Lagos – Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has urged aspirants seeking the ruling party’s ticket for the top job to choose a consensus candidate ahead of its primary this week, his office said.
Buhari, 79 and a northern Muslim, will step down next year after two terms in office.
His ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will hold its convention from Monday through Wednesday to pick a flagbearer for the February 2023 presidential vote.
Thirteen aspirants have been cleared to vie for the ticket.
Leading the pack are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, ex-transport minister Rotimi Amaechi and Senate president Ahmad Lawan.
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At a meeting with the presidential hopefuls in Abuja late Saturday, Buhari said: “Our choice of flagbearer must be formidable, appealing to the electorate across the board, and should command such ability to unify the country.”
The president urged the contenders to hold consultations amongst themselves to “reduce the number of aspirants, bring up a formidable candidate and scale down the anxiety of party members”.
Buhari has not endorsed any aspirant.
Whoever emerges as APC flagbearer will face the main opposition challenger, former vice president Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as well as candidates from other parties.
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Wealthy and influential 75-year-old Abubakar is a Muslim from northern Nigeria.
The serial presidential candidate was chosen last week at the PDP convention in Abuja.
Under an informal agreement among the political elite, Nigeria’s presidency is usually alternatively shared between candidates from the north and the south.
After eight years under northerner Buhari, most agree the presidency should now go to a candidate from the south.
Rotating power in such a way seeks to maintain political balance in a country almost equally divided between the mostly Christian south and predominantly Muslim north.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Getty Images
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