Despite the controversial announcement of Senate President Ahmed Lawan as the consensus presidential candidate by the National Chairman, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu, there are indications that governors of the party have shortlisted five of the 13 presidential aspirants cleared by the party’s screening panel for consideration.
The Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), early Tuesday went into a last minute meeting and engaged in series of horse-trading, separately holding meetings along their regional composition.
A party member who has knowledge of the meeting held over night said the governors have reached an agreement and have picked five names out of the lot.
The five names said to have been shortlisted for the President’s input are all from the South. They are; former governor of Lagos state; Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State; Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Dr Olukayode Fayemi; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
The source said the governors rejected the decision of Adamu to impose Lawan as consensus presidential candidate on the party.
Ondo State Governor and Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, in a press statement on Monday, titled, ‘Abdullahi Adamu on a frolic of his own’, faulted the announcement of Senate President Ahmed Lawan as the consensus candidate of the APC.
The statement reads, “My attention has just been drawn to the expensive joke purportedly enacted by the National Chairman of APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
“The speculation is rife that the Chairman took a flight of fancy and decided to make a pronouncement beyond his competence.
“He has, allegedly, made public his preferred choice as the candidate of the APC for the Office of the President in the next general elections.
“This alleged pronouncement runs contrary to the position of majority of Northern Governors in APC and their counterparts in the South. Our agreement is unanimous on this issue.
“The Office of the President should be contested for by qualified persons from the Southern part of the country if the move to get a consensus candidate fails. There has been no shift from this settled issue.
“Let it be known that the Chairman or anyone who holds a contrary opinion does so at a personal level. He is at best embarking on a frolic which reasonable people will consider dangerous.
“We are grieving but have not forgotten that Power MUST shift to the south. On this we stand.”
