Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is sharply divided over the choice of Senate President Ahmed Lawan as the consensus candidate of the party.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, announced Lawan as the consensus candidate during the NWC meeting held on Monday at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja.
But, his plan to seal the fate of the national leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and other presidential aspirants hit a brickwall when other members of the NWC refused to ratify Lawan as the consensus candidate of the party less than 24 hours to the party’s convention.
Adamu, it was gathered, informed the NWC members that the choice of was reached after consultation with President Muhammadu Buhari.
Recall that the National Vice Chairman of APC, North west, Dr. Salihu Lukman, recently accused Adamu of using the name of Buhari to blackmail members, while also accusing him of running a one-man show.
A highly placed source told THISDAY that though Adamu announced Lawan as the consensus, it was not ratified because NWC members kicked against it, insisting that other aspirants must be given a level playing ground to compete.
“Adamu announced at the NWC that Lawan is the consensus, but the NEC was yet to ratify the decision,” the source stated.
Adamu’s decision to adopt Lawan as consensus candidate, was coming two days after 11 northern APC governors resolved that power must return to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.
“After careful deliberation, we wish to state our firm conviction that after eight years in office of President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the APC for the 2023 elections should be one of our teeming members from the southern states of Nigeria,” the norther APC governors had said.
