All
Progressives Congress has come out with its strongest position yet on the
controversy generated by the clamour by some party members for an automatic
ticket for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
In
separate media interviews in Abuja, on Thursday, APC National Publicity
Secretary, Mr Bolaji Abdullahi, and Chairman of the Progressives Governors’
Forum, Mr Rochas Okorocha, said neither the President nor any member of the
party would be given an automatic ticket.
Abdullahi,
responding to a question on whether President Muhammadu Buhari would be given
an automatic ticket to contest the next elections, said the party’s
constitution did not have provisions for such.
He
noted that as a law-abiding party, APC would abide by its own rules as
enshrined in its constitution when dealing with the issue of nominations.
The
party spokesman further argued that Buhari had not indicated interest in
seeking re-election, stressing that the talks about his second tenure was, at
best, “presumptuous.”
“What
I can assure you is that APC will abide by its Constitution on such matters and
our constitution does not provide for automatic ticket, our constitution does
not provide for the right for first refusal. So, our party will abide by the
constitution.
“We
have looked at what our President has done and as a party we are happy with his
achievements; if he comes up today to say he wants to contest, we will support
him but to begin to throw things like automatic ticket, right of first refusal,
they don’t exist in our constitution.”
Speaking
in a similar vein, Okorocha on Thursday said there would be no automatic ticket
for President Muhammadu Buhari to seek re-election on the platform of APC.
Okorocha,
who is also the governor of Imo State, said all candidates on the party’s
platform must emerge through transparent democratic process.
The
governor made his position known in an interview with State House
correspondents after a meeting he had with Mr Buhari at the Presidential Villa,
Abuja.
He
said although the President was qualified and healthy enough to seek
re-election, due process must be followed.
He said the ruling party would not encourage imposition of candidates.
He said the ruling party would not encourage imposition of candidates.
“The
gentleman (the President) is looking much more handsome than even before he
went to hospital; he is looking stronger and so, he has every right and
qualification to re-contest, there is nothing wrong at all.
“But,
we don’t allow imposition of candidate. It must be democratically done.
“If
President Buhari will lead the ship in 2019, it must be democratically done,
and I said, democratically done, transparently (done) to the amazement of the
whole world, the way we do our things in APC and people will be happy.”
The
party stalwarts made the statements three days after some governors on the
party’s platform had tried to use the platform of the National Executive
Council of the party to seek the endorsement of Buhari for a second term. The
move, however, failed.
Meanwhile,
in order to increase the fortunes of APC in South-East, Okorocha said on
Thursday that Buhari would soon visit states in the region to shore up the
population of party members.
He
disclosed that the President’s trip would start from Ebonyi State.
“The
South-East before now was not measuring up to standard in APC but we have
worked out strategies and modalities on how to improve relationship between the
people of the South-East and APC government.
“That
was top on the agenda and the need for Mr. President to come to the South-East
as quickly as possible to begin to show his presence. Luckily, the President
will be coming to Ebonyi State very soon and he will pass through Imo State to
Anambra State.
“So,
covering three states within this short time will be the right step in the
right direction because we have come to realise in South-East that we are
better off in APC than any other party in the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the
governor said.
Punch
Source:
reubenabati.com
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