APC governors further trim presidential aspirants to two

In line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive on the actualisation of a consensus candidate, the All Progressives Congress, APC governors have further reduced the list of proposed presidential aspirants to two.

Chairman, Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Kabiru Gaya made this known in an interview on Tuesday.

According to him, in agreement that power should shift to the south, the two being considered for consensus are Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Earlier on Tuesday, the APC governors had proposed a five-man list of aspirants to President Muhammadu Buhari to consider for consensus.

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Those initially proposed were Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Rotimi Amaechi; Governor Kayode Fayemi and Governor Dave Umahi.

After a fresh deliberation among the governors, the list was reduced to three aspirants with Tinubu, Osibanjo and Amaechi making the new list.

Meanwhile, the development has been rejected by some of the affected candidates (Governors, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti and Yahaya Bello of Kogi) who opined that the decision is not binding on them.

In his reaction, Yahaya Bello warned the party against excluding his name on the ballot for the scheduled convention to pick the party’s presidential flag bearer for the 2023 election, saying the decision will be a recipe for trouble.

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The Kogi state governor alleged a gang up against him by the APC northern governors and some elite whom he alleged have conspired against him.

Speaking to newsmen Tuesday after he met behind closed doors with the President in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Bello said that the APC will retain power at the center only if the stakeholders play by the rules.

Also speaking on the reduction of contestants, Governor Abdullahi Sule said the governors have arrived at five, he however noted that all the aspirants will still go to the polls if they so choose.