2015: Who will be APC’s consensus candidate President Goodluck Jonathan is primed to pick the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2015 presidential election ─ from all indications. Most of the aspirants that could challenge him for the ticket have left the party, while Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido is not regarded as a serious challenger. Nigerians who want to see the back of Jonathan will now have to look closely at the All Progressives Congress (APC), where there is an array of political heavyweights ─ some will say too loaded for APC’s own good. Although many of the aspirants have not come out openly to declare their ambition, it is anybody’s guess who the real contenders are. Since the dawn of this democratic dispensation in 1999, APC is the first serious attempt by the opposition in Nigeria to win power through a coalition. That the parties even agreed to fuse is already seen as some form of victory, but APC’s supporters would love the party to go all the way and dislodge the PDP from Aso Rock next year. Since the party has unofficially zoned the ticket to the north, the top contenders will naturally come from the region. There are suggestions that APC would eventually settle for a “consensus candidate” to face Jonathan ─ to avoid the bitterness and rancour that could result from a fiercely contested primary. The talk of consensus is gaining significant following up north, but the criteria are yet to be defined. There has been a series of meetings, first to forge a common purpose and then to see the possibility of backing a sellable candidate. In the opinion of some APC insiders, the party must look out for someone who has less baggage and can serve as a unifying force for different sections of the country. He must be somebody Jonathan’s machinery cannot easily tear apart. In asking the question on who APC will pick to run against Jonathan in the February 14, 2015 election, base on strengths and weaknesses of the party’s top five contenders viz General Muhammadu Buhari, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah. Who do you think is more sellable among the above named persons?
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 06:36:35 +0000
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