Two weeks to September when the presidential campaign would commence according to the timetable released earlier by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), some of the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains are still distancing themselves from the Presidential Campaign Council, (PCC). A look at the reasons behind this

A Yoruba adage that says “When people gather in a discussion room and come out with frowned faces they must have told themselves the truth, but if it was the other way round, they must have lied to themselves.”

The above situation depicts the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Special National Convention that held on June 8 that produced the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its presidential candidate.

That Convention had about 14 presidential aspirants among which included Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan, Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi, Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi, Former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonbaya Onu, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, former Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba and former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha.

Others were former Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt.Hon. Demeji Bankoke, former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibukunle Amosun, former Minister of Information, Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu, Mrs. Uju Ohanenye and Mr. Rich Jack.

At the Convention ground, the aspirants were given opportunity to speak and to speak sincerely on the way to achieve a lasting peace after the Convention, they rather spoke of their withdrawal for the National Leader of APC.

Only the former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani and the former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonbaya Onu could be said to have spoken their minds. They decried what could be called injustice to the South-East.

In his speech, Onu said: Where is the justice, where is the justice here.” He added that the South-West had had one of its own in the person of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for eight years on the saddle, the Vice president Prof Yemi Osinbajo for another eight years since the return to democratic rule in the country.

He further stated that former President Goodlick Jonathan from the South-South geopolitical zone have also had six years on the saddle before he was defeated at the 2015 poll by the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.

He thereby queried why the South-East has remained sidelined in the power equation of the country.

However, the cry of the orphans were not heard as the former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged as the flag bearer of the party, with the former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Ameachi coming a distanced second.

According to a party member, the withdrawal of South-West aspirants for Tinubu was a betrayer to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo aspiration. Prof. Osinbajo and Ameachi were looking good on the primaries as Christians from the South.
Another candidate who had a chance for the APC ticket was the former Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba. He was from the CPC bloc.

A former member of the House of Representatives from Adamawa State, Hon. Abubakar had alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari had endorsed Nwajiuba as the flag bearer of APC and a Northern Muslim as his running mate. According to him, when the CPC bloc met with the President they presented Nwajiuba as the first choice and Ameachi as the second choice. Ameachi would have run with the Minister for Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami SAN should he had got the ticket.

Nwajiuba stayed away from the Convention when he saw that the agreement reached was broken by the President and northern governors.

Reacting to the absence of the Education Minister at the APC Convention, his elder brother, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba said , “Many friends are calling to find out why my brother, Dr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, did not come out to address the APC convention.

“Simple: The understanding from the highest levels prior to his involvement, and considering his role in the founding of the APC, was that of consensus, as was with the National Chairmanship a few months ago.

“With that understanding, the Presidential ticket was to come to the South and the South-East.

This has been the hope till the end of the negotiations. He, not wanting to be part of the Dollar and Naira bazaar, is convinced that what Nigeria needs now is no more of the same thing that has kept Nigeria at the low level it has been.”

Ameachi on his part, recently stated that those who voted for the choice of Tinubu at the convention are regretting it.

In his words: “Those who voted at the APC primary, who are they? The ordinary Nigerians. The small money they got, solved their immediate problems. Now, oh we made a mistake or we didn’t make a mistake, we are hearing different things
“If Nigeria’s problems are to be solved, the ordinary Nigerians must be at the forefront. So if you are praying for us, pray for the leadership of the country but also pray that the ordinary Nigerians should choose the right President to govern the country. He stressed that giving out free money to woo people into supporting one’s political ambition was not the solution to the many problems facing Nigeria as a nation.”

Since the Convention, some party members believe that the APC presidential candidate has not done enough to reach out to the other aspirants.

According to Mohammed Musa, a chieftain of the APC, Tinubu is being deceived by few individuals that he would win the election with or without some party members.

One would have expected that he would consistently reach out to all the aspirants

that contested the ticket with him and possibly offer a role to them in the Presidential Campaign Council. Pertinent also to state that the governors are not happy that the slot of running mate was not conceded to them because it is being alleged that that was the agreement reached with them. It cannot be said that there is no serving APC governor in the North that is as competent as former governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima.

The issue of competence was just a decoy to pick Shettima as running mate. However, some persons have alleged that the governors collected money to throw their weights behind the APC National Leader to pick the ticket, therefore he does not owe them any loyalty to agreement.

