Despite reports that he has decided to support Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential primary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bukola Saraki said he is still open to backing any candidate “in the interest of our party”.
TheCable and Daily Trust reported on Monday that the former governor of Kwara state had decided to back the former head of state in the race for APC’s ticket.
But in a telephone conversation with TheCable on Monday, the senator moved to clarify the reports, saying: “My concern now is to make sure we produce a candidate in a rancour-free environment. I have not ruled out supporting any other candidate. I want to make that clear.”
According to him, his decision to shelve his presidential ambition was a personal sacrifice and to now openly declare his intention to support anyone “is not going to help the party”.
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However, TheCable understands that he had earlier been approached to become the campaign director of Buhari, but while the discussion was on, Audu Ogbeh was appointed.
It is now not clear if he could still be made director if Buhari eventually picks the ticket, although it is hard to see Ogbeh being dropped.
Saraki is a long-term associate of another APC presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, but their political relationship has deteriorated in the last four years.
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Both were in contention for the presidential ticket of the PDP in 2011, but when the northern consensus arrangement was reached and Atiku was chosen, Kwara delegates voted for President Goodluck Jonathan at the PDP nomination convention.
Saraki announced on Sunday that he was no longer going to run in the presidential race, although he had never openly declared his intention to run or not run before then.
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