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APC Presidential Ticket: Tinubu, Amaechi At War

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Ahead of the May 29/30 presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), two of the leading aspirants have begun to plot victory graph on how to secure the ticket of the party.

Sunday Tribune investigation revealed that a former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, are pushing ahead of other aspirants by fishing for the votes of the party’s statutory delegates.

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Both Tinubu and Amaechi’s jostling for delegates is part of their back-up plans should the rumoured consensus arrangement being flown by some interests within the party fail.

Nigerian Tribune that the statutory delegates of the party number about 3,000 across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The statutory delegates are former and serving federal lawmakers as well as former and current principal officers of state assemblies.

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Sunday Tribune investigations revealed that they constitute about one third of the total delegates who will decide the fate of the presidential aspirants.

READ ALSO: Yari, Marafa Officially Dump APC For PDP In Zamfara

Amaechi’s foot-soldiers, Sunday Tribune gathered exclusively, have met statutory delegates from the South-West twice within a month.

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The meetings, which were held during the week of the party’s national convention last month and on April 5, took place in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and 2019 APC gubernatorial candidate in Benue State, Emmanuel Lyambee Jime, led Amaechi’s representatives to the second meeting attended by about 100 of the delegates.

It was gathered that Emmanuel-Lyambee marketed the reasons the delegates should give their votes to the two-term River State governor, chief of which was his legislative experience as a former speaker.

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The delegates, who came from all the six South-West states, were told that they would have unhindered access to Amaechi if he becomes the president. A source privy to one of the meetings told Sunday Tribune that “the delegates only listened to them and never made any commitment as to who will get their votes.”

It was learnt the Tinubu also met with about 500 of the statutory delegates at a hotel in Abuja on the eve of the party’s national convention last month. At the meeting, Tinubu, it was gathered, told the attendees why he should be allowed to govern the country, noting that he had paid his democratic dues.

During the meeting, he told us how he will approach the issue of insecurity and economy,” said one of the delegates.

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A former head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu and the Ekiti Central Senator, Opeyemi Bamidele were some of those who accompanied Tinubu to the meeting.

Ribadu, who also spoke at the meeting, described Tinubu as the most qualified to land the job and charged the delegates to give him their votes.

The former EFCC chief was quoted to have said that speculations about corruption allegations against Tinubu could not be substantiated.

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READ ALSO: Intrigues As Tinubu, Osinbajo, Amaechi Camps Emerge In Senate

He told the delegates that as the EFCC under him investigated Tinubu a number of times and found nothing incriminating against him.

Before the Abuja meeting, about 200 of the statutory delegates from the South-West delegates had gathered at a hotel in Ibadan where they declared their support for Tinubu.

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The group of South-West delegates is being coordinated by a former deputy governor of Ogun State and former Senator from Ogun East, Senator Gbenga Kaka and a former Lagos West Senator, Ganiyu Solomon.

Meanwhile, as part of his ongoing consultations, Amaechi is expected to visit the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun and other leaders of thought in Oyo State tomorrow.

 

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US Desperate To Remove You, Cleric Warns Tinubu

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The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu again regarding the vice president, Kashim Shettima, and his 2027 second-term ambition, while also stating that America is “desperate to remove” the president.

Primate Ayodele, in a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, warned Tinubu not to drop Shettima as his running mate, noting that even if the VP offends the president, he should settle it for his own good.

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He explained that an attempt to bring another person on board would be a “huge minus” and would “destroy his chances and bring unnecessary enemies to him.”

“Dropping Shettima will cause trouble for you; those who want him out are your enemies who don’t want you to succeed. Anything that Shettima might have done, forget it, and let’s move the country forward,” the cleric advised.

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He continued; “If you remove Shettima, it’s a minus for you; don’t remove him if you still want to maintain your chances. There are things you need to settle between yourself and Shettima, settle with him and let him remain; if not, it will be a serious minus to your government.”

The cleric stated that Shettima is harmless to Tinubu, but that the president will still face challenges in the north, predicting that “the Emirs will gang up against you.”

He urged the president to “do extra work” because the “election won’t come by easily.”

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Primate Ayodele further revealed that America won’t support President Tinubu’s second-term ambition and will “do everything to see him removed from power.”

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He urged the president to avoid “self-inflicted problems by solving the issues of hunger and security.”

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“Also, make sure you sort out the issue of international communities, like I said, America isn’t your friend. America is desperate to remove you; they will do everything to see you out of power.”

