The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has directed its aspirants in the forthcoming 2023 general election to sign a ‘Letter of Withdrawal’ form attached to the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms.
It was gathered that the APC said the withdrawal letter must be signed before a Commissioner of Oath/Public Notary before its submission to the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdulahi Adamu.
The party added that the controversial letter must be duly signed along with other forms and their credentials and sent to the office of the APC National Chairman at its National Secretariat in Abuja.
Recall that The Street Journal had earlier reported that there is a possibility that the ruling party may settle for a consensus candidate as its flag bearer for the forthcoming 2023 presidential election.
This follows the manner in which various individuals in the political party are declaring their interest to contest in the presidential election.
Some of the aspirants who have declared interest to contest in the 2023 election include Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo; leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi; former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunke Amosun; former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha; Minister of Transportation, Hon Chibuike Amaechi; Minister of Labour & Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, and Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, among others.
It was gathered that President Muhammadu Buhari is planning to hold a meeting with the presidential aspirants of the APC to urge them to discuss among themselves to pick a consensus candidate to reduce the number of individuals contesting, in which an official withdrawal form had been designed to this effect.
The letter tagged Form 18 states: “I hereby voluntarily withdraw my candidacy from the contest. My withdrawal is in the best interest of our great party, the All Progressives Congress.”
According to The Guardian, It was learnt that some of the presidential aspirants are not happy with the party’s directive and are not ready to sign the controversial form, which they think is a plan to force a consensus option on them.
About three presidential aspirants from the South are said to have approached their legal teams for the interpretation and implication of signing the withdrawal form in the presence of a Commissioner of Oath.
While two aspirants are still waiting for the positions of their legal teams, the other was said to have vowed not to sign such a form and will exclude the controversial Form 18 from other documents to be returned to the National Secretariat of the party for submission.
An aspirant, who has purchased the nomination form said: “This is the first time we are seeing this kind of form for aspirants and we see it as an attempt to enforce consensus option through the back door. This is unconstitutional.
“Signing that letter means the party leaders can impose any candidate and you will not have any right to challenge them in court. Something is fishy and we must be very careful because there are surreptitious moves not to allow delegates to decide the fate of aspirants.”
A party source stated that it is only political appointees that could sign such a form, because their appointment is at the mercy of the President or governor, but not an aspirant.
While another party chieftain described the withdrawal letter as an indemnity to prevent members from taking legal action against the party. CONTINUE READING…
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