Indications emerged on Thursday that the All Progressive Congress APC presidential ticket is still open to all contestants in the South West, South East and South-South.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai dropped this hint on Thursday while briefing Journalists at the Media briefing organized by the Presidential Media team, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Governor while responding to questions on the zoning of the party approved by President Mohammadu Buhari on Tuesday, revealed, however, that the zoning arrangements was to send signals about the party’s direction
“ What we have done with the zoning we presented to Mr President on Tuesday and which he approved, is sending a signal about the directions of the party, it is not about zoning the Presidency to anyone yet. But we have sent the signal.
The Governor who confirmed that the Presidency has been zoned to the South added that “ It is not zoned to any particular place in the South. But we are waiting to see who the aspirants are. A few people have declared their interest. We are waiting.
“I want to clarify that the APC zoning arrangements that we announced are the zoning arrangements for the party.
He disclosed that the party had always done that in the last three elections that it had.
“When we elected John Oyegun as chairman, we had this zoning arrangement. Each of the six zones had offices allocated to them. We also carried that along when we elected Adams Oshimhole as our National Chairman.
“All we did now is to flip it. Since the chairman is going to be from North Central, it means that the North Central will take all the positions of South-South. If you check, you will see that all the positions allocated to the North Central were the positions held by the South-South under Oyegun and Oshiomhole.
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Similarly, he revealed that all the positions held by North West went to the South East and vice versa.
Under the new arrangements, all the positions held by North West will be going to the South East and those held by the North East will go to the South West.
“That is why the South West will produce the Party’s National Secretary.
“We are not talking about the Presidency yet. When we do this convention and elect our national officers, then we start preparing for the party convention that will produce our candidates for National Assembly and the Presidency. That is when that conversation will come up”
Speaking on whether he will support a South West candidate, el- Rufai said he will support any qualified candidate from the south.
“I will support any APC candidate if I am satisfied that he will do the best for Nigeria. It doesn’t matter if he is from South West, South East, South-South. APC and the quality of the person us what matters.
He however added that only the President’s decision will influence his choice in exceptional cases
“All I can tell you is that unless in an exceptional situation, whoever President Buhari tells me, this is the person I want, that is where I am going, because I trust his judgement.
“Now, if I disagree, I will go into the room and tell him. We have done that a few times and he knows. If he still insists that Nasir, I have heard you, but this is what I want, I will say ok. I will do it”
On his ambition for 2023, the Kaduna Governor whose second term ends in 2023, denied having other ambitions aside from writing books.
El- Rufai revealed how the President had in 2014 forced him to contest the governorship election against his own will
“ I have zero ambition, I just want to finish this job and get on with my private life, write another book, and make tons of money. The largest amount of money I ever got in my life was writing the “ Accidental Public Servant” and it is still selling.
“So, I have never had any ambition. If I die today, I am satisfied, accomplished and happy because I never in my life, based on my humble background, ever thought that I would even enter this building ( the Presidential Villa). How would I ever enter the office where the President is? So, for me, even being here is a privilege if you know my background.
“God has been very kind to me and my outings in public service have all been satisfactory and why push my luck and even with a job with 90percent of failure.
“I am not an ambitious person. I am just a person that gets things done when given the opportunity.
“That is why I have never lobbied for a job, or desired any. Even this Governorship, it was President Mohammadu Buhari that literally forced me to run.
“I wasn’t interested in it. I just wanted us to defeat former President Goodluck Jonathan and I will come to the Villa and enjoy myself.
He declared that his intention was to serve as special adviser ( domestic) to the President.
“ Anytime they are flying to New York, I will be there. That was my ambition, I would not have had grey hairs. The President insisted that some of us must go and run for Governorship, just in case he did not get elected again. He felt that we needed some strong Governors, those were the words he used. I was forced into this.
“I never desired to be Minister of the FCT. Obasanjo just called me and said he wanted me to be the Minister,
“ I never wanted to be the director-general of BPE, I was drafted into it. So, I have zero ambitions, I have no aspirations”
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