Nigeria’s Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) says there is no way it would choose which geopolitical zone would produce the party’s Presidential candidate in the 2023 general election without the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Issues relating to the seat of the President ahead of the 2023 general elections and key elective positions of the party would be handled by President Muhammadu Buhari in consultation with the Governors and other major stakeholders
Secretary to the APC National Caretaker Committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, made the clarification while refuting report in a section of the media, highlighting the zoning arrangement of all elective positions of the party.
He remarked that people who are interested in running for one office or the other can speculate but as far as he is concerned, at the last caretaker committee meeting, it was not discussed that. That is not what we are concerned with now. What we are concerned with is data collection, how to collect data without making mistakes.
“We are not going to be pressured into doing some things based on sentiment and end up doing the wrong thing. Let me say that zoning is not for the caretaker committee alone. It has to do with President Buhari, it has to do with other major stakeholders”, he added
Akpanudoedehe in an attempt to mute the speculation said the list is not from the Caretaker Committee. “… The President is not in town. There is no way such decision will be taken without consulting with the President, the governors and other major stakeholders. People should disregard the list. We are focused on delivering our mandate and we are to do it rightly.”
The report presented the zoning arrangement as President (South); Vice president (North); Senate president (South); Deputy senate president (North); House of Reps Speaker (North) and Deputy House of Reps speaker (South).