He stated that there are people who can defeat Tinubu, and although none have openly shown interest yet, with the current situation on the ground, they will defeat the president if they contest.

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I am not in support of anyone. If anyone comes out to contest and can defeat you, I will tell you, but I have not seen it yet. However, you need to work very hard because if the person comes out with the situation on the ground, you will have issues.”

He concluded by reiterating that the true problems are not personnel, but the nation’s challenges.

Shettima isn’t your problem, but hunger in the country and other factors. If you don’t fix them, removing anybody from your government or adding anyone will not do you any good. You should also work on security, you can win terrorists, they are within Nigeria.”

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I’m Not Ready To Go Into The Gutters With Anyone – Makinde

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Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday, said he is not ready to “go low with anyone who decides to go into the gutters.”

He made this statement while addressing journalists shortly after the South-West zoning consultative summit of the Peoples Democratic Party, held in Lagos.

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He said, “Personally, when people go low or go into the gutters, I don’t go with them. Some people are now going into the gutters. We will reach out to them. That is democracy.

READ ALSO:Makinde, Wife Installed As Aare Omoluabi, Yeye Aare Omoluabi Of Akure Kingdom

I can disagree with people, but there shouldn’t be anything personal here. It should be about what we are giving to Nigerians because they are watching.”

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The governor added that despite challenges, recent elections had shown that the PDP remained a formidable force.

“In all our states, they showed last Saturday that PDP is not dead. In most other places of the 12 states, PDP came second. It is an indication to us that if we continue to work hard, we can reclaim the confidence of Nigerians,” he said.

When asked about discussions on zoning of the PDP presidential ticket to the South, Makinde said the party was not yet at that stage.

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READ ALSO:2027: Makinde For President Posters Flood Kano

We haven’t even gotten there. We need to have a party first before you start talking about presidential candidates. If we don’t have a party, anything you are trying to do will fall flat.

“Our efforts right now are directed towards having a vibrant and united PDP that Nigerians will be proud of and believe in again,” he said.

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Dignitaries at the meeting include the Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the party’s National Zoning Committee and Bayelsa state governor, Douye Diri; Governors Ademola Adeleke of Osun state, Peter Mba of Enugu State, represented by his deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai; former Osun Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Bode George; and Monsurat Sunmonu.

Others were 12 of the 17 PDP National Assembly members and key stakeholders of the party from across the southern states.

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2027 Presidency: Idahosa Reiterates Okpebholo’s Promises Of Delivering Edo To Tinubu

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Edo State deputy governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa on Tuesday reiterated the promise of Governor Monday Okpebholo of delivering the state to President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.

The deputy said that the just concluded by-elections in the state was an affirmation of that promised made by his principal.

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Idahosa stated this in a press statement sogned by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Friday Aghedo, and made available to newsmen.

He said Okpebholo did not just make the promise of delivery the state to the APC, but that Edo will secure 2.5m votes for the President in 2027.

READ ALSO: Ovia By-election, Litmus Test To APC Success In 2027, Says Edo Deputy Gov

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He commended the leadership of the party across Ovia federal constituency for their providing the leadership that made a APC victorious on Saturday.

He, however, noted that there was more room for improvement ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to him, “after the victory, we called the leadership of the Ovia federal constituency to review and evaluate our performance at the poll, to observe areas where we need to work on next time.

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“The bye-election was a litmus test for the 2027 presidential election. We are fully ready.”

READ ALSO: FULL LIST: FG Approves Nine New Private Varsities

Idahosa also used the opportunity to sensitize the people on the ongoing continuous voters registration and revalidation process by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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He also reeled out measures in place by the party to get new registered members for the exercise when commenced on Monday.

We are going to constitute subcommittees to mobilize people who have not yet registered to enable us actualize on the promised votes to the president,” he said.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives member elect, Omosede Igbinedion, promised to deliver on her campaign promises to the people.

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READ ALSO:Edo Election: Walter Obaseki Descendants Congratulate Okpebholo, Idahosa On Victory

Ovia Federal Constituency should expect nothing but the best, in terms of representation and also in terms of developmental strides.

“We will come through, in anything we can do, from the federal level to complement the governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the tremendous work he is doing at the state.

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“Ovia is looking very bright. The deputy governor, Dennis Idahosa, has laid a good foundation we will build upon that foundation,” she said.

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