Nigeria’s ruling party, the All-Progressive Congress (APC) scheduled a meeting of all the presidential aspirants who contested in the party’s presidential primaries back in June. Presidential aspirants including Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Ahmed Lawan, Yahaya Bello, Ben Ayade, Rotimi Amaechi, and others were to meet the eventual winner Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to brainstorm on strategies to ensure victory in the 2023 presidential elections.
A few hours before the meeting, Dr Nicholas Felix, the youngest of the presidential aspirants, announced the postponement of the meeting to a later date without an official reason.
What they are saying
An undisclosed source in the APC claims the presidential aspirants were not present at the meeting because they didn’t support the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the party’s flag bearer. The source asked, “how many of them have you seen talking about Tinubu?”
Another source in the APC camp claimed some presidential aspirants failed to respond to the official notice of the meeting showing a disinterest in Tinubu’s candidacy.
In case you missed it
The former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of Nigeria’s ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, back in June, won the party’s presidential ticket for 2023 elections.
- Bola Tinubu defeated his counterparts with 1,271 votes; first runner-up and former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi scored 316 votes while second runner-up and Vice President of Nigeria Prof Yemi Osinbajo scored 235 votes.
- Also on the list, Senate President Ahmed Lawan got 152 votes, Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello received 47 votes, and Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, scored 37 votes.
What to watch
The presidential candidate of the APC would need the influence and support of his fellow party members to not only present a united front, but also plan a political strategy for the 2023 presidential elections.