By Olufemilade Oyinade
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday afternoon dispelled the rumour making the rounds about his anointment of a consensus presidential candidate for APC as he declared, “I have anointed no one, there shall be no imposition”
The President, declaring before the party’s 14 Governors of Northern states at the State House, Abuja said he had no preferred candidate,” and had anointed no one, adding that he was determined to ensure that there would not be imposition of any candidate on the party.
This came on the heels of news in circulation by some online platforms and social media that APC had announced the President of the Nigerian Senate, Ahmad Lawan from Yobe State in North East, as its consensus presidential candidate for the 2023 presidential election.
Buhari added that the party was important and its members must be respected, and made to feel they are important.
The President said he had a clear mind about what he was doing and asked the APC governors to feel the same way: “You were elected as I was. Have a clear mind as I have. God gave us the chance; we have no reason to complain. We must be ready to take pain as we take the joy. Allow the delegates to decide. The Party must participate, nobody will appoint anybody.”
Earlier in their addresses, the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Governor Simon Bako Lalong and Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of the Progressive Governors Forum, said they had come to affirm the position of the Northern Governors that the party’s candidate in the presidential election shall come from the southern part of the country.
They apologised to the President for the leakage of their signed memorandum which was not in support of any particular candidate and gave assurances to the President on their readiness to accept his leadership on the matter.
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