By Oluwaseun Sonde
According to the Presidential aide, Ahmad Bashir on tweets, stated that the venue for the All Progressive Congress Special Convention is 100% ready to start receiving more than 2,000 delegates from the 36 States and FCT Abuja.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari saluted all delegates, who have traveled from far and near, described them as "the true pillars of the APC, who have been the strength from formation, to the first electoral victory, to 2nd in 2019, and to the 3rd, by the grace of Almighty Allah, in 2023".
Bashir Ahmad further stated that "Today, the governing party, our great party, APC is choosing its presidential candidate for the next year general election, it is going to be an interesting ride as the day will henceforth be counted as one of the historic days in Nigeria’s politics".
Meanwhile, APC Governors have recommended Bola Ahmad Tinubu, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, ex-Transportation Minister, Rotimi Ameachi, Ekiti Governor, Kayode Fayemi and Ebonyi Governor, Dave Umahi as possible consensus candidates.
Plateau State Governor and Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Simon Lalong disclosed this on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, saying the APC is looking at the possibility of a consensus candidate.
According to him, "From our own recommendations, as of this morning, we recommended five people. In alphabetical order, we said Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, John Kayode Fayemi, David Umahi and Professor Yemi Osinbajo, those are our recommendation".
He said consensus is possible. "Right from yesterday up till today, we have been doing consultations like Mr President said, ‘I give you the opportunity, work on it.’
"Governors and the National Working Committee will continue on that consensus. As of yesterday, we were able to even reduce, made recommendations of about five persons, from 23 aspirants to about 13 aspirants recommendation without disqualifying anybody.”
"Within that 13 aspirants that were graded by the Screening Committee, we now looked at it and then recommended, that was jointly done by the Progressive governors and members of the National Working Committee, reducing it to five", he added.
Lalong’s comments come a day after the APC’s NWC as well as the 19 northern governors insisted on the emergence of a southerner as Nigeria’s next President.
The NWC stands with the position of the northern governors elected on the APC platform for power to shift to the southern part of the country when President Muhammadu Buhari completes his eight-year two terms billed to lapse in May 2023.
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