The All Progressives Congress (APC) has refused to announce its decision on zoning it’s party’s presidential ticket to the South because the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may pick former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate.
Reliable sources within the APC are saying that with the rise in ethnic and religious politics in the country, it had become obvious that most Nigerians would vote along ethnic and religious lines.
This was what informed the decision of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; and Governor Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State to join the presidential race at the last minute.
A source in the APC said, “It is not in our constitution that people should be denied their fundamental human rights . Also, the Nigerian constitution says everybody will be able to contest. In 2014, Rochas Okorocha contested against four northern aspirants. In 1999, Alex Ekwueme and Abubakar Rimi contested against Olusegun Obasanjo for the PDP ticket. You cannot breach a law that doesn’t exist. So, we cannot be held account for a law that doesn’t exist.
“Our thinking is that if Atiku Abubakar gets the party’s ticket, then we are in trouble. So, the party will throw its ticket open. I don’t see this decision being reversed.”
When asked what would happen if former governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State emerges the APC presidential candidate, the source said the APC might end up going with a Muslim/Muslim ticket.
“If a northern candidate doesn’t emerge from the APC, then the vice-presidential candidate must be a very strong Muslim politician from the North. This is the challenge Tinubu will have but if it comes to it, then a Muslim/Muslim ticket is what we will go for. We will win the core North and the South-West,” he said.
Source: Newswatch plus
