A former Bauchi State Governor, Malam Isa Yuguda, is set to officially join the runing for the national chairmanship of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Naija News reports that former Governors of Borno, Nasarawa and Zamfara, Ali Modu Sheriff, Tanko Al-Makura and Abdulaziz Yari have already expressed interest to contest for the chairmanship position in a yet to be fixed convention date.
Sources close to the two-termed Bauchi State former governor, who first won election in 2007 on the platform of the now-defunct All Nigerian Progressive Party (ANPP), one of the legacy parties that formed the APC, told Daily Post that Yuguda was currently making consultations on his bid.
Another aide said Yuguda’s sole intention for joining the race was to reposition the party and make it more acceptable and relevant ahead of the next round of elections in the country in 2023.
The aide said “It is obvious that there is the need to reposition our great party, APC, ahead of 2023. The party came on board in 2015 on Buhari Tsunami. President Muhammadu Buhari will be completing his two-term presidency by 2023.
“There is the need to think and prepare APC for the post-Buhari era. That is why former governor Isa Yuguda is seeking to become the next APC national chairman to reposition the party and make it acceptable to all.”
Another source said the former governor was well placed to clinch the national chairman position as he enjoys large followership across the country.
“Malam Yuguda is enjoying genuine political followership in his home base. He has friends across the country irrespective of the political, ethnoreligious divide. He is a good material to lead APC post-Muhammadu Buhari presidency.
“He holds the traditional title of Obasayero of Oyo Empire and the Otun Atayese of Ogotun Ekiti. These relationship has placed him atop any other contenders for the leadership of the party,” said the source, who is a long-time Yuguda political associate