The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, has said the party would take a decision on zoning after screening its 2023 presidential aspirants.

Adamu said the presidential aspirants would be scrutinised in accordance with the party’s guidelines for the 2023 general elections.

He made this known in an interview with selected Hausa service media organisations on Wednesday night.

The APC electoral guidelines provide three methods of choosing its candidates for an election, which include: direct, indirect, and consensus.

Speaking on the party’s zoning arrangement, Adamu said no decision would be taken until its aspirants were all screened.

“We have not produced our candidate for the presidency yet, we have to screen the aspirants to know the way forward.

“We have aspirants from across the country in the presidential race. We will take the decision when we get there,” the APC national chairman stated.

On the number of the presidential aspirants, Adamu said members of the party were not eligible to stop the aspirants from contesting.

He said: “You can’t stop our party stalwarts from contesting elections or aspiring for the presidency. It is their right, and we are happy for them.

“There is nothing wrong with anybody aspiring for the exalted seat of the president, it is God that decides who gets what.

“We have 28 aspirants for the presidential ticket, and everybody knows that all of them cannot get the ticket. If it’s God’s wish, they all can even be president of the country one after the other.

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“Our goal is to ensure justice in the choice of who emerges as the candidate of the party, that does not mean we are perfect, but we pray we do the right thing.”

On the possibility of the party adopting the type of consensus arrangement that produced him as its chairman, Adamu said the chairmanship position was not the same as that of the president, stressing that there was no comparison between the two positions.

“However, the party has laid down its rules and regulations for the aspirants, we would scrutinise all of them based on our guidelines to be sure we pick the right candidate for the party,” he stressed.

The APC national chairman further debunked insinuations that a large number of the party’s presidential aspirants was a subtle ploy to extend the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari in office.

Speaking on the allegations that the party’s aspirants were sharing money with delegates, Adamu said he had no evidence to that effect.

He said, for now, there was, however, no law against aspirants taking their campaign to delegates.

The national chairman added: “I don’t have evidence that aspirants are sharing money with delegates, for me, it’s the delegates that are selling their conscience, which is not proper.

“Our delegates should know that anybody sharing money with them can’t be the right candidate for the party, he doesn’t mean well for the country. I don’t have a solution for the problem.”

With 145 governorship aspirants and 25 presidential aspirants, Adamu explained that politicians were rushing to the APC because “it is the government in power with everyone that matter in the country as its member”.

Aspirants, who have submitted their nomination forms ahead of the May 29 presidential primary, include Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, APC National Leader, Senator Bola Tinubu; former Ministers Rotimi Amaechi (Transportation), Sen. Godswill Akpabio (Niger Delta Development), Dr Ogbonnaya Onu (Science, Technology and Innovation), and Emeka Nwajiuba (State for Education).

Others are Governors Ben Ayade (Cross River), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa); former Governors Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Sen. Ibikunle Amosu (Ogun), and Sen. Ahmed Yerima (Zamfara).

Others on the list include Pastor Tunde Bakare, Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan; former Senate President, Sen. Ken Nnamani; Senator Ajayi Borroffice, the only female aspirant, Mrs Uju Kennedy Ohnenye; Pastor Nicholas Felix Nwagbo, former Speaker of Representative, Dimeji Bankole; former Minister of Information, Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu and oil mogul, Mr Tein Jack Rich.

The Star