Everything is in place for the APC national convention and presidential primaries.
The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, ad hoc delegates for the presidential primary election, are all set to choose the party’s flagbearer for the 2023 general elections. The primary election begins today, June 6th, 2022.
The ruling party sold 28 forms for N100 million each to 28 different aspirants, and 23 of these contestants were screened last week.
According to John Oyegun, Chairman of the party’s presidential screening committee, 13 of the 23 passed the screening process, while 10 others were ‘disqualified.’
However, the APC’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, disputed the Screening Committee’s report, claiming that no aspirant had been disqualified. He stated that all of the candidates would compete for the party’s sole presidential ticket.
Three aspirants did not submit their forms, including the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, and the Minister of Petroleum for State, Timipreye Sylva, while former President Goodluck Jonathan and Akinwumi Adesina did not show up for screening.
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The APC has a total of 2,340 delegates who will vote for the candidates.
According to all indications, the leading candidates for the party’s ticket are Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chibuike Amaechi, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and Ahmed Lawan.
Former Niger Delta Minister, Godswill Akpabio; former State Minister of Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; former Senate President, Ken Nnamani; Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello; former National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha; former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu; former Ogun State governor, Sen. Ibik
Pastor Tunde Bakare, Cross River State Governor Prof. Ben Ayade, Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi, Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Jigawa Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, and former Zamfara State Governor Sen. Ahmed Yerima are among those present.
Meanwhile, the Northern APC Governors asked aspirants from the region to step down and allow their Southern counterparts to run in the primary over the weekend. The Governors agreed that the South would produce the next President.
They urged President Muhammadu Buhari to choose his successor from the country’s south.
In another development, President Muhammadu Buhari met with all of the party’s presidential aspirants on his return from the Kingdom of Spain over the weekend, urging them to settle on a consensus candidate. However, it appears that the ruling party’s aspirants are having difficulty reaching an agreement.
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According to the Electoral Act, all candidates must agree to step down for one of them to reach a consensus, and if this does not happen, they must compete in the primaries.
The ruling All Progressives Congress has until today, tomorrow, and Wednesday to decide who will run for president in 2023 under its banner.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the presidential candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and is eager to learn who his opponent will be.
Follow this thread for APC presidential primary election updates and results.
