By Felix Ekwu
Attempt by President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday to foist Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the consensus presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) met a brick wall.
APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu had on Monday announced Lawan as the party’s consensus presidential candidate at a meeting of the National Working Committee of the party in Abuja.
NewsNet Nigeria however gathered that when the news of Adamu’s pronouncement filtered to the APC Northern governors who were already in Abuja for the party’s special convention, they immediately marched to the Presidential Villa to see President Buhari over the matter.
It was during the meeting that the Governors insisted on their earlier decision that the APC presidential ticket for the 2023 general elections should be given to the South for equity and fairness.
From a video currently trending on social media, Governor Yaya Bello could be seen apparently storming out of the meeting with Buhari.
Unconfirmed report has it that Bello stunned his colleagues when he allegedly to Buhari that in fact, he was no longer his president for attempting to impose Lawan, who even came late into the race and hardly consulted the party delegates.
Following the outcome of the meeting, President Buhari had to beat a retreat saying he has no anointed presidential candidate for the primary.
He was quoted as saying that “You were elected as I was. Have a clear mind as I have. God gave us the chance; we have no reason to complain. We must be ready to take pain as we take the joy. Allow the delegates to decide. The party must participate, nobody will appoint anybody”.
Meanwhile, the APC Organising Secretary, Suleiman M Argungu, while addressing newsmen said the NWC is on the same page with the APC Northern governors for the party’s presidential ticket to go to the South saying the position of Abdullahi Adamu was his personal opinion.
Argungu said, “It is just an information given by the chairman. The NWC is with the Northern Govs on power shift to the South”.
