The All Progressives Congress (APC) governors from the North have rejected the choice of Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the consensus presidential candidate of the party.
Senate president Ahmed Lawan was announced as the All Progressive Congress (APC), consensus candidate ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The announcement was made by national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu at the meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) on Monday in Abuja.
Meanwhile the NWC members insisted other aspirants must be given a level playing ground to compete.
Other aspirants including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Dr. Kayode Fayemi and David Umahi, among others will however be allowed to contest the primary at the convention holding tomorrow at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
Adamu’s adoption of Lawan as consensus candidate is against the position of 11 APC northern Governors, who endorsed that power must shift to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.
Adamu told the National Working Committee that he arrived at the choice of Lawan after consultation with President Buhari.
Meanwhile, the Northern Governors have kicked against Ahmed Lawan and prefer to go the the primary election to choose the party’s candidate.
Recall that In a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, the Northern governors insisted that power should rotate to Southern part of the country in 2023.
The Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, briefed State House reporters after the meeting with the president at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He said the 13 of them apologized to the president for receiving the information about their position after it was leaked.
The governor, however, said that they took the decision in the interest of justice and peace in the country.
Lalong, who stated that they would hold another meeting today among themselves, said the president agreed with their position and maintained that the presidential candidate must emerge through a transparent process.
He said President Buhari told them he did not have an anointed candidate for now and directed them to meet the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to agree on the succession plan.
On the absence of the Governor of Kogi State at the meeting where the power shift decision was taken, he said his colleague was not part of the agreement as his signature was not on the statement.
In his reaction, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State said it was the democratic right of Kogi governor to excuse himself.