Aggrieved Northern members of the APC are divided over endorsement of Obi for 2023 presidency
By Emma Ogbuehi
A major crack seems imminent in the hitherto formidable ranks of the largely Christian Northern All Progressives Congress (APC), following divergent views by its leading chieftains on the endorsement of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi.
While the Chairman of the group and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, said the group has endorsed Obi and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and other members of the forum have distanced themselves from the declaration, at least, for now, saying the group would take definite stance on the matter in the days ahead.
The aggrieved Northern APC members, had, following the selection of former Borno State governor, Senator Kashim Shettima as the running mate to the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, both Muslims, considered the exercise a huge slight to the Christians in the North. In showing their anger, the members had vowed to work against the APC in the 2o23 election.
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The stance by the Dogara camp, is however seen as a setback on the bond of unity that had existed in the forum, if not quickly addressed. The camp had taken its divergent view in a statement jointly-signed by Simon Achuba, Hon Albert Atiwurcha, Prof Doknan Sheni, Mela A. Nunge, SAN, Gen Ishaya Bauka Rtd, Prof Ibrahim Haruna and Mrs Leah Olusiyi.
Babachir Lawal, had said the group has endorsed the Labour Party presidential candidate, Obi and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, stressing that the endorsement was arrived at, after painstakingly reviewing and analysing the alternative candidates.
But, Dogara and other members of the group in dismissing the position of the erstwhile SGF, said they are yet to conclude consultations and that their position will be made public.
He said, “We want to draw the attention of the general public to the recent position canvassed by our Chairman, Engr B D Lawal as the position of our Group. We wish to state that necessary consultations have been concluded, and based on manifestly unassailable empirical data, the group is poised to adopt a position that will be made known to the public at an interfaith event to be held very soon.
“Suffices to say that no one in the group including the Chairman has been mandated to speak to the public about our position at this material time. Based on our modus Operandi, our position was meant to be presented to the general public at the event above referred to. That has not changed.
“Consequently, the decision to endorse a particular candidate and the statement credited to the chairman are solely the decision and views of the Chairman which he is absolutely entitled to but not that of the group. We hope this statement clears all the queries most of us have been inundated with on this all-important subject matter,” he added.