Badaru withdraws from APC presidential race

Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru, has withdrawn from the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential race.

The withdrawal of the governor from the presidential race was announced via a statement issued by the northern governors elected on the platform of the APC on Saturday.

The governors stated that the withdrawal of Governor Badaru from the race followed the call that the APC presidential candidate must emerge from the South.

The northern governors further called on other aspirants from the region to withdraw from the presidential race.

They stated: After careful deliberation, we wish to state our firm conviction that after eight years in office of President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the APC for the 2023 elections should be one of our teeming members from the southern states of Nigeria.

“It is a question of honour for the APC, an obligation that is not in any way affected by the decisions taken by another political party.

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“We affirm that upholding this principle is in the interest of building a stronger, more united, and more progressive country.

“We, therefore, wish to strongly recommend to President Muhammadu Buhari that the search for a successor as the APC’s presidential candidate be limited to our compatriots from the southern states.

“We appeal to all aspirants from the northern states to withdraw in the national interest and allow only the aspirants from the south to proceed to the primaries.

“We are delighted by the decision of our esteemed colleague, His Excellency, Governor Abubakar Badaru to contribute to this patriotic quest by withdrawing his presidential aspiration.

“The APC has a duty to ensure that the 2023 elections offer a nation-building moment, reaffirming that a democratic pathway to power exists for all who value cooperation and build national platforms.

“This moment calls for the most sober and inclusive approach to selecting our party’s candidate, and we call on all APC leaders to fulfil their responsibility in this regard,” the governors said.

The Star