Politics

APC Primary: How Govs, NWC, Others Gave Tinubu Victory

Published

3 years ago

June 9, 2022

After months of high-wire politicking, alignment and counter-alignment, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday, won the party’s 2023 presidential ticket in style.

He polled 1,271 delegates’ votes, which is more than the 831 combined total of his 13 other opponents at the two-day primaries held at Eagle Square, Abuja.

His closest rival, the former Transportation Minister, Mr Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, garnered 316 votes; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo polled 235 votes; and Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, got 152 votes.

Vanguard had earlier repeatedly reported that the contest would be a three-horse race featuring Tinubu, Amaechi and Osinbajo.

Although the party said it had 2,322 delegates, only 2,203 were physically on the ground and accredited for the exercise. Of the figure, 13 votes were invalid.

Co-chair of the Election Management Committee, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, announced the results.

Details of votes polled by other aspirants are Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, 47 votes; Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, 38; Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, 37 votes; Senator Sani Yerima, four votes; Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, one vote; and Chief Emeka Nwajiuba, one vote.

The other aspirants — Pastor Tunde Bakare, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Tein Jack-Rich, and Chief Mokelu Ikeobasi had zero votes each.

Chairman of the Election Management Committee, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who was the chief returning officer, returned Tinubu as validly-elected to fly the party’s presidential flag in next year’s general election.

With his victory, Tinubu has been handed APC’s political arsenal to face Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; and Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, among other opponents in the 2023 presidential poll.

How APC Govs influenced Tinubu’s emergence

Vanguard had in the lead up to the March 26 national convention of the party, reported how the APC governors struck a deal with President Muhammadu Buhari by trading off the national chairmanship position for that of the Presidency.

At the time, the governors were negotiating that one of them be supported by the president to emerge as the standard-bearer of the party.

However, as the Special Convention and Presidential Primary of the APC, drew closer, it became apparent that the president wanted to have a lot of input into who succeeds him. He had begged the governors to allow to him pick his successor.

While negotiations were ongoing, the northern governors’ forum in the APC resolved that power must shift to the South, essentially trying to force the president to support a Southern aspirant, following speculations that the president wanted Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

Efforts by the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu to impose Lawan on stakeholders as the adopted consensus aspirant were, however, resisted especially by the Northern Governors who were later joined by their Southern counterparts within the party.

For about five days before the primary, the governors engaged in a series of stakeholder meetings. The Northern governors met with political stakeholders from the region and then later met with President Buhari to demand a power shift to the South.

They, thereafter, stormed the national secretariat of the party on Monday night to meet with the Adamu-led National Working Committee NWC. But after about an hour of waiting and Adamu was nowhere to be found, they filed out to the Presidential Villa area where the national chairman lives.

The governors were said to have conveyed their position to their representatives in the NWC and Abdullahi Adamu himself. They also guided their delegates on the need to vote for Tinubu.

At the convention, delegates of virtually all the governors, except four, voted for Tinubu. The four governors include Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State who participated in the primary; with his delegates voting for him; a North Central and South Western state governors and Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, who also participated in the primary

Factors, horse trading that gave Tinubu victory

Indeed, Tinubu’s margin of victory is large but it did not come easy. It was a product of 30 years of political association with stakeholders across the country; weeks of energy-sapping negotiations to get opponents to lay down their weapons; and several days of wooing entrenched interests in the party to his side.

Some of the battles he fought include getting APC power brokers in the North to back power shift to the South; wooing delegates across the country including “unfriendly” states; stopping moves to use consensus to decide the candidate; and eventually the conduct of the primaries.

Said to enjoy the backing of many presidential aspirants who bought the APC N100 million expression of interest and nomination forms, sources said Tinubu got political and traditional leaders in the South-West to prevail on aspirants from the zone to step down for him.

The series of meetings and negotiations continued even at the convention ground. It led to four of the seven South-West aspirants and three aspirants from the other zones to back down.

The yeoman’s job was done by 13 Northern APC governors, some Southern governors and members of the National Working Committee, who first fought against moves to make Senate President Lawan the consensus candidate; and later delivered their states’ votes for Tinubu at the convention.

On Monday, the eve of the primaries, the National Chairman, Adamu, told members of the NWC that Lawan had become the consensus candidate for the primaries on Tuesday. Members of the NWC kicked against the move and insisted that other aspirants must take part in the primaries. The news filtered to 13 of the 14 APC governors in the North, who stormed Aso Villa to meet with President Buhari and insisted on a power shift to the South.

Thereafter, President Buhari, the governors, and members of the NWC disowned Senator Adamu over Lawan and the stance paved the way for all the 23 aspirants to contest Tuesday’s primaries.

Signs of Tinubu’s victory

Signs that Tinubu would win the contest emerged early when many delegates from many states wore Tinubu-branded clothes and sang praises of the former Lagos governor all through the event.

