Breaking: I’ve not withdrawn from presidential race — Badaru

The Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, has said disowned Northern governors over his reported withdrawal from the 2023 presidential race on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

Recall that the Northern Governors had in a statement on Saturday ceded the ticket of the APC to the South.

They also in the same statement said Badaru had demonstrated good faith to the decision by withdrawing from the race.

But speaking on the development, the Jigawa State helmsman said the decision of the Northern governors in the APC to back power shift to the South is subject to the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari.

In an interview with BBC Hausa on Sunday, Badaru said the discussion among the Northern governors during the meeting was still a proposal to be sent to the President for approval.

The governor added that he will only withdraw from the presidential race if Buhari gives his consent for power to be shifted to the South.

He said: “It is true, Northern governors, about 11 of them, myself included, discussed the issue and looked at the situation.

“We concluded to advise Buhari that given the situation, it will be better to cede the candidature to the South.

“That was the reason why three people were nominated: the Governors of Kebbi, Plateau and Nasarawa States, to go and meet Buhari to discuss the issue.

“If he agrees with it, it will be implemented.

“Otherwise, if he has a better proposal, he should give it to us in his capacity as our father and we as his children.
“So I was surprised to hear that a communique has been issued with the signature of people, which in all honesty was a proposal meant to be taken to Baba (Buhari).

“If he agrees with it, it will be implemented and if he doesn’t agree, we will continue with any proposal he puts forward since all of us, the Northern governors, are loyal to Buhari and whatever he says, God willing, we will do it.

“All of us who were present in that meeting, none of us will disagree with Buhari if he says anything.

“But we discussed among ourselves, seeing the situation the country, and agreed to present that proposal.

“I am not in a position to withdraw until I hear what Buhari says.

“If he says we should go ahead with a contest, we will go ahead.

“If he says we should withdraw and take the candidature to the South, we will do so and be in the vanguard to convince others from the North to drop their ambition because Baba says it should go to the South.

“However, if Baba says we should continue, we will continue.”