A move by some governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress to use the platform of the National Executive Council of the party to endorse President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term failed on Tuesday.
The APC NEC is the second highest decision-making body of the party after the national convention.
Signs of what was in the offing became apparent early in the day as some governors known to be close allies of the President extended a campaign they began at an event organised by the Buhari Support Organisation in Abuja on Saturday.
In separate interviews with reporters at the APC National Secretariat, the venue of Tuesday’s NEC meeting, the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Owelle Rochas Okorocha; his Plateau and Kebbi counterparts, Simon Lalong and Atiku Bagudu, respectively said only Buhari had what it would take to fly the party’s flag in 2019.
The governors spoke before the commencement of the NEC meeting. Plateau Gov. Lalong said all the governors had agreed to work towards the President’s re-election in 2019. He said, “Concerning the issue of sole ticket for Mr. President, I want to say that if Mr. President is performing, well-respected and carrying everybody along, all of us have resolved that we will work for him. He then asked a rhetorical question, “Do we have any other person that will challenge the President again? Whatever you call it, as far as we are concerned, we have one President and that is the ticket we will fly.
His Kebbi State counterpart, Atiku Bagudu, who was also responding to a question on whether the governors had resolved to give the President an automatic ticket, said, “The performance of the President in the last two and half years suggests that if he wants to contest, l will certainly support him and l know that our party members feel the same about him.
However, the governor of Nasarawa State, Tanko Al-Makura, expressed a slightly different opinion. While responding to a similar question, he said, “For anybody to preempt the consensus opinion of the people is to say the least not fair to the vision of our party. I can tell you if there is anything that is clandestine, the President will not honour it. So, let’s wait and see as we embark on these meetings.
Also speaking on the issue, Okorocha, who is also Imo State governor, said only a decision by President Buhari to contest the 2019 election could make him drop his personal presidential ambition. He said, “If Mr. President wants to run for election, he will follow all the processes and if he is the person, we will all support him. In APC, there is no imposition of candidate.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, confirmed this while speaking to newsmen after the NEC meeting. He explained that the Tuesday’s NEC meeting was not about the 2019 elections but that there was a motion asking that first, a vote of confidence be passed in the President and then he should be endorsed as the party’s candidate for the 2019 election.
Edited from Punch
why should they give him automatic ticket when he is a failed president. See what is happening everywhere in this country.
ReplyDeleteNothing is moving forward at all
The so said governors are wicked!!! With his health,what are they trying to secure????
ReplyDeleteGpaBuhari no mind Dem. After this term,no more. Just enjoy your grandkids!!!
They are liars he ain't coming back
ReplyDeleteGod!!!🤔🤔🤔
ReplyDeleteBuhari will loose big time if he recontests and election rigging is not allowed.
ReplyDeleteThe man has failed and it is even people of the north that are suffering the most.
I was in kaduna last week and the number of people I saw begging with children on the street scared me soo much that I couldn't look out into the streets from my car.
Increased number of beggars in the north, hunger and poverty has almost finished them in the north
Infact if you are the east south or western part of the country and you have never gone to the north before pls try and go at least once before you die so you can understand theach level of poverty there.
Nigeria needs better leaders, I tire for this country called Nigeria
LEP😛
When they were voting for him they didn't know, the name Buhari already had a history, the thing is we forget easily in Nigeria.
DeleteBv DON you have to read this to stop posting trashy comments. APC failed wwoefully
DeleteDamn it,this people are heartless
ReplyDeleteNigerians wake up! Buhari is sick! He has failed as president! If he likes let him run, I trust Nigerians won't vote for him.
ReplyDeleteSecond tenure in his ghost life? Second tenure for Someone who has failed in every aspect of his government? In their sorry ass widest dream.
ReplyDelete