Five presidential hopefuls of the All Progressives Congress
(APC) have rejected the “frontline candidates” recommended by governors to
contest the party’s primary.
Simon Lalong, governor of Plateau, in an interview on
Sunrise Daily, a Channels TV programme, said APC governors recommended five
presidential hopefuls to participate in the primary.
The hopefuls recommended to contest, according to Lalong,
are Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation; Bola Tinubu, former
Lagos governor; Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti governor; David Umahi, governor of Ebonyi,
and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
In the interview on Tuesday, Lalong said all other
presidential hopefuls have been advised to step down, adding that the
“frontline candidates” recommended by the governors are backed by the national
working committee (NWC) members, and have been endorsed by President Muhammadu
Buhari.
But in a statement issued after a meeting on Tuesday, the
presidential hopefuls — Ben Ayade, governor of Cross River; Emeka Nwajiuba,
former minister of state for education; Ogbonnaya Onu, ex-minister for science
and technology; Rochas Okorocha; former governor of Imo, and Tein Jack-Rich —
described the decision as a “joke”.
“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,” the
statement issued by Onu, on behalf of his colleagues, reads.
“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
in order 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 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.”
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