Fausat Bello & Adebayo Fajinmi
A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu has hailed the 10 Northern governors who supported the zoning of the APC presidential ticket to the South, describing their act as ‘a patriotic display’.
Okechukwu congratulated the party’s Northern Governors in a statement released on Sunday.
While congratulating them for strengthening Nigeria’s unity by endorsing power shift to the South, he said it was more “honorable than the ‘Cash and Carry’ victory of the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar”.
He said, “Nigerians have now seen that the Dollar Rain, cash and carry primary that produced His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the PDP presidential candidate was a pyrrhic victory that has nothing in store for the new Nigerian of our dreams.
“I am inclined to believe that Atiku’s victory is pyrrhic going by Greek mythology, and may not lead to ultimate victory, especially with the patriotic stance of his northern brothers.
“By their unholy attempt to harvest from primordial sentiments, the PDP has not only breached rotation convention in its constitution, but has wittingly or unwittingly dug their electoral grave in 2023 presidential election.”
He contended that “the decision to rightfully rotate power to the South, the northern leaders have upheld the progressive bent of APC and exposed the perfidy and opportunistic tendencies of PDP.”
“I am very elated. I commend APC Governors and political leaders of Northern belt for their profound patriotic statement, which aligns with Mr. President’s idea of consensus.
“I must add that this is national healing balm and bridge-building pedigree of APC Governors and political leaders of the Northern belt, which they anchored on the doctrine of progressivism,” he noted.
However, Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, has said the decision of northern governors in the All Progressives Congress (APC) to back power shift to the south is subject to the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari.
After a meeting on Saturday, governors from the region asked Buhari to look toward the southern presidential hopefuls when considering his successor in the ruling party.
They asked the northern presidential aspirants in the APC to withdraw from the race in national interest.
A statement issued after the meeting also stated that Badaru has withdrawn from the race “to contribute to this patriotic quest”.
Speaking to BBC Hausa on Sunday, Badaru said the discussion is still a proposal to be sent to the president for approval.
The governor added that he will only withdraw from the presidential race if Buhari gives his consent for power to be shifted to the south.
“It is true, northern governers, about 11 of them, myself included, discussed the issue and looked at the situation. We concluded to advise Buhari that given the situation, it will be better to cede the candidature to the south,” Badaru said.
“That was the reason why three people were nominated; the governors of Kebbi, Plateau and Nassarawa states to go and meet Buhari to discuss the issue. If he agrees with it, it will be implemented. Otherwise, if he has a better proposal, he should give it to us in his capacity as our father and we as his children.
“So I was surprised to hear that a communique has been issued with the signature of people, which in all honesty was a proposal meant to be taken to Baba. If he agrees with it, it will be implemented and if doesn’t agree, we will continue with any proposal he puts forward since all of us, the northern governors are loyal to Buhari and whatever he says, God willing we will do it. All of us who were present in that meeting, none of us will disagree with Buhari if he says anything. But we discussed among ourselves, seeing the situation the country, and agreed to present that proposal.
“I am not in a position to withdraw until I hear what Buhari says. If he says we should go ahead with a contest, we will go ahead. If he says we should withdraw and take the candidature to the south, we will do so and be in the vanguard to convince others from the north to drop their ambition because Baba says it should go to the south. However, if Baba said we should continue we will continue.”
