MEMBERS of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are currently divided over who between former head of state and presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Political Change (CPC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, will fly the party’s flag in the 2015 presidential election.

Saturday Tribune gathered that while influential figures in one of the constituent parties, the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN), and some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) elements in the new merger party are strongly rooting for Tambuwal, Buhari still commands overwhelming following in the defunct CPC and ANPP.

A highly placed APC source in Jigawa State told the Saturday Tribune that Buhari’s following in the merger arrangement is so strong that at a recent meeting held in Kaduna, the former governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, who could have posed a threat to Buhari’s candidature, was prevailed upon to step down for the retired General.

Those who are rooting for Buhari to fly the APC’s flag believe that he remains the strongest presidential material in the merger party that can effectively checkmate President Goodluck Jonathan or whoever the PDP presents for the 2015 presidential election.

The source, who preferred anonymity, told Saturday Tribune that both Buhari and Shekarau were persuaded at the meeting to forget whatever political differences existed between them and work as a formidable team for the success of the party.

However, some influential members of the defunct ACN, among them the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, and some governors on the party’s ticket, are said to favour Tambuwal’s candidature.

At a recent event in a South-West state, attended by Tambuwal, a state governor was said to have invited one of his friends to “come and meet our next president” (referring to Tambuwal, who had just arrived), giving an impression that the choice of Tambuwal as the APC standard bearer in 2015 election was a done deal.

“Those who are rooting for Tambuwal believe that he will be more politically marketable than Buhari, given his youthfulness; but with the retired General’s increasing popularity in the North, the fear is also real that the new party may sound its own death knell in the zone if it fails to field Buhari,” the source said.

The Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, has, however, denied that the party had started thinking of who would be the party’s presidential candidate.

“If we start thinking about that, we will start digging political well. We want to build a political structure. By the time the structure is solid, we will choose whoever will represent us in Aso Rock. I don’t think that will give us a problem,” he said in an interview last week.

chaloner: Give me sports news abeg

samuelkaykay: This political death is too early,its very clear APC cant wrestle power from PDP in 2015 but i want APC to give them a hot chase that will enable a proper wake-up.

njideoby: So these 2 men are the best that APC can offer,that's too bad because both of them combined cannot equal half a win for APC against GEJ.
Mind you I'm no PDP supporter,but let the best candidate win.

zibi2: :oQuran...Muhammad's Own Words:

Qur'an:9:88 "The Messenger and those who believe with him, strive hard and fight with their wealth and lives in Allah's Cause."

Qur'an:9:5 "Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war."

Qur'an:9:112 "The Believers fight in Allah's Cause, they slay and are slain, kill and are killed."

Qur'an:9:29 "Fight those who do not believe until they all surrender, paying the protective tax in submission."

Ishaq:325 "Muslims, fight in Allah's Cause. Stand firm and you will prosper. Help the Prophet, obey him, give him your allegiance, and your religion will be victorious."

Qur'an:8:39 "Fight them until all opposition ends and all submit to Allah."

Qur'an:8:39 "So fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief [non-Muslims]) and all submit to the religion of Allah alone (in the whole world)." What a religion....

zibi2: :oQuran...Muhammad's Own Words:

Qur'an:9:88 "The Messenger and those who believe with him, strive hard and fight with their wealth and lives in Allah's Cause."

Qur'an:9:5 "Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war."

Qur'an:9:112 "The Believers fight in Allah's Cause, they slay and are slain, kill and are killed."

Qur'an:9:29 "Fight those who do not believe until they all surrender, paying the protective tax in submission."

Ishaq:325 "Muslims, fight in Allah's Cause. Stand firm and you will prosper. Help the Prophet, obey him, give him your allegiance, and your religion will be victorious."

Qur'an:8:39 "Fight them until all opposition ends and all submit to Allah."

Qur'an:8:39 "So fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief [non-Muslims]) and all submit to the religion of Allah alone (in the whole world)." What a religion....

Okoro2015: So, after all the deafening noises made about the birth of this "messianic" party, they're still looking up to PDP for their best candidate? Someone tell me it's a lie.

solopumpy227:

Dont be too sure Brother. There is no doubt that the Southern organs of APC are more inclined to the young Speaker while the Northern organ seem to still have hope in Buhari.

Events in other main opposition camps (PDP and Northern Govs/OBJ) camps will shape how APC will manage Buhari/Tambuwal.

If PDP/GEJ managed to regain the loyalty of the North and Amaechi then APC may have no choice than to fly the most popular candidate- Buhari.

If the Northern PDP stuck to destroying GEJ 2015 ambition by weakening the PDP base in the North it will be strategic for APC to destroy PDP further by flying Tambuwal and still having Buhari leading the campaign in the North.

In summary "The Northern PDP Govs hold the ace to 2015 Presidential election"

zibi2: :oQuran...Muhammad's Own Words:

Qur'an:9:88 "The Messenger and those who believe with him, strive hard and fight with their wealth and lives in Allah's Cause."

Qur'an:9:5 "Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war."

Qur'an:9:112 "The Believers fight in Allah's Cause, they slay and are slain, kill and are killed."

Qur'an:9:29 "Fight those who do not believe until they all surrender, paying the protective tax in submission."

Ishaq:325 "Muslims, fight in Allah's Cause. Stand firm and you will prosper. Help the Prophet, obey him, give him your allegiance, and your religion will be victorious."

Qur'an:8:39 "Fight them until all opposition ends and all submit to Allah."

Qur'an:8:39 "So fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief [non-Muslims]) and all submit to the religion of Allah alone (in the whole world)." What a religion....

Okoro2015: So, after all the deafening noises made about the birth of this "messianic" party, they're still looking up to PDP for their best candidate? Someone tell me it's a lie.

solopumpy227:

Dont be too sure Brother. There is no doubt that the Southern organs of APC are more inclined to the young Speaker while the Northern organ seem to still have hope in Buhari.

Events in other main opposition camps (PDP and Northern Govs/OBJ) camps will shape how APC will manage Buhari/Tambuwal.

If PDP/GEJ managed to regain the loyalty of the North and Amaechi then APC may have no choice than to fly the most popular candidate- Buhari.

If the Northern PDP stuck to destroying GEJ 2015 ambition by weakening the PDP base in the North it will be strategic for APC to destroy PDP further by flying Tambuwal and still having Buhari leading the campaign in the North.

In summary "The Northern PDP Govs hold the ace to 2015 Presidential election"

israel007: Surely they shall gather...