After the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) picked former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as its presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections, a group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) against picking a Northerner as its candidate.
HURIWA made this known in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, who said if APC picked another northerner to battle Atiku in the presidential race, the move will totally destabilise the peace and unity of Nigeria.
ALSO READ: BREAKING: Atiku beats Wike, Saraki, others to emerge PDP Presidential flag-bearer
The group, therefore, warned the APC to move against picking a northern candidate and make a southerner its presidential flagbearer in the spirit of fairness and to preserve the unity of Nigeria.
HURIWA warned that “should APC concede her ticket to the North, it, therefore, signposts the end of Nigeria as a united country.”
ALSO READ: Atiku: 7 things to know about PDP’s 2023 Presidential candidate
The APC’s presidential primary now comes up in the first week of June and Nigerians are eagerly waiting for the outcome, having seen the choice of the PDP.
We earlier reported that Atiku polled 371 delegates’ votes to defeat his closest challenger and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who polled 237 votes on Saturday.
HURIWA urged the APC to “give its ticket to the South-East or at least the Southern region so as to preserve the unity of Nigeria or else if APC goes North like PDP, it is a vote of no confidence on the continuous existence of Nigeria.”