APC Leaders Move to Deliver South West For Tinubu; Confusion Over Running Mate

By James Orji

Leaders of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, in the South-west, has promised to deliver over 90 per cent of votes in the region for the Presidential flag bearer of the party, to Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu won  the nomination as APC’s flagbearer on Tuesday, June 7.

The promise to deliver Tinubu comes as the party searches for an appropriate running mate for the candidate.

Only Oyo state is under the control of the opposition PDP out of the six states in the region. The other five, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun are controlled by APC.

The APC leaders spoke in the face of  congratulatory from messages across the country for the former Governor of Lagos state and APC National Leader.

President Muhammadu Buhari while congratulating Tinubu said the former Governor of Lagos state is capable of succeeding him.

Tinubu scored 1271 votes during the party’s Special National Convention, on Tuesday to defeat his closest rivals in the race, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi and Senate President Ahmad Lawan to clinch APC presidential ticket.

Since Tinubu’s emergence as the torch bearer in the keenly contested primary election, the party leadership has been strategizing on how to win the 2023 presidential election.

As part of these strategies, Tinubu has met major stakeholders in the party such as President Mahammadu Buhari, Osinbajo, National Working Committee members, and APC Governors with the aim of uniting the party.

In their congratulatory message to Tinubu, the South West APC leaders said it has swung into action immediately to ensure that the party emerge winner in the 2023 Presidential election.

The Party Chairman in the zone, Isaa Kekemeke, disclosed  in a statement on Friday, and ass that the party will bring needed transformation to the country if it wins the presidential election.

Kekemake said Tinubu has the requisite experience to transform the country.

The statement reads:

“Without doubt, your election demonstrated an overwhelming support from Nigerians across the geo-political zones which was a clear indication that Nigerians want you as their next president.

“The APC in the South-West stands by you in every step you take in the journey to the Presidency, and we like to assure you that we will deliver the votes of the South-West in not less than 90 per cent of total registered voters in the region.

“We are one with our governors, National Assembly members, State Assembly members, local governments and indeed all leaders and members of our great party within the South-West region at this movement.

“We send you our hearty congratulations, and we pray that this will be the beginning of a turnaround for Nigeria in terms of security, economic development, infrastructural upgrading, agric development and housing for the entire population of Nigeria.

“We appeal to all Nigerians to stand up and be counted in this noble movement to build on the legacies of President Muhammadu Buhari which will put Nigeria in its proper place in the comity of great nations.”

Meanwhile, Tinubu has assured his party that the issue of his running mate will be decided soon. It’s my ‘pocketbook’, Tinubu said after visiting President Buhari in Aso Rock on Thursday.

Since he became the APC presidential flagbearer, who becomes his running mate has been one of the thorny issues in the party as apprehension continue to loom that he’s likely to pick a Muslim running mate.

Even though the magazine learnt that the presidential hopeful is likely to choose one of the APC governors as running mate, it was also learnt on Friday that the Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee, NWC has decided to keep all options open in deciding an appropriate running mare for Tinubu.