By James Orji
Vice president Yemi Osinbajo has submitted his presidential nomination form, thus raising the bar for other presidential hopefuls in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC who are bent on picking the party’s sole presidential ticket for next year’s election.
The nation’s number two citizen and top contender to the presidency, the Source magazine has learnt, submitted the form at the All Progressives Congress, APC National Secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday days after he obtained the form for N100 million.
The development came barely 48 hours after another top contender in the APC Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu submitted his forms to the party. The former Lagos state governor and APC National Leader was the first to submit his form to the party on Tuesday, among other aspirants who are eyeing President Muhammadu Buhari’s job.
After Tinubu’s form was submitted by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, not a few contemplated that Osinbajo will find it difficult getting his form signed by the required number of delegates, particularly after speculations that Tinubu’s form was signed by at least 12 APC governors.
Most APC governors, unreliable sources say are supporting Tinubu’s aspiration to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari after his statutory tenure expires, though it’s not year cleat whether the incumbent will support him to become the commander in chief.
Apart from Tinubu and Osinbajo, other APC presidential hopefuls include Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, God’swill Akpabio, Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajioba, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers state, amongst others.
It was, however, learnt that many aspirants are yet to submit their forms to the party due to the strict condition set by the party that aspirants must have their forms signed by zt least 370 delegates across the country. It will be difficult for some aspiranst to get this number of delegates, a source in the party said, adding that the party’s decision was taken ” to separate the wheat from the chaff”.
The ruling party had required all the presidential aspirants to get the signatures of 370 statutory delegates, covering the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory as preconditions for submitting the nomination form.
From all indications, Osinbajo has met the conditions as his form was said to have been signed by APC delegates across the country before the form was submitted yesterday night by a support group in the party, The Progressives Project, TPP rooting for his presidency.
The chairman of TPP, Senator Kabiru Gaya and Senator Muhammadu Bulkachuwa led the group to submit the forms to the APC National Organizing Secretary, Alhaji Sulaiman Argungu yesterday night at the party secretariat.
Meanwhile, the APC has extended the time for the submission of nomination forms till Friday this week. The deadline was initially set for Tuesday, May 10.
