Okorocha backs S’West, insists APC won’t give Buhari automatic ticket

Mathew Dadiya, Abuja

The Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum and Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, on Thursday, said there would be no automatic ticket for President Muhammadu Buhari to seek re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Okorocha said this while fielding questions from State House Correspondents after he met with President Buhari, adding that all candidates on the party’s platform must emerge through transparent democratic process.

The position of Okorocha aligns with that of leaders of the APC in the South West who recently said that the party’s 2019 presidential ticket is open to all members.

The governor, who was being specific about the presidential election, said if Buhari decides to contest, he would have to go through the procedure provided by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to emerge as the party’s candidate.

“We won’t allow imposition of candidates, it must be democratically done,” he told State House correspondents on Thursday in Abuja shortly after meeting with the President.

“If President Buhari will lead the ship in 2019, it must be democratically done – and I say democratically, transparently.”

The governor, who is the Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, explained that the decision was to ensure Nigerians keep fate with the party and to prove to the international community that they would not allow any form of impunity within the APC.

Amid insinuations whether the President would contest in 2019, he said Buhari is fit for the election.

“The gentleman is even looking much more handsome than even before he went to the hospital. He’s looking stronger and so, he has every right and qualification to continue his good job.

“There is nothing wrong at all, President Buhari qualifies constitutionally to run and the good thing is that he’s in good health, stronger than he has ever been. I think that the hospital he went was a mere exercise to strengthen his nerves and bones,” he added.

On what was discussed during the meeting, Okorocah said: “I’ve come to see Mr. President and to discuss politics as it affects the South-East and APC, and the way forward and the politics of APC as it also concerns the governors and it was a very fruitful meeting.”

The meeting comes two days after the APC held its National Executive Council meeting at its national secretariat in Abuja.

Addressing party leaders at the meeting which held on Tuesday, President Buhari said the party is proud of the achievements it has made in the last two years.

Some of the areas listed by the President include the fight against Boko Haram terrorists, the Niger Delta crisis and the war against corruption among others.

The Daily Times recalls that at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting in Agodi Government House, Ibadan, the APC leaders through the former interim national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, had said that anybody in the APC was free to be the standard bearer of the party in the 2019 presidential election.

According to him, Buhari has not told them his next line of action, but that whatever position the President takes it should not deter anyone who is interested from contesting.

“He has not told us he is running for 2019. Anybody in our party is free to become the president of Nigeria as long as he indicates interest.

“We have a process through which a candidate will be selected. If he is lucky to have the ticket, then we have no option than to present him as our candidate,” Akande said.