By Fred Ajayi
The 2023 Presidential contest to select the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will be full of thrills and suspense.
Given the incumbency factor that characterises Nigeria’s elections, anybody who gets the ticket may become the next president of Nigeria.
Within the party, there has been a clamour for power shift to the Southern part of the country as the eight years tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner will soon end.
This position is well favoured by mostly southern stakeholders and a few from the north. However, there are some who believe that the party should not restrict its choice to a region, arguing that the party belongs to all Nigerians and everyone from every part of the country is free to aspire for any position in the party, in line with provisions of the party’s constitution and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
They argue that merit, rather than zoning, should be adopted. This proposition however, is founded on a quicksand as the arrangement that gave birth to the Presidency of Buhari at the 2014 Lagos convention of the party was a compromise based on zoning and not merit.
Recently, APC Governors under the auspices of Progressive Governors Forum PGF in as statement said the guiding philosophy as enshrined in the provisions of APC manifesto is economic, social and political development of Nigeria.
Part of the statement signed by PGF Chairman and Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Atiku-Bagudu said: “APC belongs to all Nigerians. Everyone from every part of the country is free to aspire for any position in the party in line with provisions of our party’s constitution and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
“The guiding philosophy as enshrined in the provisions of our manifesto is economic, social and political development of Nigeria.”
Among the frontline candidates is former Lagos State Governor and leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Though he has not come out openly to declare his presidential ambition, a loyal group, SWAGA’23, has commenced aggressive consultations with stakeholders and power blocs in Lagos State and beyond for his candidacy and endorsement.
SWAGA’23, which is being led by a former Minister of Works and Media Adviser to the late Chief Moshood Abiola, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, had inaugurated chapters in Osun, Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti and Lagos States after its regional inauguration in Ibadan, the political headquarters of Western Nigeria, on December 15, 2020.
Lagos State Governor Sanwo-Olu joined in a road show for the group recently.
In the South West and in parts of the north,Tinubu’s posters for the presidential contest have flooded these places.
According to Adeyeye, the group has been strengthened to forge ahead in its consultations because of the positive responses by millions of Nigerians over the Tinubu Presidency.
He said: “Tinubu is preferred for the highest service, having demonstrated that capacity as former governor of Lagos state.
“Tinubu is a great national asset, a hunter for talents, a lover of human development, an economic problem solver and a bridge builder.”
From the north, no serious candidate or his group has come forward to claim a stake in the 2023 presidential project. This is also the same situation in the South East and South-South.
As it appears now, unless there is a drastic change of tune, Tinubu is as well on his way to claiming the 2023 APC presidential ticket.
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