Mr Bola Babarinde, Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) in South Africa, says the chapter is working hard to have one of its members succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
Babarinde said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos after Dr Philip Idaewor, Chairman, Forum of APC Diaspora Chairmen, had declared his intention to run for Nigeria’s presidency in 2023.
NAN reports that Idaewor, a medical doctor and Chairman of APC in UK, made his intention known via a zoom conference of his campaign group and media on Sunday.
Babarinde said that the party needed candidate that had lived abroad and understood what good governance was all about.
According to him, the Chairmen of Dispora chapters are deliberating on ways to contribute to the development of the party and Nigeria.
“We are deliberating on someone that will carry ordinary Nigerians along, someone that believes in federation and not present unitary system we are practicing due to our faulty constitution.
“We are very serious in making the real change happen and not just as a slogan,” Babarinde said.
On the APC National Convention, Babarinde said the Gov. Mai Mala-Buni-led Caretaker and Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), was not carrying the diaspora chapters along as expected.
“Presently, no relationship between APC Caretaker Committee and most, if not all, of the diaspora chapters; no direct information to us.
“It is also very difficult to communicate with the CECPC, no clear line of communication for now.
“We are not sure of the plans of the caretaker committee for us in the Diaspora,” he added.
NAN reports that the CECPC is yet to fix a date for the party’s national convention to produce the National Working Committee (NWC).
The ruling party has conducted its Ward and Local Government congresses on July 31 and Sept. 4 respectively, and has fixed Oct. 16 for the State Congress. (NAN)
