There was a commotion at the Eagle Square in Abuja, the venue of the All Progressives Congress (APC) special convention to elect the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections as police fired teargas to disperse supporters of one of the aspirants, Ahmed Tinubu.
The police denied the supporters entry into the venue but they insisted they must be allowed in.
This led to a face-off with the security operatives dispersing them with teargas.
The run-up to the APC special convention, which is billed to run till Wednesday, had been marred by intrigues over the zoning of the presidential ticket and consensus candidacy.
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Moves by some party members, including President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the emergence of a consensus candidate from among the array of aspirants were unsuccessful.
On Saturday, the president held a meeting with the aspirants during which he asked them to chose a consensus candidate among themselves.
On Monday, Senate President Ahmed Lawan was announced as the consensus candidate by the party’s national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
A few hours later, Northern governors elected on the platform of the APC met with Buhari and insisted that the presidency should go to the South.
The governors also forwarded five names to the President to pick his consensus candidate.
Those who are to remain in the race are former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu; a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi; Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi and Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
