mr. President, as a believer in the democratic process, believe that any candidate must emerge through a transparent process.

“Mr. President told us that for this election, for now, he has no anointed candidate and therefore directed that the Progressive Governors Forum meet with the National Working Committee of the party to agree and proffer further solutions and recommendations for his own succession.”

He said that President Buhari directed the Progressive Governors Forum, PGF, to meet with the National Working Committee, NWC for more consultations on the consensus arrangement in the choice of the party’s candidate for the 2023 presidential elections.

Governor Lalong further said that the President has requested the governors to have a meeting with the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to resolve the issue of consensus candidate through democratic means.

The Plateau State Governor said the meeting with the NWC has been slated for 5 pm Monday.

“I am sure this will may be the last of consultations. So we are directed that after this, our chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum has also summoned a meeting for five o’clock today. After that meeting, we will make again further suggestions to Mr. President.”