Buhari To Meet APC Presidential Aspirants, Reveal Preferred Candidate Sunday

PIX 3423 — L-R: Osun State Governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola; Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari; President Muhammadu Buhari; Kebbi State Governor & Chairman Progressive Governors Forum, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi (Ebonyi). Behind L-R: Plateau State Governor, Mr. Solomon Lalong; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; Nassarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule; Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, during a Sallah Homage visit by the members of the Progressive Governors Forum to the President in Daura, Katsina State, on Thursday, July 22, 2021.

President Muhammadu Buhari has plans of meeting ruling All Progressives Congress presidential aspirants latest Sunday.

The president was said to be planning a trip to Ghana today (Saturday), without resolving the consensus crisis rocking the party.

But the Punch reports that President would return to the country later in the day is expected to meet with the aspirants on Saturday night or Sunday.

“The President is expected to travel to Ghana tomorrow (today). After that, he is expected to meet with the aspirants and thereafter reveal his preferred candidate for the party’s ticket,” the newspaper quotes the source as saying.

The PUNCH had reported that Buhari met with the governors of the All Progressives Congress on Tuesday ahead of the party’s convention.

The president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, made the outcome of the meeting known in a statement titled, ‘We must show positive qualities of APC at our convention, President Buhari charges governors’.

During the meeting held at State House, Abuja, Buhari told the governors that decisions that would enable the party to retain power at the centre should be taken.

The meeting came amid speculations that the president may anoint an aspirant before the convention.

Apart from former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, other aspirants are the Senate President Ahmad Lawan and former ministers Rotimi Amaechi, Ogbonnaya Onu, Godswill Akpabio, and Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba.

Serving governors who are also aspiring to be president are Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Ben Ayade (Cross River) and Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa).

Others are former Senate President Ken Nnamani, former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, and serving senators Ibikunle Amosun, Ajayi Boroffice, and Rochas Okorocha.

President Buhari’s running mate in 2011, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Uju Ken-Ohanenye, Nicholas Felix, Ahmad Rufai Sani, Tein Jack-Rich, Ikeobasi Mokelu are also expected to face the party’s presidential screening panel.

He also charged the governors to ensure that the forthcoming convention to pick a presidential candidate reflects all the values and virtues of the party.

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