NewStats: 3,264,419 , 8,183,683 topics. Date: Wednesday, 11 June 2025 at 02:15 AM 69am

Ahead of the presidential primary election of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) scheduled to hold in May, some leaders of the party have warned against imposition of a candidate or forcing aspirants to accept the consensus candidacy method.

The party, at its national convention few days ago, produced the new national leadership of the party through consensus arrangement after President Muhammadu Buhari appealed to the governors and other stakeholders that it is the best way to avoid rancour at the convention.

Following the successful outcome of the convention, some stakeholders in the party, loyal to President Buhari, popularly referred to as ‘the cabals’ are already pushing for the same consensus method to be adopted during the presidential primaries.

This, however, has not gone down well with other stakeholders in the party who felt that having imposed his preferred aspirant for national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, on the party through the consensus arrangement, President Buhari and his camp may repeat the same during the presidential primary election. They are, therefore, calling for an open contest where all the aspirants will test their strength.

Leading the campaign against a consensus arrangement is the South-West Agenda for Asiwaju 2023 (SWAGA’ 23) which said the idea of a consensus presidential candidate for the APC is unacceptable as it will cause rancour and division in the party.

Speaking with Daily Independent, Hon. Bosun Oladele, SWAGA’s National Secretary, said any aspirant seeking to be the consensus presidential candidate is only trying to get the ticket through the backdoor.

“Like I said, there is nothing like consensus presidential candidate. That will be a short cut which they know cannot be possible through a primary if all the aspirants file out on the field. Nobody should think of getting the ticket through the back door”.

Also, a former House of Representatives member, Abdulmumin Jibrin, who is the Director-General (DG) of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Groups Management Council (ABATSGMC), said the way the APC manages its primaries will determine the survival of the party post-2023.

In a veiled reference to the consensus arrangement, Jibrin in a post on his official twitter handle urged the party leaders to allow the choice of the people to prevail, saying anything short of that will spell doom for the party.

“I have said it repeatedly how the APC manages its primaries at every level (states and national) including presidential will determine survival of the party. Anything short of allowing the choice of the people to prevail in the primaries will spell doom for the party!”

However, speaking with Daily Independent, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), said while the law provides for consensus, it must not be forced on the aspirants as it may lead to litigation afterwards.

He said, “On the issue of consensus presidential candidate, the law provides for it. However, it states clearly that all the candidates must agree in writing to the person picked as the consensus candidate. I think I prefer that because it means if they all agreed in writing, then nobody can go to court to challenge the outcome after the consensus candidate has been adopted.

“Now, what this means in effect is that if everybody does not sign accepting that particular candidate, then the election remains open for everybody to contest. That is the implication of not agreeing to the choice of a consensus candidate. If by tomorrow, even if the president’s preferred aspirant does not have the written endorsement of all the aspirants to become the consensus candidate, then the election will be thrown open so as not to invalidate the decision of the party".

“If those who are contesting, come together and agree that the person who is the consensus candidate is the best to handle the position, there is nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is where the aspirant is imposed on unwilling aspirants as the consensus candidate. That to me is not being fair and unacceptable and there has to be an election. If all of them agree on one person as the consensus candidate, then there is no need for an election. That is also very good”.

Also sharing Sagay’s view, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, former presidential candidate and APC chieftain, said consensus shouldn’t be forced on any of the presidential aspirants.

He said, “Whether it is consensus or whatever mechanism, there is none of it that is strange to democracy. What is important is that it should not be forced. It should not be imposed. Let every interest compete and let candidates negotiate among themselves to reach that consensus".

“I am not afraid of a consensus arrangement and I don’t think it is strange to democracy. But it must be through the principle of voluntary participation in the process in such a way that no one is seen to have been cheated out of the process. That is key and it is important”.

https://independent.ng/apc-leaders-warn-buhari-against-consensus-candidacy/

Tinubu's voice behind this article

Tinubu's hands are seriously tied

I agree with this.

Let everyone try his/her luck

After all this Yoruba noise . They will still que behind Buhari consensus candidates

Na so dem make noise for convention .. even wan protest .. ginger .. mouth for every media .. las las ..

Na dem go convention

Que behind Buni .. his secretary and Buhari consensus candidate

Adamu is chairman

No be yoruba people matter

Dsalvo:


Shameless old man, go and play with your grand-kids. Tinubu and Yorubas are not your mates.

mynd44 lalasticlala Seun

Rule 2

Dsalvo:


Shameless old man, go and play with your grand-kids. Tinubu and Yorubas are not your mates.

Good morning sir

If i tell you pure fact

Why e Dey pain you?

Na Nairaland politcs section be this .. no be tribal sentiment matters

North 2023

I thought one drug group said they wanted consensus for their drug Lord?

Buhari don talk say una don heal from the last convention, it won't be hard to go for another consesus when una go still heal Las Las

Haters are already here ventilating their anger as usual

What the bleep do you think buhari was saying when he said money bags should be discouraged from the next convention?

Na only consesus be the guarantee to limit money bags politics involved in direct and indirect bribing of delegates na

it won't be easy for him

Truthisunique2:
What the bleep do you think buhari was saying when he said money bags should be discouraged from the next convention?

Na only consesus be the guarantee to limit money bags politics involved in direct and indirect bribing of delegates na

Nobody can get what in Lagos without the approval of baba soope bullion vans druggie but see his urchins endlessly neighing about being served the same dose of medicine they have been dishing to others. Bunch of hypocrites.

Fahdiga:
Tinubu's voice behind this article

Hug Transformer! Chief Wailing Wailer!

After reading the comments

I forgot the f u c k I was even going to give

Hate filled people everywhere

But Tinubu is allowed to do imposition in Lagos yet he doesn't want the authentic national leader of APC Buhari to do same in Abuja

Dsalvo:


Why are you Igbos always first to comment and mention Tinubu?

Is that how hatefully jobless you all are?

This is beauty of democracy

cktheluckyman:
But Tinubu is allowed to do imposition in Lagos yet he doesn't want the authentic national leader of APC Buhari to do same in Abuja

You de mind them

On dat day na consensus go be d way. Las las SWAGAlicious go cry tire. But for anoda news anoda Tinubu group dey say dem want consensus

Consensus arrangements is similar intune to dictatorship rather than Democracy

Damnnn niggar
Them dey beg

Na buhari go destroy apc. This I know. So far the BMCs like am, wetin concern me

Party leaders Abi na Tinubu group, i don't understand
You Tinubu urchins should stop confusing thunder

please "Oga undemocratic"what was Sarakis sin to apc and your Lord Tinubu except that he disagree with concensus arrangements during the 8th Senate election? Hypocrisy is the bane of the ZOO