The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari (Media and Publicity), Garba Shehu, has said his principal did not demand zoning the presidential ticket of the ruling APC to Southern Nigeria.
Reports had emerged to effect that Buhari during a meeting with presidential aspirants on Saturday, asked that the party’s presidential ticket should go to the South.
However, Shehu who spoke to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), said Buhari never said so.
“This issue has not arisen. All he has to do is negotiate and get one person out of it; he has shown that as a leader he is ready to provide leadership to make that happen”, Shehu said.
President Buhari invited aspirants on the party’s platform to a late-night meeting at the State House on Saturday night. Official transcripts of the meeting released by Femi Adesina showed the president asked all the aspirants to seek a consensus amongst themselves.
Shehu said the president would back anyone chosen during consensus talks, notwithstanding the aspirant’s region, the BBC reported.
Activities have intensified for a consensus candidate to be worked out amongst aspirants and party leaders. Meetings were held across Abuja overnight, including the meeting of South-West leaders that was held at Olusegun Osoba’s residence.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Rotimi Amaechi, Yemi Osinbajo, Kayode Fayemi, Ogbonnaya Onu and Emeka Nwajiuba, amongst others, are southern politicians seeking the ticket. Ahmad Lawan, the Senate President from northeast Yobe, is also a top contender.
The party’s convention for the adoption of a candidate will commence on June 6, in Abuja.
