By Temidayo Akinsuyi

Some major stakeholders in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are considering fielding a Northern presidential candidate in order to checkmate the major opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2023 presidential election, Daily Independent has gathered.

Even though the PDP has thrown its presidential ticket open, the body language of the party leaders suggest they prefer a Northern presidential candidate, a move some Southern leaders, led by Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has vehemently opposed.

However, insider sources in the party claimed that Wike, who is completing his second term as governor, is not really keen about becoming the party’s flagbearer but only using it to negotiate becoming the PDP’s vice presidential candidate.

On the part of the APC, there are strong indications that its leaders might zone the ticket to the South since the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, is from the North.

Nevertheless, some stakeholders in the party are pushing for an open contest where all the aspirants will participate.

At the forefront of those agitating for the ticket to be thrown open is Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, who has also declared his desire to contest the 2023 presidential election on APC’s platform.

In the Southern part of the country, aspirants who have so far signified interest to run on APC platform include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and his Kogi State counterpart, Yahaya Bello.

Others are Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation; Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti State governor; Rochas Okorocha, former Imo State governor, and Orji Uzor Kalu, former Abia State governor.

Godwin Emefiele, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Senator Ibikunle Amosun, former Ogun State governor are also rumoured to be interested in running on the platform of the APC but they are yet to open up on whether they will also join the race.

A credible source in APC said the likelihood that the APC might throw the ticket open like the PDP did is very high.

He also said the party leaders are keeping a close watch on the PDP and may field a Northern presidential candidate if the opposition party picks its flagbearer from the North. He said, “From the look of things, the APC might field a Northern candidate to checkmate PDP because that seems the direction PDP is going despite throwing their ticket open.

“Right now, two names are popping up, Ahmad Lawan, the Senate President, and Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello of Niger State.

Both men are still silent on whether they will contest or not but let’s see what happens after the conclusion of the Ramadan fasting exercise.

“The APC governors who made Governor Sani-Bello the interim Chairman of the party when Buni went on medical leave are the ones backing the Niger governor while Lawan is being propped up by North-East sentiments.

“The plot for a Northern presidential candidate for APC might succeed because that is why Abdullahi Adamu was made the national chairman.

For those of us who know Adamu very well, he is not exactly a Southern president sympathiser.

Rather, he is a Northern irredentist, who places the interest of the North above anything else. “He (Adamu) does not believe in zoning.

He believes that politics is all about negotiation and compromise as it was before in the days of NCNC, AG, NPC and so on.

Let’s just wait and see, the picture will be clearer in two, three weeks from now”, he said.
https://independent.ng/apc-chiefs-mull-northern-candidate-to-checkmate-pdp/

. So this is how Dinubu was used and dumped after everything

Are they implying Tinubu with all his popularity in the North can't defeat Atiku?

hisexcellency34:
Are they implying Tinubu with all his popularity in the North can't defeat Atiku?

. They keep tossing the old man around like a plastic ball

This has been the grand plan of the north from on set, and the disunity among the south is making it easy for them.

why can't Tinubu and his friends like Akande speak out?

My heartfelt condolence goes to asiwaju Dinumbu, may Allah give him the fortitude to bear this pains

nairavsdollars:
why can't Tinubu and his friends like Akande speak out?

Dem no born Tinubu and Akande well to speak against northern or Buhari interest

You think went through the stress of imposing Abdulahi adamu as APC chairman for no reason?

Una go see mehmeh

Another thread to excite and entertain wailers. They see Tinubu in every publication. They are already all over the thread ventilating over nothing.

Amaechi declared for thread: Oh, Tinubu is the target. Buhari’s anointed candidate is finally here.

Jonathan about to declare for president: Tinubu is finally done. Northerners about to show him pepper.

Orji Uzor Kalu for president: Oh, he’s so popular in the north. The north prefers him to Tinubu. He’s Buhari’s anointed candidate all along.

APC considering northern candidate: Buhari has finally used and dumped Tinubu. This has been the plan all along blablablabla..

They don’t even pretend to be shameless again

seunmsg:
Another thread to excite and entertain wailers. They see Tinubu in every publication. They are already all over the thread ventilating over nothing.

We love to mock Tinubu

This 2023 has exposed he's a weak politician and a shameless slave to the northerners

Tinubu is a lightweight politician outside Lagos politics

NaijaRoyalty:

We love to mock Tinubu

This 2023 has exposed he's a weak politician and a shameless slave to the northerners

Tinubu is a lightweight politician outside Lagos politics

The joke of the 2023 presidential election is the SE. This was supposed to be the year of the much talked about Igbo presidency but no serious political party is willing to give its VP ticket to the SE not to talk about the presidential ticket.

It’s so bad for you guys that even idiots like Reno Omokri are mocking and thrashing the Igbo presidency nonsense. So you see, you’re the joke of the season while Tinubu is still the leading aspirant in the country.

Something is telling me yahaya Bello you guys underated will be Apc flagbearer, even if they go on and votes in primaries... since he is only northern aspirant...

It's all a game, I can assure you that a southernern would be the aspirant

The whole gimmick is to unsettle tinubu camp, saturate the space with varieties

By 31st it would become a manageable choice again if buhari chooses a Niger deltan for president, it would look like a big compromise on his own part

And Atiku will flog him mercilessly on election day

Richardonald:
Something is telling me yahaya Bello you guys underated will be Apc flagbearer, even if they go on and votes in primaries... since he is only northern aspirant...

