A presidential primary for the All Progressives Congress is scheduled to take place on June 6, and President Muhammadu Buhari has requested that the party's contenders for the party's leadership come to a decision on a candidate that they can all agree on.
During the meeting that took place on Saturday evening at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja with the aspirants, Buhari shared his remarks with them.
SaharaReporters had previously claimed that eleven governors from the north have shown support for a southern candidate for the ruling party.
According to a statement released by the governors on Saturday night, this caused Governor Badaru of Jigawa to withdraw from the run for the presidential election.
The governors who signed the statement were; Bello Masari, Katsina; Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna; Atiku Bagudu, Kebbi; Simon Lalong, Plateau; Abdullahi Ganduje, Kano; Bello Matawalle, Zamfara; Inuwa Yahaya, Gombe; Babagana Zulum, Borno; Sani Bello, Niger; and Abdullahi Sule, Nasarawa.
The news was made as President Muhammadu Buhari was meeting with the 13 aspirants who have been given the green light to compete in the party's primaries in Abuja from June 6-8.
SaharaReporters also reported earlier that Buhari may announce his preferred candidate during a meeting with the APC presidential aspirants today at 8.30pm at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Abuja.
A reliable source had mentioned to SaharaReporters that "Buhari is calling for a dinner tonight to meet with the APC aspirants and there, he might tell them his preferred aspirant." "Buhari is calling for a dinner tonight to meet with the APC aspirants and there, he might tell them his preferred aspirant."
On Tuesday, just prior to the convention for the APC, Buhari attended a meeting with the party's governors.
During the meeting that was held at State House in Abuja, President Buhari had informed the governors that decisions should be made that would allow the party to continue to hold power at the centre.
There had been rumours circulating prior to the meeting that the president may name a candidate for office before the convention.
Other potential candidates include the current President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, as well as former ministers Rotimi Amaechi, Ogbonnaya Onu, Godswill Akpabio, and Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba. Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, and Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President, are also in the running.
Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Ben Ayade (Cross River), and Badaru Abubakar are the current governors of Nigeria's five states who are also interested in becoming the country's president (Jigawa).
Others include Ibikunle Amosun, Ajayi Boroffice, and Rochas Okorocha, who are all now serving as senators; Ken Nnamani, who served as president of the Senate; Dimeji Bankole, who served as speaker of the House of Representatives; and