APC faces more confusion as South East and South-South presidential aspirants disown list of five people shortlisted for President Buhari for consideration
By Emma Ogbuehi
South – East and South-South presidential aspirants on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), have put a lie to a list of five aspirants purportedly forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari for consideration as the party holds its primary, today.
The governors, in taking the position insisted that no list has been submitted to Mr. President, adding that any move in that respect by their colleagues is considered a joke taken to the extreme with the aim of playing with the intellect of Nigerians particularly us from the South-East.
The recalled the President’s directive to the aspirants including those from the North to meet and harmonise in order to produce a single candidate, adding however that they had not been consulted nor attended a meeting where it was agreed that such names be sent to the President.
Some names, according to sources, have been forwarde to Buhari for consideration. They included the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti State), Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation, and Governor Dave Umahi (Ebonyi State).
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South-East and South-South aspirants maintain however that in the absence of any harmonised agreement no list has been submitted to Mr. President, hence what the brains behind the list have done is just nothing but a charade which is bound to fail.
The statement by the five APC presidential aspirants on the situation in the party reads:
“In the past few hours we have been bombarded with calls and messages from my supporters and concerned Nigerians on a list of five Presidential aspirants submitted to President Buhari to choose from.
“As long as we are concerned no list has been submitted to Mr. President, the move by the Governors is considered a joke taken to the extreme with the aim of playing with the intellect of Nigerians particularly us from the South-East.
“Mr. President’s directive is very simple, that all Presidential aspirants including those from the North should meet and harmonise inorder to produce a single candidate. As it stands we have not been consulted or attended a meeting where it was agreed that such names be sent to Mr President.
“In the so-called list out of the five names only one was selected from the South-East and we are talking about fairness and justice to the South. What the Governors have done is a mere picnic in the park. These are the same Governors talking about Equity, justice and fairness yet in a clandestine manner purportedly sidelined the South East.
“In the absence of any harmonised agreement no list has been submitted to Mr. President, what they have done is just nothing but a charade which is bound to fail.
“We also have it on good authority that the majority of these Governors have been promised and also given various forms of gratifications in order to thwart the process in favour of one aspirant and such grand plot will fail woefully.
“More so, the party led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu remains the official organ of the party through which decisions taken by stakeholders in the party will be communicated and acted upon, in the absence of that any other move remains null and void.
“We urge all well meaning Nigerians to disregard such information, as we remain in the race hence no consensus agreement has been reached amongst all contestants.
“The names, according to the source, included that of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti State), Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation, and Governor Dave Umahi (Ebonyi State).
“The governors after meeting with the President said they will return to the villa after meeting with the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and other stakeholders.
“They picked one from South-East, one from South-South and three from South-West geopolitical zones in line with their position that power should shift to the South”
The statement was signed by Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Sen. Ben Ayade, Sen. Rochas Okorocha, Emeka Nwajiuba and Jack-Rich Tien