2019: No automatic ticket for Buhari – APC govs

By Bode Olagoke

 

Abuja

 

Governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress has ruled out automatic ticket for President Muhammadu Buhari or any other presidential aspirant in the 2019 contest.
Th is, according to them, is in line with the party’s constitution on how its presidential flag bearer should emerge.
Th is is coming even as the party said it was fully in support of President Buhari’s directive to the World Bank on the development of the North-east.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues shortly after a closed door meeting of the governors, National Assembly members and the party’s National Working Committee at its national secretariat yesterday in Abuja, Bauchi state Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, saidthe meeting resolved that the party’s constitution be upheld faithfully.
Th e South- west zone of the party had, at its last zonal meeting, declared that the party’s presidential ticket “is open to any member in 2019.
” When asked to comment on the South-west position as canvassed by former interim national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, Governor Abubakar said: “Th is meeting has not deliberated on that, but the APC has a constitution and in fact, that is one of the items that was discussed, how to amend the constitution of the APC with a view to strengthening the party in line with democratic principles.
We will abide with the provisions of the constitution.
” Also addressing journalists, APC publicity scribe, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, expressed the party’s support for Buhari on his directive to the World Bank as regards the development of the North-east.
Abdullahi, said: “There was an issue in the media that President Buhari had asked the World Bank to focus attention on the north of Nigeria.
Th e issue came up for discussion and the entire meeting threw its weight behind Mr.
President’s position.
“We will like to clarify in addition to everything that has been said that the import of Mr.
President’s statement to the World Bank is in recognition of the particular devastation that Boko Haram had caused in the North-east of Nigeria.
“Therefore, when Mr. President was asking the World Bank to focus attention on the development of the Northeast, he had in mind the necessary reconstruction that needed to happen in that part of the country, especially in the Borno, Yobe and Adamawa axis that has suff ered specifi cally because of the Boko Haram activities.
“It was not a statement meant to give special preference to any section of the country against the other.
So, the APC throws its weight completely behind Mr.
President’s decision and we believe that as long as the North-east of Nigeria continues to suff er the devastation that it has suffered, and continues to represent a very dark spot in human development indices for Nigeria, there is a need to direct special attention to that part of the country.

 

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