Presidential Contest: Nda-Isaiah Rejects APC Govs’ Support for Consensus Candidate

Mr Sam Nda-Isaiah

A frontline presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress  (APC), Mr Sam Nda-Isaiah, has kicked against proposals by his party’s governors to get a consensus candidate.

Governors of the APC recently met and decided that a consensus arrangement is best for the party.

They plan to ask all the other aspirants to drop for one of the four major contenders.

But speaking with THISDAY Thursday night, Nda-Isaiah said it was the wrong way to go.

He said a transparent secret ballot election is preferable to choosing a consensus candidate.

Nda-Isaiah said: “We have to be clear about the reality on ground. If you look at President Jonathan, the question to ask is who would beat him among all of us. That’s the first question that needs to be answered. 

My understanding of who a consensus candidate is, is someone we all accept. And I also understand that the governors want to try that first. If that fails, they would then consider an election.”

Nda-Isaiah, who is also the publisher of Leadership Newspaper, said the governors should consider the latter option.

“The best way to go is a free, fair and transparent election through a secret ballot. To do otherwise is counterproductive. My advice to them is to allow for a free and fair poll. I can’t see how I would step down for someone considering the amount of work we have done. We all know the work we are doing. We have different strategies but we all know the delegates and the job to be done. So let there be an election. No need for this consensus talks and I’m not even going to split hairs on it,” he said.

Nda-Isaiah is billed to declare next week in his home state, Niger.
He is contesting on the platform of big ideas which he said would solve the problems in the polity.