Chairman of the Southern Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has urged presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the North to withdraw from the race. Jigawa State Governor Mohammed Baduru has announced his withdrawal from the race, leaving only Senate President Ahmed Lawan and Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
In a personal statement yesterday in Akure, the state capital, Akeredolu hailed Governor Badaru for what he called “patriotic quest by withdrawing his presidential aspiration”.
The statement said the resolution of the 11 Northern APC governors was geared towards the attainment of nationhood for the country.
The statement said: “This is indeed another landmark achievement in our quest for understanding, rapprochement and continual engagements for mutual beneficence.
“We acknowledge this courageous stance for equity and moral rectitude. We applaud the zeal and determination of our brothers to engage realistically and honestly. We salute this uncommon resolve to confront issues militating against the march towards nationhood and ultimate greatness.
“By this gesture, we are convinced of the seriousness of our colleagues to join other patriots in ensuring that the ascendant march towards stability, progress and prosperity is not truncated by indiscretion.
“We congratulate our brother Governor Abubakar Badaru, for his exemplary conduct. Posterity will remember him for good. We thank the leadership of the Northern Governors’ Forum for the patriotic zest displayed at this crucial moment. We look forward to conducting a hitch free Convention which will culminate in the election of a suitable candidate who will hoist the flag of the party with a sense of mission.”
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Also, Kogi State governor and presidential aspirant on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Yahaya Bello, has said he is still in the party’s presidential race.
He did not align with fellow northern governors of the party who, at the weekend, supported the zoning of the presidential ticket to the South.
Appearing on a political television programme yesterday, Bello denied stepping down for a southern aspirant.
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari is only interested in APC fielding the best candidate who can defeat other opponents in the 2023 presidential election.
Bello said such a candidate must be able to give the people the right kind of leadership while building on the successes of the President.
The governor said he was optimistic that the best candidate would be chosen, irrespective of region, tribe or religion.
He stressed that Nigerians were clamouring for who would solve the various challenges facing the country.
Bello expressed optimism that he would be the chosen candidate considering all he had achieved in Kogi in the areas of security, unity and progress.
“Mr. President has always been providing a very wonderful leadership. The National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has equally been providing a superlative leadership for our party and for our country and yesterday’s (Saturday’s) meeting was one of them.
“For us as aspirants in the forthcoming primary elections, we were asked to make a consensus among ourselves on who will emerge so that we can come up with one formidable candidate against the PDP.
“It is very gladdening and I know that by the grace of God, we are going to come up with the one strong candidate.
“And, I am very optimistic that I, Yahaya Bello, as the candidate to build on the leadership and successes of President Muhammadu Buhari, will emerge as the consensus candidate by the special grace of God, considering our achievements and successes in Kogi on security, unity and progress.
“Nigeria of today is all out for who is coming to solve Nigeria’s problem and not where you come from and that leadership, I by the special grace of God will provide for Nigeria,” he said.