₦airaland Forum

ABUJA—Contrary to media reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had, during a meeting with presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress, APC, discussed that the Presidency should go to the South in 2023, the Presidency has said nothing of such was discussed.

Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the President, Malam Garba Shehu, disclosed this as Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, accused some governors of APC in the North of “trading off” Arewa’s right to choose the next president of the country.

However, the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Organisation, ABATCO, has described the 11 northern APC governors asking for power shift to the southern part of the country as worthy patriots.

The presidential spokesperson in an interview, yesterday, with the BBC Hausa Service, said: “The meeting was among the series of meetings President Muhammadu Buhari commenced with the chieftains and party bigwigs in the APC to ensure the APC presidential primary election is conducted peacefully; and to make sure APC is placed on the right pedestal that will bring victory to the party during the presidential election in 2023.”

Asked if the issue of power shift was discussed at the meeting, Malam Garba Shehu said: “No, that was not discussed. What President Muhammadu Buhari said was that he had called them to advice them that they should go and discuss within themselves, in their capacity as presidential aspirants, they should deliberate among themselves and with the party on how they could bring forth a sole candidate for the presidency.”

When told that some Nigerian newspapers had written that the President was in support of power going South, Shehu said: “Nothing of such was discussed, as even if the President had such an opinion, he did not come out to say it at the meeting.”

When reminded that there were rumours President Buhari might come out to announce the person he was supporting to succeed him, Shehu explained: “What the President was saying was that he was prepared to continue providing the leadership that would lead to the emergence of a candidate through a peaceful and harmonious process that the aspirants, governors and other party leaders would adopt.”

On what President Buhari would do if the aspirants failed to arrive at a consensus arrangement, Shehu said the President would have no choice, adding: “We have to follow the election process.”

Arewa youths kick
Also speaking on power shift to the south, AYCF in a statement by its National President, Yerima Shettima, said: “It is undemocratic to zone Nigeria’s presidency to the south in 2023 because it is the prerogative of voters to decide which candidate they would like to vote for, whether a northerner or a southerner. The masses have not spoken yet and it amounts to imposition to declare that south is the way to go.

“The 11 northern governors did not indicate a single effort they made to consult their people in the region before their wholesale endorsement of the declaration for a southern presidential candidate.

“An important pillar of democracy, which is consultation with the masses, is out of the question because our governors would rather pretend that their wish is supreme.


“Going by what has happened so far, it is now abundantly clear to innocent northern voters that their mind is being conditioned to accept a purely selfish and shameful political agenda of relinquishing power on a platter of gold, like the military was doing in the past.”

Youths protest in Kano
Similarly, a group known as Concerned APC Youths, yesterday, protested in Kano against the decision of 11 APC governors to cede power to southern Nigeria.

Addressing newsmen during the protest, the group’s Coordinator, Nura Bebeji, said: “We are concerned APC youths in the north. We are out to express our displeasure over what we heard in the media on the unfortunate decision by the the 11 governors to cede leadership to the south.

“These are governors who cannot take back one-third of the region that is under the control of miscreants, terrorists, bandits and kidnappers that include states like Kano, Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna and others.

“They now have the guts to put heads together to support a southern candidate for the APC all because of personal interest.

“For the slot of the vice president, we the youths of the nation will only accept he who has proven records and will address main issues of concern like unemployment, security and youth marginalization for the party to retain leadership in 2023.

Tinubu Campaign Org hails northern govs
Meanwhile, Director of Media and Communications of the Tinubu Campaign Organisation, Mr Bayo Onanuga, yesterday said the 11 governors should be celebrated by Nigerians.
He said: “All lovers of peace, progress, equity, justice and stability of the country should celebrate and honour the northern APC governors.”

The governors, while urging presidential aspirants from the region to step down from the 2023 presidential race, said: “The decision to support power shift to the south is in the best interest of the country.”

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, restated its position on statutory delegates ahead of its Presidential Convention slated to begin tomorrow.

While the party had stated that only elected ad-hoc delegates would participate in its presidential primary election, there was confusion at the weekend following reports that a High Court in Kano had given its nod for statutory delegates to participate in the exercise.

However, speaking to Sunday Vanguard in a telephone chat, National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, said the Special Convention and presidential primary will proceed as planned with adhoc delegates.

“Our Special Convention on Presidential Primary will proceed as planned. Only elected Ad-hoc delegates will be accredited to vote at the primary”, he said.

