2023: APC Presidential Aspirants Can Contest Against Buhari’s Choice – Sagay

Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay (SAN), has said there is nothing wrong if the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) adopts the consensus method in choosing its presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections.

He however added that aspirants who are not satisfied with the consensus arrangement are at liberty to contest the election with whoever is the eventual annointed candiadte.

The party, at its national convention last week produced its new set of National Working Committee (NWC) members through a consensus arrangement. However, some stakeholders in the party, especially the South-West Agenda for Asiwaju 2023 (SWAGA’23) had said the idea of a consensus presidential candidate for the APC is unacceptable as it will cause rancour and division in the party.

According to Sagay, “On the issue of consensus presidential candidate, the law provides for it. However, it states clearly that all the candidates must agree in writing to the person picked as the consensus candidate.

“I think I prefer that because it means if they all agreed in writing, then nobody can go to court to challenge the outcome after the consensus candidate has been adopted.

“Now, what this means in effect is that if everybody does not sign accepting that particular candidate, then the election remains open for everybody to contest. That is the implication of not agreeing to the choice of a consensus candidate.

“If by tomorrow, even if the president’s preferred aspirant does not have the written endorsement of all the aspirants to become the consensus candidate, then the election will be thrown open so as not to invalidate the decision of the party.”