A National Officer of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, who pleaded anonymity told Saturday Sun categorically that the party had no option but to give its presidential ticket to President Muhammadu Buhari unconditionally next year.
He said “don’t forget Buhari is the reason the party is still together today. Buhari won the 2015 election and not APC, just as Jonathan lost that election and not PDP. It will surprise you to know that even if Buhari dies today, God forbid, the North will still vote for him in 2019. The vote will even be twice of what he got in 2015 because the masses and the middle class in the region have been empowered by this government. It is only the elite who have no access to free money unlike before that are now complaining.”
The NWC member added that though Buhari has not told the party executives about his plans, but “if he says he is coming back, he will be adopted as the sole candidate by the party because he has the right of first refusal.”
However, the view may not have received unanimous approval from the national leadership of the party as another member of the National Working Committee (NWC), who spoke to Saturday Sun in confidence said that the major concern of the party should be to see how Mr President can serve out his first tenure and more importantly deliver the unfulfilled campaign promises that convinced Nigerians to massively vote for him and the party.
Asked about the decision of the party on President Buhari’s second term automatic ticket, the party chieftain said: “How can you even be talking about second term for Mr President when he has not finished the current term. As far as we are concerned, automatic second term ticket for Mr President is not a consideration for the national leadership for now and we don’t want to respond to mere speculation because he has not even formally informed us of such an ambition.”
“Our major concern and prayers now should be to see how he finishes his current term and deliver the campaign promises he gave to Nigerians. So, the issue of automatic ticket or offer of first refusal does not arise,” the party chieftain added.
