Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has again said the southern part of the country must produce the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate.

Akeredolu lashed out at the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, for declaring Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, as the party’s consensus presidential candidate.

The governor described the pronouncement as “expensive joke”, saying it was contrary to the position of the northern APC governors and their counterparts in the South.

Akeredolu, who is the Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, said Adamu or anyone who holds a contrary opinion to the governors’ position does so at a personal level.

The governor added that Adamu “is embarking on a frolic which reasonable people will consider dangerous”.

He said these via a statement he personally issued, a copy of which was made available to The Star on Monday.

Governor Akeredolu stated: “My attention has just been drawn to the expensive joke purportedly enacted by the National Chairman of APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

“The speculation is rife that the Chairman took a flight of fancy and decided to make a pronouncement beyond his competence. He has, allegedly, made public his preferred choice as the candidate of the APC for the Office of the President in the next general election.

“This alleged pronouncement runs contrary to the position of majority of Northern Governors in APC and their counterparts in the South. Our agreement is unanimous on this issue.

“The office of the President should be contested for by qualified persons from the Southern part of the country if the move to get a consensus candidate fails. There has been no shift from this settled issue.

“Let it be known that the Chairman or anyone who holds a contrary opinion does so at a personal level. He is at best embarking on a frolic which reasonable people will consider dangerous.

“We are grieving but have not forgotten that power must shift to the south. On this we stand,” the governor said.

The Star