The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC shocked the nation with the announcement of Ahmed Lawan, Senate President as the consensus candidate of the party for the forthcoming presidential election.
Abdullah Adamu, national chairman of the APC made the announcement on Monday. The announcement came hours ahead of the presidential primaries of the party scheduled to take place in Abuja between Monday and Tuesday.
Adamu also made the announcement while President Muhammadu Buhari was holding a meeting with governors elected on the platform of the APC at the Aso Rock villa. Eleven of the APC governors had said last week that the party should give its ticket to a contestant from the southern part of the country. According to them, such a step would ensure fairness in the party.
Prior to that announcement Lawan was not regarded as one of the leading aspirants.
The development looks good to create a crisis in the party that took power in 2015.
First, Adamu had been accused by members of the national working committee of the party of running a one-man show, and dropping the name of the president. The NWC appeared divided on the issue, as some members had told him he was alone on this. They insisted that primaries should be held. Then, the governors who met with the president, same Monday, said they insisted that the party’s candidate should come from the south.
Shola Akinyele
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