Politics
By Kennedy Nnamani
BOLA Tinubu, former Lagos State governor has defeated more than 13 presidential aspirants of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in the just concluded presidential primaries at the Eagles Square, Abuja.
The party’s national leader, pulled 299 votes, which represented 55.9% of the entire votes, while former Rivers State Governor and minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, got 316, followed by Vice President, Prof. Temi Osinbajo who secured 235 votes.
While this permutation may be surprising to some political analysts, it may also not be so to some who have followed the trend of the party from 2015.
Recall that Tinubu has been a top chieftain of the party since its formation to contest in the 2015 presidential poll. No wonder he merited the title of the party’s national leader.
In addition, Asiwaju had also publicly solidified his position in the party with his recent outburst in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
He said on Thursday, June 2, that President Muhammadu Buhari would not have become the president since 2015 if not for his support. He noted that Buhari had given up after contesting and losing in 2003, 2007 and 2011, but he met him and promised him (Buhari) of his (Tinubu) support to ascend the position.
Tinubu, also said that he was the person who nominated Professor Yemi Osinbajo as Vice Presidential candidate for APC in 2015.
However, Abdullahi Adamu, the APC national chairman, threatened that Tinubu might be sanctioned for his outburst, stating that he showed no level of respect for the office of the president.
Meanwhile, Tinubu, who was a former senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria decleared that he holds President Buhari in high regard, but noted that his comments were taken out of context. he explained that he never meant to disrespect the president in his comment.
After all these sacrifices which the statesman claimed to have made for the progress of the party, one would have thought that the party ticket would have been handed over to him without any fight. However, the party had equally displayed its stand in the democratic dispensation.
But then, as it is said in politics, that there is no permanent friend or a permanent enemy, but just a permanent interest. This assertion was fully displayed in this contest; starting from the declaration of Ahmed Lawan, the Senate president as the consensus candidate of the party by the party chairman. Was this meant to destabilize other aspirants or targeted towards a particular aspirant? It is yet to be determined.
Although he feels betrayed by Prof. Osinbajo, his “political son” whom he publicly denied saying that he has no son, who is qualified enough to contest the position of the president. However, Tinubu merited the support of about 7 aspirants, who gave him their votes so that he may lift the party’s flag. They included Abubakar Badaru, Jigawa State Governor; Dimeji Bankole, former Speaker of the House of Representatives; Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ekiti State; Godswill Akpabio, former governor of Akwa Ibom state and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
Others are Ibikunle Amosun, former Ogun State governor; Ajayi Boroffice, Senator representing Ondo North Senatorial District; Uju-Kennedy Ohanenye, the only female aspirant in the race.
Although it was not an easy one for him to pull through, but he maintained his level as one of the most senior party men of the APC by lifting the party’s flag to contend other political gladiators from the other parties like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi of the Labour Part, former governor of Kano State and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP among others.
Can this clear victory in the party primary translate into ascending the position of the number one man in the country for the top job? Meanwhile, what would be his message to all those who forfeited the N100 million nomination forms and stepped down for him and those who lost to him if he finally wears the crown? The other contestants were Ahmed Lawan with 152 votes, Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi State with 47 votes, Gov. David Umahi with 38 votes, Gov. Ben Ayade with 37 votes, Sen. Ahmed Rufai Sanni Yerima with 4 votes, Christopher Onu and Chukwuemeka Nwajuiba got 1 vote each, while Pastor Tunde Bakare, Rochas Okorocha, Tien Jack-Rich, Ikeobasi Mokelu all got zero votes.
KN
Tags: Abdullahi Adamu Bola Tinubu Kennedy Nnamani Rabiu Kwakwanso Rotimi Amaechi Temi Osinbajo
