Presidential ticket splits APC in North.

The failure of the northern caucus
of the All Progressives Congress to
broker a deal among contenders
for the party’s presidential ticket
has widened the gap among
supporters of the aspirants in the
North.
As at last count, four out of the
five aspirants are northerners.
They are Maj. Gen.Muhammadu
Buhari (retd.), former Vice-
President Atiku Abubakar, the
Kano State Governor, Rabiu
Kwankwaso and the publisher of
Leadership Newspaper, Sam Ndah-
Isaiah.
Out of this number, Buhari and
Kwankwaso hail from the North-
West, Atiku hails from the North-
East while Ndah- Isaiah is from
the North- Central.
The northern caucus and elders of
the APC had on November 11
convened a meeting of the
aspirants in Abuja, but only one of
them, Atiku, attended the meeting.
The meeting was convened by the
party’s Deputy National Chairman
(North), Alhaji Lawali Shuaibu.
Others at the meeting were the
Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal,
Zamfara State Governor,
Abdulazeez Yari.
Saturday PUNCH gathered in
Abuja, on Thursday, that the quest
for the presidential ticket had
polarised northern members of the
party.
Supporters of the former military
ruler insisted that the cult like
following he enjoys across the
North, and his growing acceptance
and popularity in the South would
be translated into votes in 2015.
A leading member of the Buhari
campaign, Ostia Okechukwu, said
that Buhari enjoyed a non-
transferable popularity and
following among his supporters
across board.
He said, “There is no gain saying
the fact that the general has a
bond with the people irrespective
of gender, tribe or religious
affiliation. He is neither a religious
bigot nor a tribalist.
“He is simply a patriot who is on a
mission to rescue this nation from
the sorry state of affairs we have
found ourselves.
“No considerations can cut off the
celestial bond between General
Mohammadu Buhari and the
masses and the middle class of
our dear country.
“The masses and middle class had
renewed at every election GMB’s
12 million vote bank. Therefore,
the contest at the end of the day is
between President Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan and Buhari, pure and
simple.”
The Buhari campaign refused to be
drawn into a debate as to whether
or not the presence of Kano State
Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who
is also from the North-West in the
race would reduce his chances.
Saturday PUNCH leant that some
were of the view that Kwankwaso’s
presence in the race was likely to
divide the votes of delegates
especially in the North- West.
The Atiku campaign is however
upbeat about the prospects of
clinching the ticket at the party’s
primary.
Supporters of the former vice -
president are confident that as a
veteran of party primaries, his
experience puts the campaign
ahead of other contenders.
Managing Director of his campaign
organisation, Mallam Garba Shehu,
said, the Atiku campaign is all
about the people of Nigeria
irrespective of tribal or religious
affiliation.
He said, “Like the Turaki has
consistently said, his desire to be
president is all about him getting
an opportunity to give back to a
country which has given him
everything. He wants to restore our
dignity as a people and as a
nation. We know he has the
capacity to restore Nigeria and set
the nation back on track.”
“He has laid bare his plan on how
he intends to diversify our
economy to substantially reduce if
not eliminate our dependence on
oil revenues. His success in
business and public life is evidence
enough to show that he has what
it takes.”