Jelilat Olawale, Senior Journalist, BBC News Pidgin
Wit only few hours to di ruling All Progressives Congress national convention wia delegates of di party dey expected to elect di presidential candidate of di APC for di 2023 election, di party from all indications appear to dey face some division.
Issues of consensus candidate plus southern ticket na two major things wey be like say dey cause division for di party.
From di report dat di national chairman of di party Adamu Abdullahi don allegedly announce di Senate President Ahmad Lawan as di consensus candidate to some members of di National Working Council of di party saying Adamu reported announcement no represent dia position.
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NWC drum support for southern ticket
On Monday evening, tori begin fly up and down say Adamu Abdullahi wey be di national chairman of di APC don announce Ahmad Lawan, di Nigerian senate president as di consensus candidate – BBC Pidgin no fit confam dis independently but reactions start to trail di news almost immediately.
APC National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Argungu, wen e dey address tori pipo for di party national secretariat for Abuja, Nigeria capital say indeed di “chairman bin tell dem [di NWC] say Ahmad Lawan na di party consensus candidate but dem no discuss am.”
E say di NWC of di All Progressives Congress dey in support of di emergence of southerner as di party presidential candidate for di 2023 general elections, di stance wey northern APC govnors bin declare ova di weekend.
Argungu explain say di committee take di decision following a meeting of im members.
According to Argungu, di NWC stand wit di position of di northern APC govnors for power to shift to di southern part of di country wen President Muhammadu Buhari wey come from di north don complete im eight-year two terms for June 2023.
‘President no get anointed candidate’
Part of di tori wey begin spread on Monday na say Nigeria President, Muhammadu Buhari don anoint di Senate President as im successor.
But Buhari for statement don clear pipo doubt about im stand on di choice of di presidential flagbearer for di governing All Progressives Congress, APC,
Im declare before di party 14 govnors of northern states say im “no get any preferred candidate,” and don “anoint no one.” President Buhari say im dey determined to make sure say dem no impose any candidate on di party.
Di president tok am for one meeting wit northern gonvors for di State House, Abuja.
Im say di party dey important and im members must be respected, and dem must make dem feel say dem dey important.
Oga Buhari say im get clear mind about wetin im dey do and ask di APC governors to feel di same way to: “elect you [di APC governors] as dem elect me. Get clear mind like me.
Allow di delegates to decide. Di Party must participate, nobody go appoint anybody.”
Northern APC govnors last minute meeting wit President Buhari ova southern candidate
Govnors on di platform of di APC meet wit di president over dia position on southern ticket on Thursday.
Dia meeting come few days afta President Buhari bin tell all di presidential aspirants to follow do deliberation and pick one ogbonge candidate wey dey “formidable” to represent di party for di 2023 polls.
You go recall say di govnors don already tok say make all presidential aspirants from di region withdraw from di race and allow southerners alone compete.
While e dey brief tori pipo at di of di meeting, Chairman of di Northern Govnors Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, say di govnors don insist say dem go back a southerner to emerge as di presidential candidate of di APC.
E clarify say di leaked memo wey go viral last Saturday na di true position of di northern govnors, and dem meet wit di president for officially consultation.
Govnor Yahaya Bello disagree wit northern govnors position on southern ticket
Govnor of Kogi state and a presidential aspirant from northern part of Nigeria waka comot di meeting of di APC northern govnors wit President Buhari.
Govnor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State wey confirm im walkout, say di govnor comot from di meeting wit di president becos e no gree wit di remaining 13 govnors position on southern candidate.
El-Rufai say Governor Bello “excuse” imsef from di meeting wit di president and e dey (Yahaya) within “democratic rights” to do so.
Wetin Nigeria electoral act tok about picking Consensus canditate
According to Nigeria Electoral Act 2022, Section 84(9) (10) and (11) provide di criteria wey Nigerian political parties need meet to reach decision about consensus candidate.
Di electoral act say:
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(9) A political party wey adopt to use consensus candidate shall secure di written consent of all cleared aspirant for di position, wey indicate dia voluntary withdrawal from di race and dia endorsement of di consensus candidate”.
- (10) Wia political party dey unable to secure written consent of all cleared aspirants for di purpose of consensus candidate, dem suppose revert to di choice of direct or indirect primaries for di nomination of candidates for di elective position.
- (11) Di party suppose hold special convention or nomination congress to ratify di choice of consensus candidate at centers wey dem choose at di National, State, Senatorial, Federal and State Constituencies, as di case may be”.
