Politics

2023: Lobby, Pressure As Atiku, Tinubu Search For Running Mates Thickens

Published

2 years ago

June 11, 2022

Editor

Following the deadline issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to all political parties to send names of presidential candidates and running mates for the forthcoming general elections, parties have intensified search for credible running mates.

Recall that the INEC, on Thursday, gave Friday June 17, 2022, as a deadline for political parties to submit the names of their Presidential candidates and running mates or face disqualification.

While the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is in search for a Christian Southerner, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu may be combing for a Northern Christian.

DAILY POST gathered that while most Southern governors elected under the platform of the PDP are scheming to be picked, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State has openly said that the person must not be a sitting governor.

Tambuwal has suggested that a former governor or a current member of the National Assembly will also be a good pick.

According to reports, Tambuwa is currently lobbying for the immediate past Governor of Imo State, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, who is also a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives to emerge as Atiku’s running mate.

It was gathered that a number of governors including Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Samuel Otorm of Benue State are supporting and lobbying for Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike to emerge as Atiku’s running mate.

Reports also emerged that Governor Nyesom Wike has declared that if it is not him, it should be his Enugu State counterpart, Governor Ugwuanyi.

The ruling APC is not left out in the struggle as sitting governors are battling for the running mate of the former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu.

While party members are kicking against Muslim-Muslim ticket, some governors including Abdulahi Ganduje of Kano State, and his Kaduna State counterpart, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai are reportedly lobbying for the number two position.

But there are strong indications that the Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, who is a Christian, may emerge as the running mate of Asiwaju.

Meanwhile, other stakeholders in the party are pushing for Boss Mustapha, the current Secretary to the Government of the Federation who is from Adamawa State as credible VP candidate.

But an APC chieftain, Femi Adebanjo, who spoke with DAILY POST in Abuja, argued that Boss Mustapha would be a wrong choice, citing the fact that Atiku also hails from Adamawa and is capable of getting all votes from the State.

He said, “will Adamawa people abandon their son Atiku who is a presidential candidate to vote for a Vice Presidential candidate? I don’t think so.”

He revealed that Governor Zulum of Borno State declined to be Vice President, but has recommended former governor, Kashim Shettima as Asiwaju’s running mate.

“But if any of these governors or Shettima is chosen, it means that the APC and Tinubu will be presenting a Muslim-Muslim ticket, the first of its kind since Abiola Kingibe in 1993”, he added.

Another respondent, who is a strong member of the opposition party, Mr John Adaji, faulted the quest by some governors to be picked as running mates of Atiku and Tinubu.

Adaji told DAILY POST that “there are many who are not governors but fit for the job”.

According to him, the incumbent Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo “is one of the best VP the country has produced in terms of loyalty to the president and his party.

“But was Osinbajo a governor when he was picked in 2015? No! But you can see that he didn’t do badly. We all know that the government of Buhari has done so well but Osinbajo has been a loyal servant”.

DAILY POST.

Related Topics:#Tinubu 2023 election Atiku

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Politics

JUST IN: Ex-PDP Deputy National Chair, Oyedokun Defects To APC

Published

5 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Editor

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, has resigned his membership of the party and announced defection to the All Progressives Congress.

Oyedokun, a notable personality within the political circle in Osun State and beyond, said he decided to dump the PDP after consultation with his loyalists.

He said he would be joining APC, where his experience, efforts, and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.

His resignation letter addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP through the ward, local government and state chairmen of the party obtained late Thursday further read, “As a functional member and leader of PDP (Ward 13, Jagun/ Osi-Bale Ode, Odo-Otin South Local Government, Osun State,) whose high electoral productivity and value have been credibly and positively acknowledged in my ward, across the local council, state and country-wide for the enhancement of the fortune of the PDP, I have the honour (though with pain) in announcing the renunciation of my membership of the party on principle, having observed that the ideals of we, founding members, had been sorely contaminated.

“In taking this step which is not even without due consultation with my teaming loyalists in the PDP, I have consequently decided to shift my allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC) where I believe my experience, efforts and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.”

