By Kelechi Eke

After a crucial meeting today in Abuja, the All Progressives Congress (APC) formally announced it’s decision to zone its presidential ticket in the 2023 general election to the South.

The meeting was attended by APC governors and President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday.

It was agreed at the meeting between the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and President Buhari that the ruling party “alternate offices between the north and the south in the forthcoming dispensation.”

Speaking on behalf of the Forum, was the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufa’i who also denied reports of division among the APC Governors.

He confirmed the party’s agreement on the zoning formula.

According to him, “the newly agreed arrangements with regards to sharing positions in the party, are that all offices that were occupied by northerners in the last eight years will go to the south and vice versa under the new arrangement.

“We have agreed a zoning formula for all the six geo-political zones.

“Essentially, northern zone will have the positions the South had in the last eight years and vice versa.

“It is a very simple, equitable and fair formula.

“We will now go back and consult at the zonal level and look at the positions that are available and the process of the convention preparation we started in earnest.

“So, by the grace of God, on the 26th of March, we would have done our national convention,” he said.

At the meeting were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha and the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.

Also in attendance were 19 APC governors.

The meeting took place at the Council Chambers in the presidential villa.

The governors in attendance included those of Yobe, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Cross River, Kaduna, Lagos, Borno, Niger, Gombe, Osun, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Kwara, Kano, Imo, Kogi, Ogun, and Plateau states.