Governors and other leaders of the Congress of all progressives (APC) from northern Nigeria have demanded that the party’s presidential bid be divided into zones in the southern part of the country.
The governors expressed their position in a public statement signed by 10 of them and Sokoto state party leader Aliyu Wamakko.
A total of 22 of Nigeria’s 36 states are governed by APCs. Fourteen of the governors are from the North, while eight are from the South.
Only four governors of northern APC states did not sign the declaration. Two of them, Yahaya Bello from Kogi and Abubakar Badaru from Jigawa, are among the 23 APC presidential hopefuls.
The 10 northern APC governors who signed the declaration are those of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Gombe, Borno, Plateau and Kebbi.
The northern governors’ statement comes a few days after President Muhammadu Buhari told APC governors that he wanted to elect his successor and needed their support to do so.
However, Buhari did not name his preferred candidate, leaving room for speculation.
At the time of this report, Mr. Buhari was meeting with the 23 APC presidential hopefuls.
Faced with the position of the APC governors from the north, their colleagues from the south had unanimously stated that the party’s presidential candidate should be from the south of the country.
Read the full statement from the Northern APC Governors below.
Statement from the APC Governors and Political Leaders of the Northern States
Governors and APC political leaders from the northern states of Nigeria met today to review the political situation and continue to support our Party in providing progressive leadership amidst our national challenges. During our discussions, we welcomed President Muhammadu Buhari’s invitation to governors and other stakeholders to contribute to the emergence of a strong presidential candidate for the APC.
After careful deliberation, we wish to express our firm belief that after eight years in office by President Muhammadu Buhari, the APC presidential candidate for the 2023 elections must be one of our many members from the southern states of Nigeria. It is a matter of honor for the APC, an obligation that is in no way affected by decisions made by another political party. We affirm that defending this principle is in the interest of building a stronger, more united and more progressive country.
Therefore, we would like to strongly recommend to President Muhammadu Buhari that the search for a successor as the APC presidential candidate be limited to our compatriots in the southern states. We call on all applicants from the northern states to withdraw in the national interest and allow only southern applicants to proceed to the primaries. We are delighted with the decision of our esteemed colleague, His Excellency, Governor Abubakar Badaru to contribute to this patriotic quest by withdrawing his presidential bid.
The APC has a duty to ensure that the 2023 elections offer a moment of nation building, reaffirming that there is a democratic path to power for all who value cooperation and build national platforms. This moment calls for the most sober and inclusive approach to selecting our party’s candidate, and we call on all APC leaders to live up to their responsibility in this regard.
Signed, June 4, 2022:
1. Aminu Bello Masari Governor of Katsina State
2. Abubakar Sani Bello Governor of the State of Niger
3. Abdullahi A. Sule Governor of Nasarawa State
4. Prof. BG Umara Zulum Governor of Borno State
5. Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai Governor of Kaduna State
6. Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya Governor of Gombe State
7. Bello M. Matawalle Governor of Zamfara State
8. Simon Bako Lalong Governor of Plateau State
9. Senator Aliyu Wamakko Former Governor of Sokoto State
10. Dr. AU Gantuve Governor of Kano State
11. Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu Governor of Kebbi State
SEE: Governor Yahaya Bello’s roadmap to Hope 2023