As the Muslim-Muslim Presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) still rages, the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara and immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, met with former Nigerian military leaders, Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar in continuation of their consultations on the options available to Northern Christians.
With Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the flagbearers and Kashim Shettima as the running mate, Northern Christians within the APC rejected the ticket. They now embarked on consultations with key national and political leaders on their rejection as they weigh their options on whether to pitch their tents with Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) or Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
A source told journalists in Bauchi, Bauchi State that the two leading opposition leaders to the Muslim-Muslim APC Presidential ticket in Northern Nigeria were accompanied on the visit by a former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Simon Achuba.
The trio met separately with former military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida in his Hilltop residence as well as the former Head of State, General Abdusalami Abubakar in Minna.
The source said that though the meeting was held on Monday behind closed doors, the details just emerged that they were in Minna to felicitate with IBB on the occasion of his 81st birthday anniversary and also to consult with him on their stance on the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket.
It will be recalled that they had recently convened a submit of APC Northern Christian Forum in Abuja where representatives and delegates from the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory vehemently rejected the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC.
An inside source said that Babachir, Dogara and other Northern Christian leaders in the APC, “are consulting ahead before they can take decision on which of the Presidential candidates they will adopt and support ahead of the 2023 general elections.”
The source however stressed that, “The choice is now between Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.”