A former Governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, has vowed not to withdraw from the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship race.
President Muhammadu Buhari endorsed Senator Abdullahi Adamu, also a former governor of Nasarawa, for the top APC job.
Some governors and chieftains of the ruling party had reportedly tried to make Buhari change his mind on Adamu, but the president stood his ground.
While some chairmanship aspirants of the party silently withdrew from the race, Al-Makura has intensified his campaign.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Sunday, Al-Makura, who currently represents Nasarawa South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, said the endorsement of his opponent by Buhari is a speculation.
“The sources of information were not authentic. They were not genuine. And I know what Mr. President stands for, he always stands for what is right and due process.
“And unless I have an authoritative source of information that is clear. I still have my doubts. I have many avenues through which I can reach Mr. President and people around him.
“And since those speculations did not come through those avenues, I consider them as a speculation. That is why as I speak with you, my campaign is going with a different tempo, to ensure that my campaign is going far and wide to await the next line of action as directed by the party leadership.”
Asked whether he had any past record that could affect his chances following the report that the security agencies and the anti-graft agencies had done the background checks on each of the chairmanship aspirants and tendered the report to the President for a final decision in terms of a consensus candidate, he replied: “Thank you very much, I don’t think so. I discharged my responsibility as governor, to the best of my ability, and as I speak, there’s no single petition against me, or any case that has to do with my propriety or otherwise.”
He said to sustain the unity among the legacy parties, the APC needed somebody like him who understood feelings of various groups that constituted the merger with his experiences with Buhari as well as in party administration and parliament at this injury time.
The aspirant said he would be doing “a disservice” if he failed to show interest in presiding over the party at this transition period.
