The intrigues surrounding the All Progressives Congress, APC, Convention slated for June 6 and 7, 2022, have generated  divergent views among party members and other stakeholders. 

The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is through with its convention, which produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar  as the presidential candidate.

With Atiku as PDP’s  standard bearer for the 2023 general elections, the APC must be apt and get its acts right in the selection of a sellable presidential standard bearer.  

With the large number of the aspirants interested in occupying the position, one thing is sure in this contest, every aspirant must be considered based on his or her track records and political antecedence.  Every factor must be put into considerations, like religion, ethnicity, leadership skill, humility and political affiliations by our delegates. 

It could be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari met with progressive governors to chart a way forward on how to unify the party ahead of the convention.

Though, he did not openly declare his interest for a particular aspirant but how the party can come together to have one voice in the selection of the presidential candidate without rancour and acrimony was the crux of the meeting.  He urged the governors to cooperate with him in the selection process.  

Among the aspirants that purchased the nomination and expression of interest forms, I crave the indulgence of the All Progressive Governors to allow Mr. President to recommend someone whom he strongly believed that can fly the ticket.

Based on my findings, an  average northerner feels much more at home with the former President Goodluck Jonathan. Most of them said Jonathan is the only man they trust that can defeat Atiku Abubakar because of his antecedent and what he did in the region.  The average northerner is waiting for APC to see who they will field, that once Goodluck Jonathan is totally out of the game, they will all go for Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.

Based on the research, I came to understand that if APC features Goodluck Jonathan through his track record generally he will dislodge Atiku and the entire PDP.  

For equity and fairness,  power must shift to the South in other to have a balance of power and to maintain the social contract between the south and northern Nigeria.  Jonathan has only four years to rule and within this period so many agitations will be addressed.

Jonathan made Nigeria to witness a free, fair and credible election.  It is time to pay him back in other to continue the good job.  

We must understand that he gave the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari the opportunity to come to power, that is a man that contested for three consecutive times and failed. We know how the system used to be.  

Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is another credible person that has wide acceptability within the Nigerian political space.  If Jonathan, who, I believe  most elites will prefer is not considered, Vice President Osinbajo should be considered by the delegates as the nearest alternative to fly the party’s flag as anything less than these options might spell doom for the party.

In conclusion, I urge the party leadership to put Nigeria and Nigerians first in making their choice. The  situation where people sell their votes for money should be discountenanced in choosing who should steer the ship of our country to the promise land.

Christian Chime, a  social commentator, writes in from Delta State. 

chukwunweikechristian3 @gmail.com