The choice of a consensus presidential candidate has raised more discordant tunes among the governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as details from their latest meeting have continued to emerge.
President Muhammadu Buhari, had on Tuesday met with the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) on Tuesday. During the meeting which held at the Presidential Villa, Buhari urged the governors to allow him to pick a consensus candidate as his “successor”.
“In keeping with the established internal policies of the Party and as we approach the Convention in a few days, therefore, I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the Governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor, who would fly the flag of our party for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023,” Buhari said.
Since the meeting, the governors have held two meetings so far. The New Diplomat had reported that the first meeting ended in a deadlock as the Northern governors and the Southern governors failed to find a common ground between themselves.
It was reported that the Northern governors were rooting for a consensus candidate from their region while the Southern governors remained firm that the candidate must emerge from their region.
This, according to a source privy to the meeting was the situation that led to the second meeting of the governors.
The source said during the second meeting, suggestions were given on who should be put forward as the APC consensus candidate.
It was also said that names like Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; and Jigawa State Governor, Mohammed Badaru, were reportedly mentioned as the aspirants to put forward to Buhari when he comes back from Spain.
This was said to have been met with a resounding negative response from the southern governor as Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state, raised an objection to the idea. Akeredolu was said to have mentioned names Cross River State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade; his Ekiti State counterpart, Dr Kayode Fayemi, and Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, arguing that any of the individual is capable to win election for the party in the forthcoming 2023 presidential election.
“Most of the argument was centred on a governor succeeding Buhari, for now. But southern governors are talking about power rotation.
“When Akeredolu and other southern governors asked them to consider the unity of Nigeria, the northern governors proposed that two governors from the South and North should be considered.”
Meanwhile, the governors are still yet to reach a common ground. Another meeting is expected to be convened on or before Saturday when Buhari is expected to be back in the country.