Throw it open. That's the best

Truthisunique2:
It's all a game, I can assure you that a southernern would be the aspirant

The whole gimmick is to unsettle tinubu camp, saturate the space with varieties

By 31st it would become a manageable choice again if buhari chooses a Niger deltan for president, it would look like a big compromise on his own part

Malory:
. So this is how Dinubu was used and dumped after everything

u are so obsessed with tinubu that u don't know d difference between speculation n reality

seunmsg:
Another thread to excite and entertain wailers. They see Tinubu in every publication. They are already all over the thread ventilating over nothing.

Amaechi declared for thread: Oh, Tinubu is the target. Buhari’s anointed candidate is finally here.

Jonathan about to declare for president: Tinubu is finally done. Northerners about to show him pepper.

Orji Uzor Kalu for president: Oh, he’s so popular in the north. The north prefers him to Tinubu. He’s Buhari’s anointed candidate all along.

APC considering northern candidate: Buhari has finally used and dumped Tinubu. This has been the plan all along blablablabla..

They don’t even pretend to be shameless again

that is igbos for u

They put emotions b4 logic n that is y people like Reno can b playing them like ludo

reality setting in

the fact is that North will never ever vote a southern candidate over a northerner.
you can always take that to the bank and cash out because na sure banker.
forget noise, if PDP fields a northerner probably Atiku, Tambuwal even Saraki sef and APC fields person like Tinubu trust me it's game over for APC and such errors is what they don't want.

Read my lips NO SOUTHERN CANDIDATE can defeat any Northern candidate in the north.
imagine asking an average Aboki to vote Tinubu over a Turaki Adamawa even Buhari will support Atiku or any northern candidate (Fulani preferably) to a southern candidate irrespective of party.
I laugh at those foolish southerners who thinks the north plays party politics.
the north no send any party, all they care about is personal interest.
on a very good day the north is no match for a united South either by population or otherwise but unfortunately, the south is already destroyed by disunity and perpetual greed. no thanks to the SW that betrayed the rest of the South in 2015.
had it been GEJ won that reelection, by now the north will be begging for the political crumbs that felled off the southern table.
2023 election will not be party base trust me.
SE/SS is waiting patiently to repay SW for 2015 betrayal while the north is waiting also to capitalize from the disunity.
I don't blame them sha because power no dey belle full
the disunity in the south is going to keep the north in power for a very long time.
Apc is already thinking towards that because they knew that pdp fielding a northerner is terribly dangerous for them.
they might postpone this primaries because pdp will do theirs right after them and it'll help them (pdp) on their choices
interesting time ahead.

Reality3080:
u are so obsessed with tinubu that u don't know d difference between speculation n reality

He has been played. Deal with it

APC, the clown running around in circus...

Even if they zone it to the north which northern politician in the present crope of APC can muster strength to even defeat APGA in coming election?


They better stick with Amaechi.

nairavsdollars:
why can't Tinubu and his friends like Akande speak out?

Because they don't comment on every opinion piece each Tom, D1ck and Harry pulls out of his ass and tries to pass of as 'verified information'.

You believe this then you can believe anything. Our current senate President as APC candidate? Poor as Obi is, even he will defeat Lawan easily. Joke article.

nairavsdollars:
why can't Tinubu and his friends like Akande speak out?

You want someone they are planning to roast to rub oils on his body?

Abeg o

The south westerners are not politically smart as they believe , they are actually greedy and desperate that is why the North use and dump them . The South West Greed have destroy the hope of southern unity and as far as Nigeria remain one , the North Will continue to rule over them

.An Igbo man is Smart , Egaliterian, And not desperate for Nigeria presidency , an Igbo man is an Industrialist who create wealth from Nothing we do not need Nigeria presidency , Nigerians should actually beg us to lead them to economic prosperity

seunmsg:
Another thread to excite and entertain wailers. They see Tinubu in every publication. They are already all over the thread ventilating over nothing.

Amaechi declared for thread: Oh, Tinubu is the target. Buhari’s anointed candidate is finally here.

Jonathan about to declare for president: Tinubu is finally done. Northerners about to show him pepper.

Orji Uzor Kalu for president: Oh, he’s so popular in the north. The north prefers him to Tinubu. He’s Buhari’s anointed candidate all along.

APC considering northern candidate: Buhari has finally used and dumped Tinubu. This has been the plan all along blablablabla..

They don’t even pretend to be shameless again

You can wail till they kingdom comes.
Why not continue in your boastful arrogance and leave little people to say their minds?

seunmsg:


The joke of the 2023 presidential election is the SE. This was supposed to be the year of the much talked about Igbo presidency but no serious political party is willing to give its VP ticket to the SE not to talk about the presidential ticket.

It’s so bad for you guys that even idiots like Reno Omokri are mocking and thrashing the Igbo presidency nonsense. So you see, you’re the joke of the season while Tinubu is still the leading aspirant in the country.

Reno Omokri is a Nigerian and has a right to freedom of speech. It's little men like you that get aroused by the opinion of one you call an idiot.
For you, it's no longer why didn't Igbos come out to compete.

Your pains now is centred on what Reno and Bashir hell Rufai has to say.

Can anybody roast the Jagaba?

ChoCho54:
You want someone they are planning to roast to rub oils on his body?

Abeg o