By Emmanuel Oladesu
Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday erupted in confusion over a purported ‘choice consensus candidate’ of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Twenty-four hours to the convention, National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu sparked a row when he announced Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the President’s anointed.
He told the National Working Committee (NWC) of Lawan’s choice during a meeting, but the members rejected the proposal.
Disowning Adamu, they aligned with APC northern governors’ position that power should return to the South.
President Muhammadu Buhari met with the governors, who restated their power shift resolution.
He told the governors that his push for a consensus candidate did not mean he had an anointed contender.
He said no one would be allowed to impose a candidate on the party and that delegates would decide the fate of the aspirants.
The governors were led to the meeting by the chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong.
President Buhari, according to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, told the states’ helmsmen that he had “no preferred candidate” and had “anointed no one”.
He said he was determined to ensure that “there shall be no imposition of any candidate on the party”.
President Buhari said the party members must be respected and made to feel they are important.
He said he had a clear mind about what he was doing and asked the APC governors to feel the same way because “you were elected as I was”.
He added: “Have a clear mind as I have. God gave us the chance; we have no reason to complain. We must be ready to take pain as we take joy.
“Allow the delegates to decide. The party must participate, nobody will appoint anybody.”
Lalong and Progressive Governors Forum Chairman and Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Bagudu said they had come to reaffirm the Northern governors’ position on power shift.
Lalong told reporters: “This meeting is also in line with part of the consultations that Mr. President had.
“Of course, Mr. President had a meeting with us governors, but at the APC Northern Governors’ Forum, we sat down.
“We reviewed a lot of things and we discussed at length the unity of this country, the need for progress and the need for inclusiveness, and also the need for accommodation.
“We sat down in the last few days and 13 out of 14 governors agreed. We decided to go and advise Mr. President.
“I think part of the discussions that we…
