Buhari Leaves APC Leaders In Suspense Over 2023 Plans

President Muhammadu Buhari departed Nigeria for Malabo for the African Union summit leaving governors and stakeholders in suspense on his inclinations ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary to choose his successor in 2023.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that the president met with the APC governors on Tuesday night ahead of his departure where the president remained mum on the issue.

The meeting, it was gathered was convened to discuss issues revolving around the party’s presidential primary.

The ruling party had slated its presidential primary for Sunday/Monday, where delegates will elect the party’s flag bearer for the 2023 presidential election.

There has been anxiety among the 23 presidential aspirants of the party as the screening, which was scheduled for last Monday was postponed indefinitely.

Top shots of the party, governors and presidential aspirants had told this paper that they were awaiting the president’s guidance ahead of the primary.

One of them, a former governor said, “The tension and confusion in the party is as a result of lack of direction by the president. Everybody is confused.”

But a source close to the president told one of our correspondents that the governors and the party leadership have been told to ensure the conduct of a peaceful and transparent primary.

“The president has told the governors and the party to ensure that the primary is transparent and fair. He did not mention anybody as his preferred candidate during the meeting,” the source, who is an ally of the president, said.

A presidential aspirant, who also confirmed the meeting of the president with the governors, said they were anxiously waiting for Buhari’s direction.

“Two governors told me that they met with the president and that he did not say anything about his choice. We are afraid it would be at the venue of the primary that we will get to know,” he said.

While some observers felt that the “suspense” on the side of the president was too heavy, others believed President Buhari was setting good precedence ahead of the 2023 polls.

Muhammad Sani, who teaches in one of the higher institutions in the North East, said the fact that the president allowed all the contenders to go round the country and consult is good and commendable.

“Even if he has a preferred candidate, who is not known to anybody going by the fillers we are getting, the president is setting excellent precedence and opening the political space.

“Look at how he travelled out of the country at a critical hour; some people might think what he did was wrong but the opposite is the case. Let the race be the survival of the fittest with limited influence from the president,” he said in commenting on the suspense laid by Buhari in choosing his potential successor in 2023.

Off to Malabo for AU summit

Meanwhile, the president on Thursday left Abuja for Malabo, Equatorial Guinea to participate in the African Union Extra-ordinary Session of Assembly of Heads of State and Government with a special focus on security.

Source: Daily Trust

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