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Confusion and anxiety best portray the state of mind of presidential aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who are currently in the dark over what becomes of their fate ahead of the proposed presidential primary.

Their confusion was based on the inability of the party and President Muhammadu Buhari to provide a clear-cut direction and road map of the candidates that will emerge during the primary.

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Curiously, going by the initial arrangements released by the ruling party, the national convention to elect the party’s presidential candidate was scheduled for this weekend, yet few days to the conduct of the primary, the over 25 aspirants jostling for the position are still in the dark over how the candidate will emerge.

Although the presidential aspirants have carried on with their campaigns and consultations with party leaders and delegates, the persistent rumour of President Buhari planning to adopt one of them as the consensus candidate has contributed in unsettling them.

Surprisingly, no day passes without intensifying the speculations of either one of the aspirants facing disqualification or planning to pull out of the race.

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Reacting to the situation, a prominent member of the support groups for one of the presidential aspirants, told Saturday Sun that they have never been uncertain of the situation than now, noting that they have no option than carry on with their campaigns hoping that the situation will change.

“As I speak with you now, there is confusion everywhere. The party’s national leadership seems to be more confused because no serious information is coming from them. Today we will hear of consensus, another day we will hear that the fate of the aspirants will be decided at the primary.

“They will speculate that he has endorsed this aspirant today, another day it will be another aspirant. The truth is that none of the aspirants is certain of what the future holds for him,” our source lamented.

A chieftain of the party hinged the confusion on the inability of President Buhari to make his stand known to the party’s leadership, the aspirants and members of the party, arguing that his silence is upsetting and disrupting many things.

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“President Buhari has heightened the suspense. Everybody, including the party leadership and aspirants kept waiting for him to give them direction. His silence has fuelled the speculations about the Goodluck Jonathan option, or other aspirants touted to emerge as consensus candidates,” the party chieftain noted.

The confusion has also continued to reign supreme within the party, disrupting the execution of the initially released timetable and schedule of activities.

Faced with the uncertainty, the party’s leadership has continued to screen the presidential aspirants secretly, fuelling rumours that some of them may be facing disqualification from participating in the forthcoming primary.

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The composition of various committees to carry out the conduct of the special convention during the primaries has either been put on hold or suspended completely few days to the exercise.

Speaking earlier in the week, a chieftain of the party who spoke on condition of anonymity, had argued that it was apparent that President Buhari must have have settled for the consensus option.

“You know that the leadership of the party is only there as figureheads. President Buhari dictates proceedings in the party especially as it concerns picking the presidential candidate of the party.

(Sun)