Tinubu support Group had earlier rejected the proposed consensus plan for choosing APC presidential flag bearer, and has now sent a warning to the APC National Chairman concerning the pronouncement of Ahmed Lawan as the Consensus Candidate.
The support group released a statement signed by its legal Director, Babatunde Ogula (SAN), listing three conditions for picking a consensus candidate as stipulated in the Electoral Act.
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The statement reacted to the fact that the media has gone viral with the reports that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has unilaterally announced the adoption of a certain aspirant the consensus presidential candidate of the APC for the forthcoming presidential election in 2023.
It also stated that the National Chairman is yet to clear the air on the issue and that the declaration is a legal impossibility.
The reason is that under the regime of the Electoral Act 2022, consensus must specifically occur in a precise form.
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“Section 84(9) (10) and (11) of the Electoral Act 2022 are the relevant provisions and the state as follows:
“(9) A political party that adopts a consensus candidate shall secure the written consent of all cleared aspirants for the position, indicating their voluntary withdrawal from the race and their endorsement of the consensus candidate.”
“(10) Where a political party is unable to secure the written consent of all cleared aspirants for a consensus candidate, it shall revert to the choice of direct or indirect primaries for the nomination of candidates for the aforesaid elective position.
“(11) A special convention or nomination congress shall be held to ratify the choice of consensus candidates at designated centers at the National, State, Senatorial, Federal and State Constituencies, as the case may be.”
The statement also noted that the conditions listed above have not been observed in producing presidential candidates of the APC.
Therefore, any declaration of a consensus candidate would be premature and a violation of extant provisions of the law.
The support group took the opportunity to inform and urge supporters to disregard the report that the overwhelming majority of the APC Northern Governors affirmed their preference for a president from the Southern part of Nigeria.
Tinubu support Group sees the unilateral declaration of the consensus candidate as not only a violation of the Law, but will set the party on a collision course with its Governor who are critical stakeholders in the party.
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