2023: Tinubu, Buhari agreed on power shift to southwest - Lagos APC chieftain

The caretaker chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos state, Mr Tunde Balogun, has disclosed that the founding fathers of the party had an agreement in 2014 that the southwest geopolitical zone will produce the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 election.

Balogun made the disclosure to a Punch correspondent on Saturday, December 12, adding that it would be dishonourable for the party to jettison the agreement now.

He added that President Muhammadu Buhari, the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and many other founding fathers of the ruling party entered into the agreement at the time.

His words:

“In 2014, the founding fathers of APC had a gentleman’s agreement and they committed themselves to the agreement. The party was victorious because they honoured the agreement they made and everyone worked together for the party in 2015 and 2019.“According to the 2014 agreement, the southwest should be the zone to produce the presidential candidate in 2023. Among them (those present) were President Buhari and Asiwaju Tinubu.”Some Nigerians on social media have been reacting to the revelation by Balogun.

Agula Zarus wrote on Twitter:

“What Nigeria needs is an Igbo president with their restless spirit to make things better. We will be better than most African and Asian countries in a very short time. All southwest states and north are borrowing while southeast states have a budget surplus. Igbos understand money management.”Alagba Kenneth wrote:

“A nation of 200 million people, but some microscopic few selfish interests are playing kalokalo with her destiny like the days of the military regime turn by turn. Should the focus not be on better service delivery and security, before 2023 for the people? The agenda now is greed.”Emmanuel Akindele wrote:

“It's okay provided it's not going to be Tinubu, Aregbesola, or any of those agbero politicians.”Meanwhile, the North Central Peoples Forum (NCPF) have urged other geo-political zones in the country to concede the presidency to the north-central region in 2023.

The NCPF said the north-central was yet to have a shot at the presidency under a democratic setting, saying it is enough reason for the rest of Nigeria to consider the region in 2023.

In a related development, the agitation among the leaders of the APC on which region should produce President Muhammadu Buhari's successor may be put to rest next year.

Credible sources in the party say the APC would take the important decision on where its 2023 presidential candidate would come from in June 2021.

Legit.ng gathered that if the north gets the slot of the national chairman of the party during the national convention of the party, the presidential candidate of the party would come from the south and vice versa.