2023: Tinubu was chosen to be APC’s flagbearer in 2014, Lagos APC chair

The Caretaker Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, Mr Tunde Balogun, has disclosed that prominent stakeholders in the party had an agreement in 2014 that the South-West geopolitical zone will produce the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 election, Daily Times gathered.

Balogun said it would be “dishonourable” for the party to abandon the agreement now, adding that the President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and many other persons made the “gentleman’s agreement”.

“In 2014, the founding fathers of APC had a gentleman’s agreement and they committed themselves to the agreement. The party was victorious because they honoured the agreement they made and everyone worked together for the party in 2015 and 2019.

“According to the 2014 agreement, the South-West should be the zone to produce the presidential candidate in 2023. Among them (those present) were President Buhari and Asiwaju Tinubu.

“What I want is for this agreement to be honoured by the founding fathers. I have no doubt in my mind that they are men of honour. An agreement was reached and that agreement produced Buhari as the President in 2015 and 2019, so to jettison the agreement now will be dishonourable.

“Like I said, they are men of honour and I hope they will honour the agreement. They know what I’m talking about. Anything different from following the agreement is like shifting the goalpost.”

Balogun declined to mention the other parties in the agreement but insisted that the APC NEC resolutions were aimed at thwarting the 2014 agreement, describing it as “shifting the goal post”.

“There are a lot of people who have personal agenda, pushing through all these caretaker idea and the dissolution of structures looks unconstitutional to me. Caretaker is alien to APC constitution but that is what obtains now. However, as a loyal member of the party, I don’t want to go against the party.

“People, because of their personal agenda and aspirations, are trying to destroy our party and make it unstable. That should not happen. Our party’s interest should not be sacrificed on the altar of personal aspiration or ambition of any individual.

“There is nothing wrong with leaders like Tinubu (being supported). He’s one of the greatest leaders we have in Africa; he has charisma, character and he’s a man of his people. If he wants to aspire, it’s his constitutional right to aspire to any position in the land.”

Balogun’s disclosure came as a fresh twist to the raging debate over where the ruling All Progressive Congress would zone the presidential ticket to ahead of the 2023 election.

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