Oyedokun’s defection to the APC is coming at the time the aspirant he supported during the 2022 Osun governorship primary of PDP, Mr Dotun Babayemi is also moving to the national ruling party.

Osun APC said on Wednesday that Babayemi and his supporters would be dumping PDP and joining the party at a rally scheduled to be held in Osogbo on Friday.
PUNCH

Politics

Poll: APC Has No Sellable Candidate, Nothing To Campaign On – Edo Govt

Published

3 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

The Edo State Government claimed on Monday that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has no credible candidate for the September 21 governorship election.

This was an assertion made by the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, at a press conference in Benin City.

Nehikhare also alleged that the party is using lies and propaganda as its campaign strategy.

According to him: “The only APC strategy for the governorship election is to resort to lies and propaganda. When a party takes lies and propaganda as an election strategy, it means it has nothing to offer the people. The party lacks people with character, capacity, and intellect.”

The commissioner who took journalists through a screened shot WhatsApp chat said: “What we have here is the official APC WhatsApp platform, their own people screenshot their discussion. One of them who has a conscience asks, is this the only thing we have?”

Nehikhare, who said APC is ashamed to campaign for its candidate, noted that, as of today, nobody had heard of what the party has for the state.

“All we heard is how they are going to help their paymaster, lies and propaganda that will not help the state,” he added.

He opined that lies and propaganda are not strategies the opposition party, like APC, can use to win the September 21 governorship election.

The commissioner, who warned against misinformation and fake news ahead of the governorship election, urged media practitioners to be neutral in matters concerning lies and propaganda.

He, however, noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration has a lot of achievements to market and sell its candidate for the election.

Politics

Defection: Edo Govt, Ex-PDP BoT Member, Idahosa In Verbal War

Published

3 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

Edo State government and a former member of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, Charles Idahosa, on Monday traded words over the latter defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Recall that Idahosa resigned
formally resigned who had last month resigned from PDP, rejoined the APC on Monday in Benin City.

Speaking during his formal presentation to the APC in Benin City, he noted that he left the party four years ago due to internal crisis.

Idahosa added that he dumped the PDP because of what he described as the “damning deeds of the Obaseki-led administration in the last four years”.

He took a swipe at Obaseki for saying that PDP would win the forthcoming September governorship election with 80 per cent of votes.

“I thank God, four years later we all are wiser now. Like the Secretary said, I was a founding member of ACD, ACN and APC. The damage we did four years ago, the APC never remained the same.

“But I am glad we are back to the family. I was nominated to the Board of the Railway when I was in the APC. When I moved to the PDP, I wrote to resign my membership but it was rejected and showed my wide acceptance.

“At 71, I am not here to contest position with anybody, I am here to work. I want to urge APC to keep their eyes on the ball. It is not over until it is over.”

While lambasting Governor Obaseki for his comment that those leaving PDP have been given money, he noted that his greatest regret was not allowing the governor to resign after his first four years in office.

“When he came to beg me like a weather beaten chicken, how much did he give to me? Anytime he goes religious gathering he would say those leaving PDP have been given money.

“He came to me three times in my house to say he wants to resign, that he was tired of being governor but I appealed to him, telling him it was not about him but Benin interest.”

But in a swift reaction, the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare alleged that Idahosa was never a PDP member.

Nehikhare noted that Idahosa was also never a BOT member of the party, because the party in the state rejected his nomination.

He alleged that it was as a result of the rejection that he found his way back to APC.

“I heard that he claimed to be a member of BOT of PDP but I want to challenge him to tell us when he was sworn in as a member of PDP BOT. He was not a fit and proper person. Even though he was nominated he was shunned by the party.

“It was this that drove him back to APC which he never left in the first place. He was holding on to the board appointment which was offered him while in APC prior to 2020 governorship election.

“He has reached the end of his political career. He has nothing to offer any political party or any group he joins because he believes in bread and butter politics,” Nehikhare said.