General Muhammadu Buhari has said it is
possible he picks a Muslim running mate
if his party, the All Progressives Congress
(APC) agrees.
Speaking on a Channels Television
interview on Sunday night, Buhari, one of
the strong contenders for the presidential
ticket on the platform of APC, noted that
the country had produced same religion
leaders in the past.
Recalling that former head of state,
General Yakubu Gowon and his service
chiefs were Christians and the late MKO
Abiola and Babagana Kingibe ticket in
1993 and even his team with Idiagbon, he
said nobody complained.
“Gowon filled his government with
Christians, Buhari/Idiagbon were Muslims,
Nigerians voted Muslims with Abiola,
maybe time has changed now,” he
stressed.
On the forthcoming APC presidential
primaries, Buhari said “if the processes
are done freely and fairly, I will accept the
result if I don’t win.”
Describing the Federal Government’s fight
against terror as “unsatisfactory,” he
added that the insecurity gripping the
nation was intolerable.
•8,000 APC delegates arrive in Lagos for
national convention
NO fewer than 8,000 delegates drawn
from across the country will gather in
Lagos, on Wednesday, to pick the All
Progressives Congress (APC) presidential
candidate for the 2015 election, with the
delegates expected to arrive on Tuesday
and commence immediate registration.
The exercise is billed for December 10 and
11, 2014 and will hold at Teslim Balogun
Stadium, Surulere.
The APC presidential aspirants are:
former head of state, Major-General
Muhammadu Buhari; former Vice
President Atiku Abubakar, Governor Rabiu
Musa Kwankwanso (Kano), Governor
Rochas Owelle Okorocha and the
publisher of Leadership newspapers, Mr
Nda-Isa.
National Publicity Secretary of the party,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this in
Lagos, on Sunday, while addressing
newsmen.
He reiterated that the APC was poised to
bring the desired change to Nigeria from
the sorry state it was currently and to
enable her to take her rightful position in
the comity of nations.
He assured that the APC was committed
to ensuring this change by presenting for
election, credible and purpose-driven
candidates that would drive the change at
various levels of government.
Mohammed, who said that the party was
going for "a convention and not
coronation" to pick its presidential
candidate from among the five that lined
up for the race, enjoined Nigerians to join
hands in realising the desired change.
This is just as he said the party's
national convention was brought to Lagos
after careful and thorough consideration
by the convention committee headed by
former Governor Kayode Fayemi.
According to him, Lagos was finally
picked from among others, including
Kano, Benin, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Jos,
because it was favoured in terms of
accessibility, accommodation for no fewer
than 8,000 delegates and finally, security.
Text of the statement reads: "As you are
all aware, our dear country is in a dire
need of change. The All Progressives
Congress (APC) is determined to bring
that change. The process of effecting that
change has commenced with the effective
mobilisation of Nigerians to demand the
change in the 2015 general election.
"The APC as a party that is committed to
seeing Nigeria leave its present sorry
state and take its rightful position in the
comity of nations, is set to ensure this
change by presenting for election, credible
and purpose-driven candidates that would
drive the change at various levels of
government.
"The party’s congresses and election of
candidates for the various positions that
commenced earlier in the month will
climax in the election of the APC
presidential standard- bearer in the
February 2015 presidential election.
"The national convention of the party is
scheduled to hold at the Teslim Balogun
Stadium, Surulere , Lagos between
December 10 and 11, 2014.
"No fewer than 8,000 delegates drawn
from the 36 states and the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) are expected to
participate in the convention and the
presidential primaries that would elect the
party’s standard-bearer out of the five
presidential aspirants of the party.
"The five aspirants of the party are
eminent citizens with proven credentials.
It is our belief that, at the exercise, one of
them would emerge the presidential
standard-bearer of our dear party in the
coming election.
"The aspirants include: a former head of
state, General Mohammadu Buhari; a
former Vice President of the country,
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; Governor of Kano
State; Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso;
Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas
Okorocha and Publisher of Leadership
Newspaper Group, Sam Nda-Isaiah.The
five aspirants would address the
delegates, stressing their programmes
before the commencement of voting,
which will be by secret ballot.
"Adequate arrangements have been made
by the National Convention Committee
(NCC), headed by former Governor of Ekiti
State, Dr Kayode Fayemi for a hitch-free
convention. The various sub-committees
are working round the clock to ensure
that the convention succeeds and become
a reference point in the political history of
the country.
"We are also collaborating with relevant
agencies to ensure effective security,
crowd control, traffic management,
medical attention among others.
"And for the millions of Nigerians who
may not be opportune to be at the venue
of the convention, arrangements have
been made for effective live coverage of
the entire process by some radio and TV
stations."

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