Seven presidential of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have rejected the list of the five of their colleagues recommended by governors to pick a consensus candidate from.
The governor had submitted names which include Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Kayode Fayemi David Umahi and Rotimi Amaechi to President Muhammadu Buhari to choose from.
However, aggrieved aspirants which include Rochas Okorocha, Ogbonnaya Onu, Ben Ayade, Emeka Nwajiuba and Tein Jack-Rich have rejected the list insisting to participate in the primary.
They made their position known in a statement on the development on Tuesday in Abuja.
They said, “In the past few hours, we have been bombarded with calls and messages from my supporters and concerned Nigerians on a list of five presidential aspirants submitted to President Buhari to choose from,” the statement issued by Onu on behalf of his colleagues reads.
“As long as we are concerned, no list has been submitted to Mr. President. The move by the governors is considered a joke taken to the extreme with the aim of playing with the intellect of Nigerians, particularly us from the South-East.
“Mr President’s directive is very simple; that all presidential aspirants, including those from the North, should meet and harmonise in order to produce a single candidate. As it stands, we have not been consulted or attended a meeting where it was agreed that such names be sent to Mr President.
“In the so-called list, out of the five names, only one was selected from the South-East, and we are talking about fairness and justice to the South. What the Governors have done is a mere picnic in the park. These are the same governors talking about equity, justice and fairness, yet in a clandestine manner, purportedly sidelined the South East.
“In the absence of any harmonised agreement, no list has been submitted to Mr. President. What they have done is just nothing but a charade which is bound to fail.
“We also have it on good authority that the majority of these Governors have been promised and also given various forms of gratifications to thwart the process in favour of one aspirant and such grand plot will fail woefully.
“More so, the party led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu remains the official organ of the party through which decisions taken by stakeholders in the party will be communicated and acted upon. In the absence of that, any other move remains null and void.
“We urge all well-meaning Nigerians to disregard such information, as we remain in the race, hence no consensus agreement has been reached amongst all contestants.”
