- The ruling All Progressive Congress(APC) is yet to formally announce its candidates for the 2023 presidency as President Buhari completes his second term in office.
- Debates in political circles are afoot on whether the presidency should be allocated to Southern Nigeria after Mr Buhari.
The ruling All Progressive Congress(APC) is yet to formally announce its candidates for the 2023 presidency as President Buhari completes his second term in office. He is not eligible to seek re-election. Debates in political circles are afoot on whether the presidency should be allocated to Southern Nigeria after Mr Buhari, a Northerner, who completes his eight years’ tenure. However, the names of some potential candidates are in the air.
The ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has endorsed the Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, to contest for Nigeria’s presidential elections in 2023. The announcement was made last week, at a party program organized by Olusegun Osinkolu, a chieftain of the APC, for 1,000 members of the Ekiti North senatorial district. Paul Omotoso, the Ekiti State APC caretaker committee chairman, stated that Mr Fayemi has already proved his competence and commitment to good governance and hence chosen to be the flag bearer of the ruling party. It was also pointed out that 2023 is Ekiti’s turn for Presidency and the best candidate, Mr Fayemi.
Meanwhile, in another interesting development, loyalists of Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the ruling party, formed a presidential campaign council codenamed, Southwest Agenda (SWAGA), and has started campaigning for him for the 2023 presidential election. The SWAGA team includes ex-senators, other former lawmakers, and prominent politicians from the South-west. Both Mr Fayemi, Mr Tinubu have not formally declared that they would contest the election as president. Another APC leader in the fray who has got some form of ‘endorsement’ to run for president in 2023 is Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi. The Kogi State House of Assembly recently passed a resolution asking Mr Bello to contest for president in 2023, though he has also not declared any presidential ambition.