APC DUMPS BUHARI, TINUBU, SET TO FIELD KWANKWASO AS PRESIDENT

Feelers from the  All Progressives Congress (APC) suggest that the party will not field either former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari or  former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as its presidential candidate in the 2015 general elections, but Kano State governor, Rabi’u Kwankwaso may emerge the party’s presidential aspirant.

Buhari and Tinubu are not enjoying the support of the party’s local and international backers to run for election.

However, Kwankwaso enjoys support among different strata of the party.  Also the result of the recent local government elections in the state where the party garnered over two million votes, winning all the 44 local government chairmanship positions and all the councillorship seats.

A source said: “Buhari and Tinubu are already out of the calculations in APC’s presidential ticket for next year’s election. Local backers of the APC, which included former heads of state and prominent former military generals, traditional and religious leaders across the country have made it clear to the party leadership that both Buhari and Tinubu are out of reckoning for the party’s ticket.

“In the same vein, international backers of the party have also expressed preference for a fresh, young and vibrant individual to fly the party’s flag in 2015. But I can tell you categorically that Tinubu will want to contest for the party’s ticket, but he will only use it to bargain for a good position for his South-West zone.”

He also revealed that the party has zoned its National Chairmanship to the South-South, while it presidential ticket has been zoned to the North-West.

The South-West will produce the party’s vice presidential candidate while the President of the Senate has been zoned to the South- East.

On the insinuation that the party was positioning Tambuwal to clinch its presidential ticket, the source said: “That is not correct. Although Tambuwal is a detribalised politician, he has not garnered enough experience to preside over the affairs of this nation at this time. It will be a boost for the APC if he is part of the wind of change blowing across the country.”