The Governor of Ondo state and chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, has described as an ”expensive joke” the reports of the APC National chairman, Abdulahi Adamu’s declaration of Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, as the party’s presidential consensus candidate on Monday June 6.
In a statement released last night, Governor Akeredolu said the position of the Northern governors and their Southern counterparts is that power must shift to the South. He said the chairman of the party or anyone else who holds a different opinion does so at a personal level.
His statement reads
”ABDULLAHI ADAMU ON A FROLIC OF HIS OWN
My attention has just been drawn to the expensive joke purportedly enacted by the National Chairman of APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu. The speculation is rife that the Chairman took a flight of fancy and decided to make a pronouncement beyond his competence. He has, allegedly, made public his preferred choice as the candidate of the APC for the Office of the President in the next general elections.
This alleged pronouncement runs contrary to the position of majority of Northern Governors in APC and their counterparts in the South. Our agreement is unanimous on this issue. The office of the President should be contested for by qualified persons from the Southern part of the country if the move to get a consensus candidate fails. There has been no shift from this settled issue.
Let it be known that the Chairman or anyone who holds a contrary opinion does so at a personal level. He is at best embarking on a frolic which reasonable people will consider dangerous.
We are grieving but have not forgotten that Power MUST shift to the south. On this we stand.
Signed:
Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN.
Governor, Ondo State and Chairman, Southern Governors’ Forum
June 6, 2022.”
