15th September, 2014
Jamiu Yisa
Ahead of 2015 Presidential election, posters of General Muhammadu Buhari at the weekend, flooded the streets of Lagos, southwest Nigeria.
The posters were seen on walls, pedestrian bridges as well as walls by the road sides especially at Yaba and Meiran areas of the state.
The Buhari All Progressives Congress, APC, posters at Meiran with the inscription “Nigeria-Wise Up 2015”, “General Buhari For President” is sponsored by the Ogun State Coordinator of the Buhari Youth Organisation, BYO.
Notable aspirants in the race for the APC Presidential ticket includes: Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State,, Senator Bukola Saraki, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar among others
Meanwhile, the idea being brokered by the Buhari Group to make him the consensus candidate of the APC appears to be generating controversy as the camps of other aspirants are kicking against it.
It was gathered at the weekend that the moves by some APC forces to make the former military ruler the party’s presidential candidate of the party for the 2015 presidential poll without going through an election is not going down well with the supporters of Kwankwaso, Saraki and Atiku camps.
An APC insider, who didn’t want to be named, because he had no authority to speak, was quoted in a national daily at the weekend, admitting that any attempt to impose Buhari on the party as the presidential candidate would destroy the foundation and the credibility of the APC.
The insider said they were particularly disturbed by signals coming from the Buhari camp which insists that the emergence of Buhari as a candidate “is a settled matter.”
According to the insider, disregarding democratic process in the choice of party presidential flag-bearer could drag APC into deep “and possibly irreparable political damage.”
He explained that the idea of “automatic adoption” of Buhari or any other aspirant for that matter is undemocratic and would be resisted,” warning that party members should not be reduced to “slaves and sheepishly expected to sign on the dotted lines when confronted with the nauseating idea of automatic ticket.”
He said those scheming for “automatic ticket” for Buhari “are probably PDP fifth columnists who want to drive a nail into the APC coffin.”
He explained that APC is bigger than individual members and that its credibility and commitment to democratic values must not be sacrificed on the altar of satisfying anybody’s stubborn ambition.
The source also said that at no time was any decision taken by the party leadership to give anybody automatic presidential ticket for the 2015 presidential ticket.
He noted that the success of the modified open direct primaries for choosing its governorship candidate in Adamawa for the 11 October election has given confidence to the party leadership that it is a preferred option for choosing its candidates for the 2015 elections.
But in a swift reaction, a political ally to General Buhari has clarified their agitation that it was a consensus they are asking for not automatic ticket.