Shekarau, Akande, Others Battle For ANPP Presidential Ticket

Stakeholders on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) had secret meetings yesterday, with a view to arriving at a consensus candidate for the presidential elections in 2011.

Kano state governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, Chief Harry Akande, Alhaji Bashir Tofa and Alhaji Dauda Birmah are in the race to fly the party’s presidential flag in this year’s general elections.

LEADESHIP WEEKEND gathered that there were intense moves to adopt Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, the incumbent governor of Kano State, as a consensus candidate but supporters of the other aspirant, especially those of Chief Harry Akande refused to cave in.

Reliable sources told us that the earlier scheduled National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the ANPP for 3:00 pm was cancelled because of the inability of some stakeholders in the party to reach the consensus agreement with the aspirants.

Supporters of Shekarau, Akande, Bashir Tofa and those of Alhaji Dauda Birmah were cited at the secretariat lobbying for their candidates. “It is difficult to know the person that will emerge but the battle is between the governor of Kano State, Mallam Shekarau and Harry Akande , because both of them toured the six geopolitical zones of the country,” said our source.

Although Chief Akande denied any plans to adopt a consensus candidate, it was gathered that the Kano state governor was the most favoured due to his experience.

According to Akande, “Consensus is not democracy. I will not encourage any aspirant to step down for me neither will I step down for any aspirant. I am in the race in order to give back to the country what it has given me. I am in politics not to make money because God has helped me in that regard. I am not for in politics publicity because a lot of Nigerians know me. I am in politics to improve the lots of the common man” he declared.

-Leadershipwp_posts