*North, South disagree in second meeting in one week
By Agu Nzeh
Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for the support of the Governors elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) to enable him pick his preferred successor ahead of the 2023 elections, indications emerged Thursday that the governrs may have foreclosed the choice of National leader of the party, Bola Tinubu and the Vice president, Yemi Osinbajo as aspirants that would be suggested to the president for consideration
This even as the meeting of Progressive Governor have been deadlocked, after two meeting twice in the week over disagreement on which of the 23 aspirants should be considered
Sources close to the meeting confirmed to The AUTHORITY that the division has always been on regional bases as the Northern Governors have maintained that it is only a candidate from their zone that give the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a challenge, using their numerical strength as a bargaining power, while their counterparts from the South have insisted that they also have the strength to win the presidency in 2023, with the aspirants from the zones
This is even as Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has insisted that the party must obey the zoning arrangement and zone its presidential ticket to the South
Akeredolu in a message he posted on his facebook page maintained that it is only a Southern candidate that can retain power for the APC in 2023
The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has after holding two emergency meetings in one week, failed to agree on the aspirants to be suggested to the president, amidst disagreement between the North and southern members.
The source however disclosed that despite their initial misgivings, the Governors have deliberated on the idea of having a consensus candidate as proposed by Buhari.
“Many of them agreed that it is an idea that can be tried. They all agreed on this, since the party has earlier adopted the consensus method in all its activities, at both the congresses and national convention
They however disagreed during the second meeting on who should be put forward as the APC consensus candidate as some northern governors who spoke believed that a northern governor should be nominated as a consensus candidate.
But Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu raised an objection to the idea, and insisted that a governor from the South could be considered.
“Most of the argument was centred on a governor succeeding Buhari, for now. But southern governors are talking about power rotation.
“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
“Some governors at the meeting argued that a southern candidate may not defeat the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 presidential election,” the source disclosed
Meanwhile the cracks in the walls of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have deepened as members are sharply divided on the mode of primary to be used at the May 6 to 8 presidential primaries.
Our correspondent gathered that while the NWC members in support of the aspiration of the former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu are for indirect primaries, those in support of the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi are in support of consensus.
There are 23 Presidential aspirants screened under the platform of the party.
Among them are: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, former governor of Zamfara, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, former Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and former Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.
Others are former president of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani, governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio and former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha.
A reliable source said the NWC meeting of the party held on Wednesday was rowdy as a result of different interest in support of the Presidential aspirants.
The party source said those in support of Tinubu and pushing for primaries are: Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Abubakar Kyari, National Secretary, Senator Iyinola Omisore, National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Felix Morka, National Vice Chairman (North West), Salihu Lukman, National Vice Chairman (South West), Isaac Kekemeke and National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel.
For those in support of Ameachi and pushing for consensus are: National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, National Vice Chairman, (South South) and National Vice Chairman (North East), Comrade Salihu Mustapha.
The source also revealed that some other NWC members are in support of different Presidential aspirants.
According to the source, the outcome of the Special National Convention of the party would affect the Working Committee, as the members might not be united.
It would be recalled that the National Vice Chairman North West, Salihu Lukman had written to the National Chairman accusing him of taking unilateral decision. Lukman also in a letter he signed with the National Vice Chairman South West, Isaac Kekemeke accused the Chairman of dropping President Muhammadu Buhari’s name in taking decisions in the party.
Lukman reminded the President that he emerged through free and fair primaries on 2014 as Candidate of the party.
The party source said that the National Vice Chairman North West was not acting in isolation, as he is acting in consonance with all the NWC members who are supporting for Tinubu.
The source said, “since the President said he would produce his successor by consensus, the camp of the APC National Leader has been threatened.
‘To them, consensus would not favour them because they are convinced the President would not choose their principal.
“They are likely looking at the direction of the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi as the consensus candidate, the reason some NWC members were attacking the National Chairman.
“However, the consensus the President is talking about is likely to come from the North”
When a NWC member was contacted on the letters written Salihu Lukman and the crisis in the Working Committee, he dismissed the crisis and said the letters were for National interest
