5 APC Presidential Aspirants Who May Be Picked as Buhari's Preferred Successor
On Tuesday, May 31, President Muhammadu Buhari made a "feather-ruffling" statement that has continued to generate heated reactions; he said he would like to pick a preferred successor ahead of 2023.
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Until the Tuesday statement, the presidential aspirants of the APC, more than 20, had been looking forward to the primary slated to hold June 6.
Source: Facebook
The dynamic has, however, changed as President Buhari told APC governors to help him out with the tasking of picking a preferred successor.
What this simply means is that the president is looking at picking a flagbearer through the consensus option instead of an open contest.
Since his directive on Tuesday, the governors have been meeting to come up with who they can nominate as a preferred successor among the aspirants.
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As the progressive governors continue the search for a successor, this piece predicts five of the APC presidential aspirants who may be favoured by the new arrangement.
1. Senate Ahmad Lawan
Immediately after Atiku Abubakar's emergence as the PDP presidential candidate, two APC chieftains, Orji Uzor Kalu and Femi Fani-Kayode, released statements advising President Buhari and party leaders to also pick a northern presidential flagbearer.
Senator Kalu specifically asked that the ticket be also zoned to the northeast where Atiku hails from to water down his influence.
If the APC considers this line of thought, Senate President Ahmad Lawan is the frontline aspirant from the region who is likely to be picked.
2. Yemi Osinbajo
If the APC still considers going to the south, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is one of the strong contenders from the region who may be picked.
He has a growing political influence across the country and is the one of the few on the presidential aspirants list with no baggage.
3. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Pundits have said repeatedly that should APC decide to zone it's ticket to the South, the best aspirant who can match Atiku or anyone from the north is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Over the years, he has steadily built a strong and solid political base from the south to the north. He's also arguably the only APC presidential aspirant who has the financial muscle to match former former VP Atiku.
4. Rotimi Amaechi
Apart from Tinubu, another southern APC presidential aspirant who has a strong national appeal is the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
Amaechi's role in the Buhari presidency in the past seven years has made him a strong political force who cannot be be ignored.
5. David Umahi
At the first meeting held by the APC governors on who to nominate as Buhari's preferred successor, sources said some proposed selecting two governors (one from the south and another from the north).
If this recommendation sails through, Governor Umahi may be nominated as Buhari's preferred successor by his colleagues even though his chances of picking the ticket are very slim.
Tinubu or Osinbajo? Group reveals who may be Buhari's preferred successor
Meanwhile, Arewa Youth and Women for PYO 2023 has claimed that the "I want to pick my successor” statement credited to President Buhari could be referring to Vice President Osinbajo.
The pro-Osinbajo youth group said the vice president has a vast wealth of knowledge and experience to be president in 2023.
The group made the claim in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Mohammed Lawal.
Source: Legit.ng
