There are numerous indicators that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is conflicted over zoning the presidency for 2023.
Despite the fact that the party was searching south for a presidential candidate, there was a significant potential that it would still open the contest to both northern and southern candidates.
According to a prominent APC leader who confided in one of our journalists, the party is still studying measures that would allow it to retain the presidency in 2023.
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“Although, by all indications, the next chairman will come from the North,” the party’s leader remarked, “it would not prevent interested northerners from contending for the APC presidential ticket.”
We have capable candidates in the North and South.
We haven’t decided yet, but we’ll opt for the finest candidate who can assist us retain the presidency in 2023.”
In addition, an APC senior from the North emphasized that the party was still considering all alternatives.
“If the chairman and the President come from the North, the worst the party can do is give the chairman a political post and let his deputy, who will be a southerner, step in,” the party leader remarked.
We can also keep the current setup by electing a northern chairman and a southern presidential candidate.”
However, it was learned that APC chieftains who were pushing for a president from the South were certain that the party could not turn around and zone the presidency to the north when the same region produced the party’s chairman.
The party’s National Executive Committee was expected to deliberate on the matter following the party’s national convention on February 26.
“We’re looking into what’s going on in the PDP, but the NEC will convene after the national convention to decide on the best solution,” a national officer of the party stated on condition of anonymity.
Attempts on Sunday to persuade Senator James Akpanudoedehe, National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), to comment on the subject were futile since he did not answer his phone or react to an SMS sent to him.
However, Akpanudoedehe stated two weeks earlier that the party is yet to take a decision on zoning.
