APC to decide on zoning after screening presidential aspirants — Adamu

The All Progressives Congress will take a decision on zoning after screening of its 2023 presidential aspirants, National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has said.

He said this in an interview with some Hausa service media organisations late Wednesday night, adding that the presidential aspirants would be scrutinised in accordance with the party’s guidelines for the 2023 general elections.

Adamu said that no decision would be taken until its aspirants were all screened.

He said, “We have not produced our candidate for the presidency yet, we have to screen the aspirants to know the way forward.

“We have aspirants from across the country in the presidential race. We will make the decision when we get there.”

On the number of the presidential aspirants, Adamu said members of the party could not be denied the right to contest for president.

He said, “You can’t stop our party stalwarts from contesting elections or aspiring for the presidency. It is their right, and we are happy for them.

“There is nothing wrong with anybody aspiring for the exalted seat of the president, it is God that decides who gets what.

“We have 28 aspirants for the presidential ticket, and everybody knows that all of them cannot get the ticket. If it’s God’s wish, they all can even be president of the country one after the other.

“Our goal is to ensure justice in the choice of who emerges as the candidate of the party, that does not mean we are perfect, but we pray we do the right thing.”

On the possibility of the party adopting the type of consensus arrangement that produced him as its chairman, Adamu said the chairmanship position was not the same as that of the president.

He said there was no comparison between the two positions.

“However, the party has laid down its rules and regulations for the aspirants, we would scrutinise all of them based on our guidelines to be sure we pick the right candidate for the party,” he said.

He debunked insinuations that some of the party’s presidential aspirants were plotting to extend the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari in office.

“I can only say that God will deal with those behind such insinuations. President Buhari had 2019 declared that he would not seek a tenure extension.

“He told everybody and swore with the Qur’an that he would not breach constitutional provision on his two terms tenure. The issue does not even arise. The President, while performing the lesser Hajj reiterated this position. If there is truth in such talks, none of the aspirants would have procured the party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination forms.”

Speaking on the allegations that the party’s aspirants were sharing money with delegates, Adamu said he had no evidence to that effect.