2023: Tinubu support group opposes consensus, North-east presidential candidate

Tinubu Media Team, a support group for the presidential ambition of the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, has rejected calls for a consensus presidential candidate for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The group also rejected the reports of possible zoning of the presidential ticket of the ruling party to the North-east region.

Convener of the group, Mohammed Doka, stated this during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday,.

There are speculations that the APC may consider the adoption of consensus candidate for the 2023 presidential election.

There are about 22 presidential aspirants on the platform of the APC after the withdrawal of about four of them.

Those who withdrew are the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, Minster of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, President of the Africa Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, and a businessman, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim.

Others got the expression of interest and nomination forms but did not return them before the deadline for submission.

The party has yet to zone its presidential ticket. The aspirants are from different parts of the country.

Tinubu ready for primary

Mr Doka said Mr Tinubu is ready for indirect primary election.

He stated that the majority of APC members favour the indirect primary system, hence the clamour by the group for the mode.

“The mode of primary will be indirect primary; we are against consensus. A good number of persons within the party, including major stakeholders… I think there was a meeting yesterday, the governors under the Progressives Governors Forum made their stance very clear that there should not be any consensus in the presidential primary.

“The majority are of the view that we should have indirect primary. And I agree with that,” he said.

Speaking on the report, of a possible North-east candidate, Mr Doka, who is a member of the Arewa Consultative Forum (Youth Wing), said he is not in support of another northern presidency after the eight years of Mr Buhari in power.

“I have always said this – for us to get rid of that tag of ‘born to rule mentality, we must now see ourselves as nationalists, than regionalists. There is no reason why APC should zone its presidency to the north again,” he said.

Mr Doka also disclosed that the Tinubu’s team is worried about Muslim/Muslim ticket.

“The issue of Muslim/Muslim ticket is something that has given us a lot of concerns. It is something we are deeply looking into, but as a political party, it is not a one-man decision. As always, the majority will have their way and the minority will have their say,” he said.