Barring any last-minute changes, the Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Governor Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa State are set to join the presidential race following the refusal of the APC to zone its ticket.
Some other northerners in the All Progressives Congress (APC) are also expected to join the presidential race.
Newsflash Nigeria had earlier reported that Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State had already picked the APC Presidential form, the number of northern aspirants is expected to rise to three or four.
According to the Punch, APC is pushing some northerners in the party to join the race as a buffer against some top northern politicians in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
An APC chieftain said, “The North has the numbers and this is what the PDP is trying to take advantage of. As it is, the APC is trying to be very careful and that is why the party is refusing to make its position known on zoning.
“If we in the APC pick a southern candidate and the PDP picks a core northern candidate, then the APC stands a chance of losing the election especially if the South is not united.”
The source added that ideally, President Muhammadu Buhari would have preferred the South-West to get the Presidential ticket because the South-West is the largest base of the party in the South.
However, the division in the South-West may also affect the electoral chances of the party.
He added, “Bola Tinubu from Lagos State has declared. Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo from Ogun State has also declared. Former Governor Ibikunle Amosun also from Ogun State is declaring this week. Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State will be declared as well.
“They will divide the delegates into their respective states. Both Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Gboyega Oyetola of Lagos and Osun states respectively are supporting Tinubu while Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State is supporting Osinbajo. The North is ready to cash in on this division.”
Meanwhile, the APC, it was learnt, will be monitoring the Wednesday National Executive Committee of the PDP to see if the party will zone its ticket to the South.
However, sources say the opposition party, which has already screened influential northern politicians like former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed, will be unable to make any zoning decision.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, had said that regardless of its decision on zoning, the party would not stop anyone from contesting.
Newsflash Nigeria understands that Ahmad Lawan decided to join the Presidential race following pressure from his zone, the North East geo-political zone in particular as well as Senators and very strong persons from the North.
Source gathered that Lawan had earlier slated Tuesday for the collection of the forms and declaration, but shifted it to another day, and did the same this week because of the public holiday that was declared by the Federal Government.
According to the source, Lawan who hails from Yobe State was dragged in because he is a younger person from the North that the APC should produce in case the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP gives the ticket to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who is also from the North East.
The source also said that there have been a series of meeting at Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse2 and even during the Umrah when some powerful Senators and politicians went for Lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia to brainstorm on the issue of Lawan.
It was also gathered that Lawan was drafted into the race since the North East has never produced a President except the North West.
According to the calculation by those behind Lawan, the North West had Produced late President Shehu Shagari from Sokoto State where a Presidential aspirant, governor Aminu Tambuwal hails from; the zone had produced late President Umaru Yar’Adua and the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari both from Katsina State, while Namadi Sambo from Kaduna State was a Vice President and the highest position ever held by the North East is Vice President and that was Atiku Abubakar from Adamawa, adding that except in the First Republic when Abubakar Tafawa Balewa from Bauchi State was the Prime Minister.
The permutation by the Elders and politicians from the North is that as a serving President of the Senate, he is more on the ground politically and can get his supporters, especially from the present Senate from the North Central, North West, South East, South-South and South West.
The source also said that Lawan has been drafted into the race to pave way for a Northerner to retain the Presidency is against the backdrop that if the PDP zones the position to the South, the President of the Senate will be the one for the North and also for the reason that the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP where the former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso may not be very popular in the North even though the candidate of the party as a former Governor of Kano State is strong and popular.
The Northerners as gathered are rooting for Lawan in case the PDP did not go for Atiku Abubakar, but settle for either Tambuwal or Bala Mohammed from Bauchi State, just as the pressure group as gathered would meet with President Buhari to intimate him on the need for Lawan in order for the party to retain power and for Lawan to pick his vice presidential candidate from the South East.
A Senator from the North said, ”We have succeeded in dragging the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan into the Presidential race to contest for the position and win. He is a young Northerner, a young Nigerian who is presently serving as the Senate President, he has been in the National Assembly since 1999 from the House of Representatives to the Senate. He has the experience, he has worked in a very good and robust relationship with the Executive and the Judiciary, he understands governance.
“He will declare very soon, he would have bought his expression and interest forms on Tuesday but shifted to a later day in the week. The forms would be purchased for him because people want him.”
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