2023 Presidency: Plot intensifies in APC to stop Tinubu 

LAGOS – The revelation made on Wednesday by the Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraor­dinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the ruling All Progressives Con­gress (APC), Senator John Akpanudoedehe, that the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 general election would emerge by consensus may have ignited renewed political activities among top contenders for the position.

With this recent revelation, the issue of a “gentleman’s agreement” that was said to have been agreed on at the for­mation stage of the party and the expectation that the ticket would be zoned to the South after the North had enjoyed two terms may have been put to rest.

Comments from leaders of the ruling party, in their conversations with SUNDAY INDEPENDENT, indicate that the consensus option is still being subjected to diverse interpretations and may not enjoy majority support after all.

A party chieftain from the South West told our corre­spondent that those who are suggesting the consensus op­tion might just be flying a kite because they have a hidden agenda to execute and would want to know how much resis­tance they would encounter.

There have been specula­tions concerning an ongoing plot by the APC National Committee to thwart the am­bition of the key presidential hopeful in the South West, but these have been mostly denied even though the schism in the party is already well known.

It is also now known that the desire of the North to maintain a hold on power at the centre is being keenly pursued.

Recall that Akpanudoede­he had, in a statement issued in Abuja, disclosed that the APC presidential candidate for the 2023 general election would emerge by consensus.

His statement came in re­sponse to allegation by the op­position Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that President Muhammadu Buhari was working on a self-succession and third term plot.

He said the President had no third term plan, and went ahead to reveal that the party was strategising on how to produce a consensus candi­date.

He said: “Unlike the opposi­tion, we are a disciplined party. The PDP is just haunted by its past.

You will recall the inglori­ous third term agenda while PDP was in power. So, it is easy to accuse APC now.

“After our (APC) congresses and the national convention, we will shock them (PDP) by bringing a consensus and an agreeable candidate that will fly the flag of the party come 2023. The APC has no third term agenda like the PDP.

What we are doing now is to stabilise the party and not allow individual ambitions to derail the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

Akpanudoedehe noted that the CECPC was convinced that election, through consensus, would mitigate discord and acrimony that always trail conduct of congresses.

The national secretary of the party further revealed that the leadership would only shelve the consensus ar­rangement if there was strong opposition to it.

“We are making sure we do not leave any room for the op­position, especially the Peoples Democratic Party, to sponsor people to cause confusion in our midst,” he added.

As it was reliably gathered by SUNDAY INDEPENDENT, the presidential candidate of the APC will emerge in De­cember, next year.

Among those who have ei­ther indicated or believed to be nursing interest for the party’s ticket are former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha; national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinu­bu; Minster of Transporation, Rotimi Ameachi; Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello; Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. Dave Umahi, and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi.

Despite the recent reso­lution of the 17 Southern governors in Lagos that the presidency should return to the south after President Bu­hari completes his eight years stewardship in 2023, there are indications that some individ­uals believed to be Buhari’s allies are doing everything to ensure that the presidency is retained in the North.

A top chieftain of the party, who pleaded anonymity, told SUNDAY INDEPENDENT that these individuals have been sponsoring various campaigns meant to destroy the issue of zoning.

Credit: Daily Independent