President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to take a final decision this weekend on the way forward as gov­ernors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) failed to agree on a consensus presidential candidate ahead of the party’s national convention sched­uled for Monday, June 6 in Abuja.

The president, who is currently on a trip to Spain at a meeting with the 22 governors of the party and the national chairman, Abdullahi Ada­mu, on Monday, had demanded to be allowed to choose his successor as a sign of reciprocity.

According to him, while governors, who just served their first term were given the privilege of securing second term ticket, outgoing ones, after serving out their consti­tutional two terms of eight years, also had the privilege to choose their successors, he asked to be allowed to choose his successor.

As a way forward, the gov­ernors met twice on Tuesday and Wednesday but could not agree on who to recommend to the president for consideration as there is a sharp division among them on who to pres­ent as a consensus candidate.

With 14 governors in the North and eight in the South, the battle has been turned into a North and South bat­tle with governors from both regions refusing to shift ground.

Daily Independent gathered that APC governors loyal to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a front­line presidential aspirant of the ruling party, have rejected the idea of a Northern con­sensus candidate ahead of the presidential primary.

The pro-Tinubu governors are led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Abdul­lahi Ganduje, Kano; Gboyega Oyetola, Osun; Babagana Zu­lum, Borno; and Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State.

Credible presidency sourc­es had earlier informed Daily Independent that the presi­dent is desirous of having his deputy, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, succeed him even though he was yet to formally announce his choice.

However, some power bro­kers in the ruling party who felt that no Southern candi­date can match Atiku Abu­bakar, who has emerged as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are pushing for a North­ern candidate to split the votes from the North.

They are, therefore, propos­ing Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and Jigawa State Gov­ernor, Abubakar Badaru.

Sources in the party in­formed Daily Independent that the governors loyal to Tinubu had vehemently kicked against the propos­al for a Northern presiden­tial candidate, saying if the party insists on a con­sensus candidate, it must be the former Lagos State governor.

“The meeting of the gover­nors at the Asokoro residence of the Chairman of Progres­sive Governors’ Forum and Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu, held yesterday ended in a deadlock as they failed to reach a consensus.

“Tinubu’s loyalists are of the view that President Bu­hari has the right to choose his preferred aspirant but he should allow a primary where other aspirants can test their popularity. Nobody should be asked to step down against their wish.

“They are also of the view that if the party insists on fielding a consensus candi­date, then that candidate must be Tinubu as he is the only one with the clout to defeat a strong politician like Atiku.

“They also faulted the claim by some of their colleagues that no Southerner can defeat Atiku, saying Tinubu enjoys the same popularity as the late MKO Abiola who defeated the late Bashir Tofa in his home state of Kano and won the an­nulled June 12, 1993, presiden­tial election”.
Given the stalemate, Presi­dent Buhari who is expected to return to Nigeria from his trip to Madrid, Spain, is expected to chart the way forward and present his candidate to the party ahead of the convention.

bennybuhari:
Lagos kingmaker at the mercy of Abuja kingmaker

Parachoko:
Do people saying a Southern Candidate can't beat a Northerner really mean this? Jonathan defeated Buhari and would have defeated Buhari again without the formation of the APC.

On Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mandate I Stand Gidigba

TheNiceGuy:
To you all blaming Tinubu for his outbursts lately, say Amen to this wonderful prayer.


May those who you sweat, sacrificed for and helped in life not Only refused to reciprocate but also gang up against your success.

Say Amen

Truthisunique2:
shut up

TheNiceGuy:
Oh, you can't!

Then know how you'll criticize Tinubu. He's human, blood flow through his veins

Truthisunique2:
Tilumbu mental breakdown don reach your side too abi

Incoherent jargons, urchins are been humbled on Nairaland

TheNiceGuy:
Go sidon for shiit!

It's Politics we're playing and we're not playing it with fear or emotions.
That's why we're asking for a true democratic settings way round the election.


Ashiwaju is not a COWARD, he has done his assignment and not waiting for endorsement.

All he's asking for is a level-play ground.
He has said it times without number, if he lose, he go home.

Why is it hard those scared of him to let democracy prevails?

Hypocrisy kee u and your ilks

Truthisunique2:
Asiwaju is the biggest coward, Akande testified that whenever this same buhari bleeped Asiwaju he would be crying to go to Lagos and hide under bed

Malory:
Tinubu has been played and I weep for him. He should be watched closely and shouldn't be allowed near third mainland bridge. No rat poison should be left around him

Parachoko:
Do people saying a Southern Candidate can't beat a Northerner really mean this? Jonathan defeated Buhari and would have defeated Buhari again without the formation of the APC.

On Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mandate I Stand Gidigba

XerXers:

Igbos INEC chiarman rigged Jonathan in. Abia was getting 1.3 million votes. Tinubu has handed all these powers to the North instead of working with him fellow Southerners like OBJ and GEJ

TheNiceGuy:
To you all blaming Tinubu for his outbursts lately, say Amen to this wonderful prayer.


May those who you sweat, sacrificed for and helped in life not Only refused to reciprocate but also gang up against your success.

Say Amen

TheNiceGuy:
Go sidon for shiit!

It's Politics we're playing and we're not playing it with fear or emotions.
That's why we're asking for a true democratic settings way round the election.


Ashiwaju is not a COWARD, he has done his assignment and not waiting for endorsement.

All he's asking for is a level-play ground.
He has said it times without number, if he lose, he go home.

Why is it hard those scared of him to let democracy prevails?

Hypocrisy kee u and your ilks

Faber:


Edo no be Lagos
Nigeria no be Lagos.

Nigeria no be one man property. Tinubu was given 3 ministerial slots, he was given the VP and he refused, then he was asked to bring a candidate for the office.
He was allowed to put Lagos inside his wallet. So he now wants the entire Nigeria.

His madness is mundane. So that once he becomes President he will be picking Presidents for Nigeria, the funniest thing is that Tinubu if he becomes President will even stop any form of Primaries, he will single handedly bring his successor and will even tell him who he will hand over to.

Tinubu must be stopped at all costs

Skyview01:


You are asking for a true democratic settings?, did Asiwaju allow for a true democratic settings in Lagos Apc governor's primaries?, He has always imposed his own candidates in Lagos and now, our dear Aso Rock resident zombie is paying him back with the same coin.