Presidential in Nigeria: the ruling party struggles to find its candidate for 2023
Voting operation in a previous presidential election in Nigeria.
AFP PHOTO/Tom Saater
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
A week after the opposition, it is the turn of the ruling party to choose a candidate for the presidential election of 2023. Twenty-three political figures of the majority must be decided by the delegates of the Congress of Progressives, the APC.
This weekend, President Muhammadu Buhari asked his party to agree on a consensus candidate "
before Monday
", but unanimity is difficult to achieve.
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With our correspondent in Lagos
,
Liza Fabbian
Negotiations began well before the official opening of the APC convention on Monday.
President Muhammadu Buhari, the main arbiter of this primary, has multiplied consultations throughout the weekend.
In particular, he summoned all the aspiring candidates to his Aso Rock residence on Saturday evening.
An “ exceptional
”
candidate
The Head of State encouraged them to find a consensus and appoint an "
exceptional
" candidate on Monday.
Nothing has filtered, however, from the choice of President Buhari himself, who could however weigh very heavily.
Another important event this weekend: eleven governors from northern Nigeria, which is predominantly Muslim, have come out in favor of a candidacy from the south of the country, which is predominantly Christian.
A recommendation which was welcomed by the former governor of Lagos, Bola Tinubu, considered the favorite of this primary.
“
These governors are patriots (…) who are acting to save Nigeria from a potential political crisis
,” he said.
Power by alternation
This position effectively reinforces a tacit agreement in Nigeria, which wants power to return alternately to the north and then to the south of the country, every two terms.
► To read also: Nigeria: major security challenges to be solved before the presidential election, say analysts
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Nigeria
Muhammadu Buhari