The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) at a stakeholders meeting held at the Governor’s lodge in Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, said it would field a presidential candidate for the forthcoming 2019 elections.

Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, the Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, said that based on popular demand by party faithful, the party has resolved to field a presidential candidate.

He said the presidential ticket has been zoned to the North, while the vice presidential slot would be picked from the southeast.

Shinkafi said: “After due considerations based on popular demand by party members, the party has resolved to field a presidential candidate with the ticket zoned to the North while the Vice Presidential candidate will come from the southeast.”

According to him, APGA as a political party founded on sound political principles, values and ideology will pose a good option for Nigerians.

His words: “With the goings on in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), APGA having been founded on sound political principles, values and ideology will present a viable option for Nigerians and solution to the socio-political problems the nation is presently facing.

“The party is not contesting the presidential election for the sake of notice but aside its right to contest every political position, the party is set to field qualified candidates to fly its flag and will also evolve strategies that will enable the party achieve the ambition of forming a central government in 2019.”

News Express recalls that the party had since its formation presented only one candidate under its umbrella in the person of late Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu in 2003 and 2007.

Subsequently, in 2011 and 2015, the party threw its weight behind the then incumbent president, Good luck Jonathan,

It was, however, gathered that the party was eyeing a particular presidential aspirant from the North.

A source from the party who pleaded anonymity said the aspirant the party is targeting is not yet in APGA, he is in another party, but “it is hoped that he would move to APGA, if he is unable to secure the ticket of his current party.”

“APGA had made initial plans to adopt President Buhari as its candidate and as payback for letting last year’s governorship election result which Obiano won to stand, despite attempts by APC stalwarts to rig their rig their candidate in.

“The party, however, rescinded the decision after weighing the growing unpopularity of President Buhari, especially in the southeast, where APGA is mostly considered as an Igbo party,” the source said.

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