Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate for the 2023 election is anticipated to come from the southern area of the nation.

El-Rufai described that the nationwide chairmanship post of the party will be from the northern part of Nigeria.

“Our expectation is that our presidential prospect will come from someplace in the south,” he stated during his look on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He said it would now be delegated the southern caucus of the ruling party to choose which part of the area the prospect will originate from.

“It depends on the southern caucus of the APC to now propose to us an appropriate candidate,” he described.

Governor El-Rufai also thinks the APC will retain the presidential seat, arguing that the celebration has all it takes to do that.

“I believe Nigerians anticipate far more than we have actually done, however if Nigerians reflect deeply and compare to the other party, we are still a better option.

“I believe that in 2023, the APC is going to win the presidential election in addition to the majority of the governorship elections,” he said.

Asked if he is sorry for being the Kaduna State Governor considering that it was President Buhari that talked him into using up the challenge, El-Rufai said, “I’ve no regrets whatsoever. I think we’ve changed the State in numerous ways, brought development in numerous areas. I’ve no remorses. I’ve paid an individual price, however that’s life.

“I suggest, whatever you do that raises the life of humanity, it feels like something that revives positive feedback. I’m quite pleased and I feel that we’ve done a decent job in Kaduna, so I’ve no regrets whatsoever.

“And I ask Nigerians to pray for everyone for Almighty God to pick a successor in Kaduna that would be even much better than I tried to do.”

El-Rufai was asked about the rumours that he had actually already anointed his great buddy to take over from him when he leaves office in 2023, the Governor said, “I’ve not. I’ve not anointed anybody. Stories go round.

“There are some that state I’ve anointed my deputy governor and there are some that state I’ve blessed my Commissioner for Finance and there are some that say I’ve blessed my Commissioner of spending plan and planning, there are all sort of stories arounds, but … I don’t wish to anoint anyone.

“I believe the management … our very first eleven as I called it, the core leadership of Kaduna State would sit and dispute this and see whether we can create someone we think is a worthy follower and what that person would do to bring the remainder of the group together.

“We have our core team. We’ve started satisfying regularly and even our senators join from Kaduna. We discuss this routinely and at some time, we’re going to make that decision, however we’ve not anointed anyone.

“If I tell you I don’t have choices I would be lying. I do have preferences however since I’m human, despite the fact that I have choices, I’m still praying that God chooses the ideal individual for Kaduna State.

“Because for me, Kaduna is more vital than anything, including myself, relationship and any preferences I may have and I’m human just God understands the very best individual to prosper me. I’m just human.

“My choice remains in our core team, that is the first eleven. I stated core team because these are the guys that dealt with me since 2014 to arrange our party, arranged our campaign and we got and won chosen.

“So, they know all the policies we developed and carried out. So, they’ll not come and have about-turn altering direction.

• “This is why I stated our core team. Some remain in the cabinet and some are in the National Assembly, however we have our core group and we’ll keep discussing. The reason I want someone from our team to prosper us is since I want continuity.”