Seven presidential candidates running on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform have rejected the five names that were allegedly offered to President Muhammadu Buhari in order for him to choose a consensus candidate.
They stated that they were not consulted before the Governors made their decision.
This accusation was made in a short statement released in the early hours of Tuesday by the dissatisfied aspirants.
Governor of Cross River, Ben Ayade; former state minister for education, Emeka Nwajiuba; former minister of science and technology, Ogbonnaya Onu; former governor Rochas Okorocha; and billionaire Tein Jack-Rich are among the candidates.
According to the aspirants, President Buhari does not support zoning the presidency to the south and questions the governors’ motives.
“Mr. President’s command is straightforward: all Presidential candidates, including those from the North, should meet and work together to produce a single candidate.
We have not been consulted, nor have we attended a conference where it was agreed that such names be delivered to Mr. President,” the statement stated in part.
“We also have it on good authority that the bulk of these Governors have been promised and also provided various sorts of gratifications in order to frustrate the process in favour of one candidate, and such a great conspiracy would fail tragically,” Onu continued.
“Moreover, Senator Abdullahi Adamu’s party will continue to be the official organ of the party via which decisions made by stakeholders in the party will be communicated and acted upon; in the absence of that, any other move will be null and void.”
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State are among the names alleged to have been given to Buhari.