President Muhammadu Buhari has rejected a proposal from two All Progressives Congress (APC) state governors to adopt a certain aspirant as the next national chairman of the party during the February 26 convention.
The Nation reported that President Buhari asked the two governors to take their proposal to the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), their fellow governors and other party leaders for consideration.
The back door approach of the two governors is said to have widened the cracks in the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) which is scheduled to hold a make or break meeting today in Abuja on the zoning of party offices.
The PGF’s proposal is expected to be relayed to Buhari by tomorrow for a final decision by him, party sources said.
Several APC governors and members of the CECPC are understood to have been upset by the conduct of their two colleagues who allegedly sought to sell their favoured candidate to the President through the back door.
Members of the CECPC members saw the action of the two governors as a move to undermine the caretaker committee.
The chairmanship aspirants include ex-Governor Abdulaziz Yari; Mallam Saliu Mustapha (Turaki Ilorin); ex-Governor Umar Tanko Al-Makura; Senator Sani Mohammed Musa and ex-Governor Ali Modu Sheriff.
Others are Sunny Sylvester Monidafe; Mohammed Etsu; ex-Governor George Akume; ex-Governor Isa Yuguda and Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi.
Also said to be eyeing the position are ex-Governor Abdullahi Adamu and a former Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. Bawa Bwari.
Investigation revealed that three of the 22 APC governors had agreed to recommend an aspirant to the President.
Two of them are from the North and one from the South.
However, the Southern governor backed out of the visit to the President at the last minute.
It was gathered that the two Northern governors, including one of them said to be aspiring to be Vice President in 2023, proceeded to see the President with a view to convincing him to adopt an aspirant.
A source familiar with the development said: “The affected governors went to the Presidential Villa for political ambush but the President turned down their proposal for a commitment on one of the aspirants.
“He told the governors to send their proposal through the Caretaker Committee. He said since there is a party structure in place, they should use the same platform to communicate with him. They don’t know that President Buhari is a due process man.
“The governors failed in their bid to appoint one of the chairmanship aspirants. And they cannot go back to their colleagues.”
Sources said the action of the governors has widened the cracks in the PGF which is yet to reach a consensus on the party’s next chairman.
Another source said: “Many of the APC governors are angry with these two colleagues who were trying to be smarter.
“They knew that one of them, who is aspiring to be Vice President in 2023, plotted this move.
“Some CECPC members considered the shuttle to the Villa as a ploy to undermine the Caretaker Committee. They now have reasons to suspect them.
“It is clear that some governors are not with the CECPC which is being led by Buni in spite of their outward posture.
“The game will now be more complex before the national convention of APC. We hope that the President will save the situation by providing a direction.”
