APC Ticket: 2 reasons Buhari needs to stay neutral

Gradually, aspirants have started obtaining the presidential form of the All Progressives Congress. The race to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari is real even in the ruling party. The president will need to maintain neutrality to a very large extent as far as the ticket of the party is concerned.

The most convincing and logical reason why the president will need to be neutral is that so many of his loyalists are in the race. And the president can’t just pick one and look away. Most of them have been allies of the president prior to his 2015 victory in the poll.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu is an ally of the president. Prof Yemi Osinbajo is the vice president. They are both struggling for the ticket. How could the president then choose either of them and there won’t be some grudges? Even there may be campaign against his government from the camps of aspirants.

Mr. Rotimi Amaechi helped in the campaign of Buhari in the last two general elections in the country. He was instrumental towards the coming of the APC to power. If Buhari wants to compensate him through his support, how would he expect Osinbajo and Tinubu to feel?

At least three ministers are in the race right now. They have all been part of the records president Muhammadu Buhari has been able to make. Then, the best approach to the issue is to maintain neutrality.

The second reason is that Buhari actually made his stance known in the last convention of the party. He preferred a consensus candidate. And he endorsed Senator Abdullahi Adamu from Nassarawa State.

As the leader of the party, almost all other aspirants withdrew. Mr. Tanko Al-Makura had no choice but to oblige. The majority of the party leaders may not bow to Buhari’s will in the presidential primary election.

It will be rare to have an aspirant oppose Buhari’s decision. Even the APC governors rever him a lot. But if the president doesn’t stay neutral in the poll, a fraction of the party may dump the APC for another platform.

The implication is simple to know. The PDP lost most of its leaders ahead of the 2015 presidential poll. Since that time, the PDP has not been able to move closer to the seat of power, Abuja.