October 18, 2014 – There were indications on Saturday that none of the political gladiators seeking to fly the ticket of the All Progressive Congress(APC) will step down for Nigeria’s former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, whom many see as the most credible candidate for the party.
At the strategic meeting of the APC in Kaduna on Saturday, at least two of the candidates present at the occasion showed that they were not in agreement with the consensus arrangement being floated by some members of the party.
Governor of Kano State, Mr. Rabiu Kwankwanso said he is hoping that all other candidates seeking to fly the party’s ticket will come and work with him so that he can fly the party’s ticket.
Another candidate, Publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Mr. Sam Nda Isaiah said pointedly that he is not willing to step down for any candidate but told Channel TV reporter: “Why not you ask other candidates to step down for me?”, he queried.
Isaiah told journalists in Lagos earlier in the year that he consulted with Buhari before he started his wide consultations adding that Buhari gave him the go ahead,
However sources in APC say the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will be the last person that will step down for the former head of state. His party the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) some have said is on standby should the APC leadership play the fast one on him.
Atiku however stirred the hornet when he urged Nigerians not to vote for Muslim fundamentalists which some misinterpreted as referring to the former head of state. But Abubakar said in a statement that he did not at any time mention Buhari in the said statement.
Speaking at the event, Buhari said called on Nigerians to shine their eyes in the Presidential elections, local government, house of assembly elections and others.
He called on Nigerians to vote out the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) adding that another four years under PDP will throw Nigeria into disaster.
“Nigerians will face hell and disaster, if PDP wins the 2015 elections”, he said.
