There are feelers that some chieftains of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, who are one way or the other unhappy with the
presidential candidate of the ruling party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu may either sit
on the fence or work against him in the 2023 election.
Some stakeholders of the party fell
out with the former Lagos State Governor after he clinched the APC presidential
ticket during the June 8, 2022, primary elections.
Recall that prior to the party’s national convention, which
produced Asiwaju as APC flagbearer, National Chairman of the party, Senator
Abdullahi Adamu had announced Senate President, Ahmad Lawan as APC consensus
presidential candidate.
The move was, however, swiftly antagonized by some governors
and party members believed to be loyal to Asiwaju who insisted on a Southern
presidency.
Similarly, some members of the National Working Committee,
NWC, kicked against the move and insisted that other Presidential aspirants,
including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Dr. Kayode
Fayemi, Engr. David Umahi and Rotimi Amaechi must be allowed to contest the
primary election.
Tinubu, who was finally declared winner of the indirect
primary election, told Ahmad Lawan during his victory speech at the Eagles
Square, Abuja that the lawmaker can now lick his wounds.
According to him, “I’m a little agitated that you contested
against me, but thank you, you can now lick your wounds.”
Tinubu scored 1,271 votes to defeat his closest challenger,
Rotimi Amaechi, who polled 316.
An APC chieftain, Dr. Martins Apeh, who spoke in Abuja on Saturday, claimed that the Vice President, Professor Yemi
Osinbajo actually rejected the offer to be included in the recently released
APC Presidential Campaign Council.
According to him, the vice president and the former Rivers
State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi have no confidence in Tinubu’s candidacy and
would distance themselves from the campaign.
He said, “You see, Osinbajo believes in the New Nigeria
Project, he doesn’t believe in the old politicians who may not have anything to
offer to Nigerians but only see power as property that can be acquired.
“When Osinbajo lost the primary election, he stated clearly
that his dream to support a New Nigeria has not changed. That should send a
message to you and other Nigerians. Don’t be surprised if the VP makes a big
announcement to support a candidate of another party”.
On the former Rivers State governor, Martins opined that
“Amaechi is still very angry with the party on what played out during the APC
primary. It was a shock to him and other Nigerians.”
He said Amaechi, Osinbajo and Lawal “may work for the
presidential candidate of another party”, stating that those who want the
country to work again will not jeopardize another four years in the “hands of
people they don’t believe can deliver”.
There was an indication
that the immediate past minister of Transport, Amaechi, may not accept his
appointment as the Special Adviser on Infrastructure of the Tinubu/Shettima
Presidential Campaign Council.
Recall that Amaechi had in July 25 said in Port Harcourt
that the delegates who voted Tinubu during the APC presidential primary were
regretting their decision.
According to Amaechi: “Those who voted at the APC primaries,
who are they? They are ordinary Nigerians. The small money they got solved
their immediate problem, now they are saying they made a mistake, you are now
hearing different things.”
Another chieftain of the party, Mr Patrick Okwori, who spoke
with our correspondent, alleged that the cabals in the presidency were not
happy that Tinubu clinched the party’s ticket.
“Even some of us that are trying hard to push our party even
to the grassroot levels, we are doing it not because of any candidate but
because it is our party and the party must work.
“We have several stakeholders who are not happy that the
party is fielding Muslim-Muslim ticket. If either Amaechi of Osinbajo had won
the primary, the campaign would have been very easy because they are Christians
and getting a Muslim northerner would have been a simple thing”, he added.
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