With fears that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or another northerner may emerge the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has refused to zone its presidential ticket.
Naija News reports that with the ethnic and religious politics, Nigerians may vote along ethnic and religious lines.
This has prompted the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; and Governor Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State to join the presidential race.
A source disclosed that all regions will be allowed to contest for the APC presidential ticket, adding that the rulung party might be in trouble if Atiku emerges PDP flagbearer.
A source in the APC told The PUNCH that, “It is not in our constitution that people should be denied their fundamental human rights . Also, the Nigerian constitution says everybody will be able to contest. In 2014, Rochas Okorocha contested against four northern aspirants. In 1999, Alex Ekwueme and Abubakar Rimi contested against Olusegun Obasanjo for the PDP ticket. You cannot breach a law that doesn’t exist. So, we cannot be held account for a law that doesn’t exist.
“Our thinking is that if Atiku Abubakar gets the party’s ticket, then we are in trouble. So, the party will throw its ticket open. I don’t see this decision being reversed.”
The source added that the APC might end up fielding a Muslim/Muslim ticket if former governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State emerges the APC presidential candidate.
“If a northern candidate doesn’t emerge from the APC, then the vice-presidential candidate must be a very strong Muslim politician from the North. This is the challenge Tinubu will have but if it comes to it, then a Muslim/Muslim ticket is what we will go for. We will win the core North and the South-West,” he said.
This article was originally published on Nigeria News