Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) might end up fielding a northern candidate for the 2023 presidency if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) picks its presidential candidate from the North.
According to Punch, the ruling party is interested in zoning its presidential ticket to the South, but the outcome of PDP’s presidential primary scheduled for May 28 and May 29, would determine its final decision.
It is reported that some party chieftains in the North have started shopping for a strong presidential candidate in the region should the PDP field a northerner for the presidential election.
However, the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu had in a recent interview said the APC had yet to zone its presidential ticket.
But a chieftain of the party who confided in Punch said, “The presidential ticket can go anywhere. In fact, we will get a strong northern candidate that can defeat the PDP if it zones its presidency to the North.”
Also, a founding member of the APC, Mr Osita Okechukwu confirmed the possibility of a northern candidate emerging at the party’s presidential primary.
Okechukwu said the party is fine-tuning its strategies on the 12 million vote bank of President Muhammadu Buhari.
In 2015, when Buhari defeated the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, the APC said Buhari had a strong support base in the core North where 12 million people would always vote for him.
In his interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, Okechukwu said “the desperation of the PDP to prey on President Muhammadu Buhari’s 12 million vote bank.”
“Although one is not holding the brief of our distinguished national Chairman, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, one’s little understanding is that the leadership of our great party is watching closely the desperation and antics of our elder sister political party, the PDP.
“They want to capture power by all means, indeed using Machiavellian tactics. We all know that PDP is famished, thirsty and desperate to win the Presidency in 2023. They loathe the loss of their slogan, ‘Share the Money’, through their absence from power at the centre for seven going to eight years,” He said.
Currently, the majority of the APC presidential aspirants are from the South. The aspirants include the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo; the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi; the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State is the only APC presidential aspirant, who hails from the North-Central.
