Governor Abubakar Badaru has declared his interest in running for president on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress. ...
Governor Abubakar Badaru has declared his interest in
running for president on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The Jigawa governor described himself as the best candidate
for the job after paying N100 million to obtain the nomination forms of the
ruling party.
“I will join the Presidential race since everyone knows I’m
a highly qualified person to do the job,” he declared during a meeting of APC
members at Government House, Dutse, on Tuesday night.
Mr Badaru’s move followed the decision of President
Muhammadu Buhari to allow northern candidates to contest the ruling party’s
presidential ticket, according to people familiar with the matter. Mr Buhari’s
decision could threaten the party’s alliance of northern and southern
politicians as it casts doubt over the zoning of the top ticket to southern
aspirants on equity grounds.
Two sources familiar with the matter told Peoples Gazette Mr
Buhari has become increasingly doubtful lately about the ability of a southern
candidate to win a presidential election, especially if the opposition Peoples
Democratic Party presents a candidate of northern origin.
Our sources said three northern governors, including Mr
Badaru, had been asked to pick the nomination forms for the APC on the back of
the president’s about-face.
Mr Badaru issued a categorical denial when The Gazette
approached him about his plans to join the presidential race last week, and
whether or not he had the president’s nod to do so.
An alliance between Mr Buhari and a southern coalition that
included Bola Tinubu had propelled him to the presidency in 2015. Mr Tinubu,
who has declared his intention to run for president, has been operating on the
assumption that he would have an upper hand in nomination because Mr Buhari
would support zoning the party’s ticket to the south.
On Tuesday, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu warned in a statement
that failure to zone the APC ticket to southern candidates will constitute a
betrayal that could fast-track the party’s disintegration.
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