Ebun Francis || Leaders of All Progressive Party in the South West rose from a meeting stakeholders in the region on Thursday to declare that there will be no automatic ticket for President Buhari in the 2019 Presidential election if he decides to run for a second term.
The position of the leaders was conveyed by Chief Bisi Akande, the former interim chairman of the party at the end of their meeting at Agodi government house, Ibadan.
According to Akande any member of the party is free to contest the 2019 Presidential election.
He said, ”We are happy that our governors and ministers are performing satisfactorily. As a party, we are trying to review our position to see what we are going to do to have Ekiti back for APC in 2018.”
“President Buhari has not told us he is running for 2019. Anybody in our party is free to become the president of Nigeria as long as he indicates interest.”
“We have a process through which a candidate will be selected. If he is lucky to have the ticket, then we have no option than to present him as our candidate.”
APC leaders that attended Thursday’s meeting are, Oyo state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Akinwumi Ambode (Lagos) Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), former governors; Adebayo Alao-Akala (Oyo), Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun), Olusegun Osoba (Ogun), Adeniyi Adebayo (Ekiti), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), who is serving as minister for solid minerals, Adebayo Shittu, communications minister; a Claudius Daramola, minister of state for Niger Delta; Olusola Adeyeye; Yusuf Lasun, deputy speaker house of representatives, and Femi Gbajabiamila, majority leader of the house of representatives.
The national leader of All Progressive Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was noticeably absent.