The party had, few days ago, ruled out participation of statutory or super delegates following the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Electoral Act 2022 Amendment Bill which would have provided roles for such category of delegates.

MrPolitics:
Lalasticlala mynd44

Rule no 8 has been broken

A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Imo State, Mr. Paul Amadi, has said the South-East would support the candidate of Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi, to win the 2023 presidential election.

Amadi, who stated this yesterday in Owerri, said: “Obi is the best candidate to turn Nigeria around for good. Nigeria is lying on its back like a fallen warrior and this is no time to delay in handing her to the right doctor for restoration.

Continuing, Amadi described the exit of Obi from the PDP as the saddest day of his life.

“I thought the PDP knows better and believes in the spirit of equity. I wonder if the party can muster the kind of political strength needed to push such a haven for misfits, bigoted and corrupt folks aside, for the good of Nigeria. Wherever Peter Obi is, that is where we are going to be.

“What is wrong with the Igbo man playing the first fiddle in Nigeria? Are we strangers or slaves in a nation that our efforts have kept afloat despite the clear marginalization? We continue to win accolades and merits for Nigeria in every field of human endeavour”, he stated.

Penguin2:
I think Atiku is really not destined to rule Nigeria.

Because with the entire northern governors and critical northern stakeholders in APC, agreeing to zone the presidency to the south, they are going to campaign with that to their people and influence their votes to a great extent.

Now, if at the end, Osinbajo gets the ticket, like it’s looking like, then that’s the entire Southwest votes and considerable votes from other southern regions too since Osinbajo is an inspiring candidate.

PDP swam against the tide.

And what seemed to be a strategic masterstroke about a week ago, now looks like a grave mistake.

Take it from me that Atiku will not be president especially if Osinbajo gets the ticket.

fergie001:
Who are the big boys that will stand in Buhari's way?

From the screening, everybody but one agreed to abide by the Party Supremacy. Everyone will step down and who doesn't want to can go to Eagles Square.

The worse you can get is two (2) Candidates that day.

fergie001:
Vawulence don land

indispensable85 ejimatic Ojuntana kyase garfield1

fergie001:
Pastor Tunde Bakare;
Rochas Okorocha;
Ben Ayade;
Sani Yerima,
Ken Nnamani.
Ikeobasi Mokelu;
Dimeji Bankole;
Felix Nicholas;
Uju Ken-Ohanenye.


Thses ones were dropped.

Ojuntana kyase vicdom

alsudan:
If they disqualify Thiefnibu, he will definitely sue tha party, as there’s no law that states an aspirant can be disqualified on the basis of being too old.

APC might not have a Presidential Candidate in 2023.

THERE were concerns among party faithful Friday night in Abuja following the submission of the report of the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun led Presidential Screening Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

The committee had announced that only 13 of the 23 presidential aspirants scaled its hurdles and that more would have been axed were it not for the fact that it wanted to give a chance to younger aspirants to participate in the primaries.

Indeed, there were concerns that a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State and a few others may have been disqualified.

While Chief Odigie-Oyegun declined comments on the fate of those affected, the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, was said to be holding tightly to the committee’s report to avoid any leakage.

A party source said many of the aspirants were disqualified on age and health-related grounds just as some were cleared because they are younger.

“The committee has recommended that the NWC should look at ways of pruning down the figure of 13 aspirants even before the primary.

“Some of those disqualified were because of their ages – they are advanced in age. There were also petitions against a few of them while one of them has a running battle with one of the anti-graft agencies.

“The committee also looked at security reports on the aspirants before arriving at its conclusions,” said a party source.

dapsoneh:
that means in retrospect, Tinubu can sue APC if he loses

shinealight:
No, it has not expired…..it expires on the 9th of June!

abiodunalabama:
Who told u that are an INEC officer or APC executive committee.

fergie001:
It has become academic, APC has submitted their delegates list already.

INEC's letter to the Political Parties:
“In compliance with Article 4.5.1 of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Political Party Primaries, a political party that adopts the indirect primary mode, shall make available to the commission not later than seven days to the date of the primary, the list of persons that will form the delegates that are eligible to vote for nomination of the party candidate to contest every elective position.“

Indispensable85:
The electoral act is subject to the constitution at all times. Know this and know peace.

fergie001:
Hahahaha.....

I saw your earlier comments....... PERFECT

fergie001:
....

JAMO84:
The Asiwaju mandate ministry is moving forward

Ttalk:
This is getting interesting

Kyase:
Tinubu don start to apologise sef....