The National Publicity Secretary, All Progressives Congress (APC), Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, has disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari does not have an automatic ticket to being the party’s flagbearer in the 2019 presidential election, stating that all contenders will have a level playing field for the ticket.
He said that the party has the responsibility of conducting free and fair primaries to allay the fears of the contenders.
He added that as good as the recent endorsement of Buhari by APC governors and other party bigwigs was to the president’s chances at the primaries, it was not a given that the president would win the ticket.
Abdullahi, who spoke to Thisday, further said that the APC Governors Forum is not an organ of the APC, despite being a major stakeholder in the party.
He said, “The governors’ forum is a major stakeholder in the party, but it is not an organ of the APC. But if you look at the constitution of the party, the key organs are the convention, the National Executive Committee, Board of Trustees, the National Caucus, and the National Working Committee.”
Asked if the endorsements could discourage other contenders from vying for the party’s presidential ticket, he said, “No, I don’t think so. The governors’ forum is an association of governors and it is within their democratic right to call on Mr President to re-contest or to express their support for his re-election. They don’t have a role to play constitutionally in deciding who becomes the candidate of the party.
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