By Our Reporter
Speculations are rife in Abuja that former Senate President Ken Nnamani withdrew from the presidential contest of the All Progressives Congress because his chances of clinching the ticket were low.
While this may be true, going by calculations, a source close to Senator Nnamani said he was not optimistic that the outcome of the presidential primary election would meet the expectations of Nigerians.
Nnamani had said he was actually disappointed with the poor management of the primary election activities so far.
The party’s national convention which will be concluded on Tuesday with the nomination of presidential flagbearer, has been marked by uncertainties.
He was particularly dismayed with the handling of the issue of zoning, and other actions that conveyed the impression that the party was not decisive on such a sensitive matter.
The source said Nnamani had reasons to believe there was no sincerity on zoning, a situation which created poor management of the primary election activities.
Mr Nnamani, who was running on the platform of the All Progressives (APC), pulled out of the race on Monday, some hours before the national convention.
According to him, the party had initially given the aspirants the impression that only southern aspirants will participate in the primary but events of the past few days have shown otherwise.
“But the events of recent day created the impression that zoning had been jettisoned in the APC.
The vacillation of party leaders regarding zoning of the APC presidential ticket has not created clarity in the party and injures the confidence and faith of many in the south, particularly the South-east, in the party.
“It has the implication of suggesting to many in the party, including myself, that the party will allow conveniences of the moment to override foundational issues of justice and fairness,” the statement read.
Mr Nnamani warned the party against putting short term gains ahead of national unity.
Earlier on Monday, the National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, had announced at a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, was the consensus candidate of the party.
Mr Lawan hails from Yobe State, North-east Nigeria.
Mr Adamu’s position contradicts the position of the northern governors in the party, who already affirmed support for power shift to the south.
