2015: Buhari Seeks Support from Nigerians Abroad

       

General Muhammadu Buhari

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
     
As political gladiators in the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) brace up for showdown over who picks the party's presidential ticket for the next general elections, former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari has moved abroad to consult with stakeholders in the Diaspora over his ambition.

Buhari along with other presidential hopefuls, like the Ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwakwanso, former Kwara State Governor, Senator Bukola Saraki,  Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and newspaper publisher, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah are set to slug it out in a presidential primaries proposed to start September 25.

THISDAY gathered that the former Head of State and three-time presidential candidate has been busy touring parts of the country to consult with relevant stakeholders and party leaders in order to gauge the mood of the various political interests.

A reliable source told THISDAY that Buhari was bent on reaching out to relevant stakeholders before making a formal declaration of his ambition.

It was learnt that Buhari, as part of his strategy to court all interest groups and foreign bodies, has gone abroad to sell his vision of new Nigeria under the APC.

"Buhari is still engaged in consultations across the country and beyond. He had gone outside the country to further meet with stakeholders in the Nigerian project to elicit their support. It is after he has concluded the consultations that he will make a formal declaration," he said.

Leaders of APC in the North West, a zone where Buhari and Kwakwanso come from had tried to broker a consensus arrangement between the duo but it appears that Buhari is determined to go ahead and launch his presidential bid as soon as he returns from an overseas trip.

The aim of the leaders in the North- West was to enable the zone to present one consensus candidate at the party presidential primaries.

THISDAY gathered that during one such meetings held recently in Kaduna, both sides tried to explore the possibility of a working relationship which could see one of them withdrawing from the race and support the other.
Although there was major agreement reached at the meeting, insiders at the talks described it as purely exploratory engagement which may later materialise into a consensus-building arrangement.