This allegation of money is not far from what the former Minister of Transportation is insinuating. Another thing that would make some governors to stay away from the APC Presidential campaign is that they feel betrayed. Tinubu made a lot of promises to some persons on the need for them to support him. When he won, these persons were not properly consulted before the choice of the running mate.

Such governors are: Yobe State governor and former chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee, Mai Mala Buni, Kebbi State governor and Chairman of the PGF, Senator Atiku Bagudu, Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Badaru, Kaduna State governor, Kano State governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Gaduje, Plateau State governor and Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Simon Lalong and Borno State governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum. Any of this governors had the inclination of becoming the Vice Presidential candidate of APC, the chieftain said. On the issue of Muslim-Muslim tickets of the APC, some persons believe that it was not well thought out. To them, the argument that it would help APC to win the Presidential election is a defeatist one.

Those who have argued against it seriously believe that it is a way to institutionalize Islam beyond what it is presently. To buttress their position, they believe that if President Muhammadu Buhari could not pick a Muslim in the stature of Tinubu in 2015 to win election, there was no reason for that presently. An associate to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said even if the Christians in government are quite, they still have their believe it what is good for the country.

Persons like Prof. Osinbajo, Ameachi, Nwajiuba, Ogbonnaya Onu, Ken Nnamani, Rochas Okorocha, who are Christians and contested the primaries would definitely go with Christians even if they would not say so. The issue of Muslim-Muslim is one that has distanced some persons from supporting Tinubu. Also of concern is the issue of certificate scandal, age and health status of the APC Presidential candidate.

For some party Chieftains that believe that anybody aspiring for the position of President should be above board, it is difficult for them to relate whole with the party’s candidate and the campaign. Like some others, the former Deputy National Chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George had consistently stated that the former Lagos State governor and the APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has certificate problems.

The opposition party leader had called the APC Presidential candidate out several on different issues ranging from, schools attended, health, wealth and his age. According to Bode George everything about the APC candidate is shrouded in secrecy.

Badmus Ade expressing his view, said many would be very careful in supporting or campaign for any Presidential candidate. Those that campaigned for the incumbent President are regretting their actions, just as they are getting

bashings from the people.
Anybody who is worth of his salt must know those to campaign for irrespective of party affiliations. Looking at President Buhari and his governance, it would be difficult to campaign for some Presidential candidates.
However, the Director General of Coalition for Tinubu/Shettima support Group, Dr. Adebayo Shittu has come to the defence of Tinubu. Shittu said Bode George was only wasting time on allegations of corruption against Tinubu if he cannot go to EFCC to prove that.

According to him, there is no any known ailment associated with the APC Presidential candidate excerpt the kneel operation he went recently. Shittu also stated that it would be uncalled for anybody to question the certificate of someone who worked as a bureaucrat in Mobil International as a Chartered Accountant.

The former Minister of Aviation, Chief Fani Kayode also dismissed every allegations against Tinubu as he said, “There is absolutely no issue of corruption or any issue of you know, malfeasance on the part of Bola, when it comes to Alpha Beta or when it comes to anything else. These things have been said over the years, nothing has been proved, EFCC has not gone after him. ICPC has not asked him, he has not been indicted. He knows the answers instead of asking questions. Let him tell us what to answer. Then we’ll take it from there.

“It is wrong to continue to impugn the character of somebody that has done so well for his people in this nation and continues to rise. We’re not talking about Bola in Lagos state alone anymore. This man has emerged as the presidential candidate of the largest party in this country, backed by many governors in this country.

“Millions of people in this country see their hope and aspirations in him as the leader of the party, as a presidential candidate. And that alone should be respected instead of continuously going on about alpha beta, who owns alpha beta. The world does not begin and end in Lagos state. Lagos has done very well. What it was then, and what it is today, it has gone from strength to strength, and I’m very proud of the fact that I lived in Lagos for many years of my life. Look at Lagos today, compared to yesterday.”

However, the support and the campaign would be cleared next month when the campaign would commence going by INEC timetable.

The party, its Presidential candidate members would know those who are disposed to campaign for the presidential candidate and his running mate for the February 2023 general election. (Sunday Telegraph)

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