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FROM: Dappa Maharajah.
CONTRARY to the decision that the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors had adopted President Muhammadu Buhari as the party’s candidate in the 2019 general elections, the APC National Leader, Ahmed Bola Tinubu said it was a breach of the Rule of Law.
According to him, there would not be an automatic ticket for President Buhari ahead of the 2019 general elections as declared by the governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha.
Tinubu asserted this yesterday in Akure while addressing journalists during a courtesy visit to the leader of the Pan Yoruba socio-political group Pa. Reuben Fasoranti, expressing solid solidarity for the Yoruba leader.
Meanwhile, Okorocha, who lately supported other APC governors that had earlier adopted their intentions to back the President’s re-election bid in 2019, stated that there was no better candidate than Buhari.
But Tinubu, without mincing words, said that there would be primary elections to determine the candidate of the party, saying Buhari would allow and support due process and rule of law for the elections.
Reacting to the governors’ decision, he said “I have not heard about that and the party spokesman has not said that. No governor can appropriate the power of endorsement to himself.”
The National Leader of the party dispelled the declaration by the governors as rumour and thought that contravenes the ethics of Rule of Law and standard practices.
“Buhari is a believer in due process, the Buhari I know believes in rule of law. We wanted him even before the last convention and primaries of the party and Akeredolu is here standing with me, he was not the governor then.
“He was one of the leading delegates that voted properly and Buhari was a clear winner. We follow all the constitutional provisions and an individual opinion does not matter at this stage, Buhari will want a normal process, Buhari that I know.”
Expressing displeasure over the sectional decision made by the governors to impose on the party, the APC chieftain encouraged the President and his supporters to allow him go for the primaries rather than cheap campaigns.
“Who says he will lose at any convention; but if the national body, the NEC and all of us as members had endorsed him as our single candidate, we will not be violating INEC regulations, will not be violating our party constitution.
“What you are hearing is just a campaign. Buhari has not exempted anybody and he has not affected ambition of anybody.”
Others at the meeting were: the governor of the state, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, his deputy, Agboola Ajayi; former Interim National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae; the Secretary General of Afenifere, Sehinde Arogbofa; Chief Femi Aluko to mention few.
The former Lagos State governor and senator, Tinubu, disclosed that “I am in Akure to acknowledge the leadership of Pa Fasoranti in our own race, as a great leader of the Omoluwabi and in his evening we want him to be happy.
“He has been a great leader in his youth and day child. His intellectual is still very intact. Seek his advice, seek his understanding and prayers that is why I am here.”
—
Akingboye Joseph Oluwaseun
