Nigeria’s Buhari seeks consensus candidate for ruling party

• The All Progressives Congress (APC) will hold its convention this week to pick a flagbearer.
• Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party is the main opposition challenger.
• Buhari, 79, will step down next year after two terms in office.

President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria has asked aspirants for the governing party’s presidential ticket to choose a consensus candidate ahead of the party’s primary this week, according to his office.

Buhari, 79 and a northern Muslim, will step down next year after two terms in office.

His ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will hold its convention from Monday through Wednesday to pick a flagbearer for the February 2023 presidential vote.

Thirteen aspirants have been cleared to vie for the ticket.

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Leading the pack are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, ex-transport minister Rotimi Amaechi and Senate president Ahmad Lawan.

At a meeting with the presidential hopefuls in Abuja late Saturday, Buhari said: “Our choice of flagbearer must be formidable, appealing to the electorate across the board, and should command such ability to unify the country.”

The president urged the contenders to hold consultations amongst themselves to “reduce the number of aspirants, bring up a formidable candidate and scale down the anxiety of party members”.

Buhari has not endorsed any aspirant.

Whoever emerges as APC flagbearer will face the main opposition challenger, former vice president Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as well as candidates from other parties.

Wealthy and influential 75-year-old Abubakar is a Muslim from northern Nigeria.

The serial presidential candidate was chosen last week at the PDP convention in Abuja.

Under an informal agreement among the political elite, Nigeria’s presidency is usually alternatively shared between candidates from the north and the south.

After eight years under northerner Buhari, most agree the presidency should now go to a candidate from the south.

In a country that is virtually evenly divided between the mostly Christian south and the predominantly Muslim north, rotating power in this way aims to maintain political equilibrium.

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