Things became clearer when aspirant after aspirant started stepping down for Tinubu. In all, seven aspirants did so cutting across South-West, South-East, South-South, and North-West

Those, who stepped down for Tinubu were Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa); Senator Godswill Akpabio; Professor Roberts Ajayi Borroffice; former House Speaker Dimeji Bankole; Senator Ibikunle Amosun; and Mrs Uju Ken Ohanenye.

VANGUARD.

Politics

Twist In Edo PDP Crisis As Faction Elects State Executives

Published

18 hours ago

October 5, 2025

Editor

The crisis rocking Edo State chapter Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reignited on Sunday as a faction loyal to the party National Vice Chairman, South -South elected Nosa Ogieva as the state chairman of the party.

Ogieva, who was sworn in alongside other 13 members of the executive promised to reunite the party, and that PDP would soon begin to win elections again in the state.

Recall that a faction loyal to the Umar Damagum-led national secretariat of the PDP held its congress on September 27, 2925 where Dr. Tony Aziegbemi emerged as the state chairman of the PDP.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Orbih said former governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki was responsible for the crisis in the party.

Obaseki, who said Obaseki quarreled with everybody he met in the party, added that the poor performance of the party in the recently conducted by-elections showed how unpopular the party had become.

Orbih carpeted an earlier statement issued by the other faction of the party where they called on members to disregard the announcement for the State Congress.

He said: “Just yesterday (Saturday), I saw a statement issued by some funny characters saying they are advising party members not to attend this event. Are you not here?

“Those who don’t have any moral authority to speak on behalf of the party should keep their mouth shut.

Politics

2027: Senator Imasuen Visits His Ward, Seeks Support For Tinubu

Published

20 hours ago

October 5, 2025

Editor

The All Progressives Congress (APC) family in Ward 5, Umagbai, Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of Edo State, on Saturday, rolled out the drums as Senator Neda Imasuen, representing Edo South, visited for an interactive session with party faithful at the grassroots level to mobilise support for President Tinubu ahead of 2027 general elections.

The interactive session, which drew chieftains, ward chairmen and party faithful from the 22 units in the ward, was marked by jubilation and reaffirmed the party’s strength in the district.

Speaking at the gathering, Senator Imasuen expressed gratitude for the warm reception, stressing the need to build bridges with his local base.

He noted that while he joined the APC at the State level on June 12, it was crucial to identify with his ward because “politics is local.”

“It was very imperative that I come to my ward, not only to officially inform them of my joining the party since June 12, but also to meet the ward executives,” the lawmaker said.

“This move will strengthen the party, promote unity and ensure victory at the polls.”

Imasuen lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as “bold and courageous” economic reforms, adding that such steps were necessary to turn the nation’s fortunes around.

He also echoed the Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo’s pledge to deliver 2.5 million votes to Tinubu in 2027, declaring the target a “done deal.”

“By the grace of God, Asiwaju 2027 is settled. Part of that settlement is to begin to work towards that goal from the grassroots,” he added.

APC leaders in the local government hailed the senator for the move to galvanize support for the president ahead of 2027, pledging their support for the movement.

The All Progressive Congress, LGA Chairman, Osayimwenre Osawe, described him as “an asset” whose presence as a federal lawmaker would bring democratic dividends to Uhunmwonde.

“He is not a liability. He came to add value. Being a senator of the Federal Republic is a plus to our party. Beyond development, his return for a second term would make him a ranking senator, and that will position him for more influence on the Senate floor,” Osawe declared.

Also speaking, Acting Council Chairman, Augustine Imafidon Uhuonde, pledged unwavering support for the senator, praising his performance in facilitating projects in the senatorial district.

“Even watching him from the other side, he made us proud. Today, he has come down to the ward level to join hands with us. That shows he is ‘grass-rooted’ and truly the man of the people,” Uhuonde said.

Prominent party figures at the event included Festus Aimierovbiye, Chairman APC Ward 5; former Edo State Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Orobosa Omo-Ojo; Hon. Derick Uhunmwagho, Liaison Officer and Chief of Staff to the senator; Iziegbe Gabriel, LGA Coordinator; and Ese Edegbe, Ward 5 Assistant Coordinator.

Politics

Court Declines Kachikwu’s Motion Against INEC, ADC Leaders

Published

3 days ago

October 3, 2025

Editor

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday declined to hear an application filed by the African Democratic Congress’ 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, against the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the party.

Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling, refused to entertain the motion.

Kachikwu, through his counsel, Dayo Akinlaja (SAN), had sought an order compelling INEC to withdraw the publication of Mark and Rauf Aregbesola’s names as national chairman and secretary of the ADC, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

INEC had recently recognised Mark, a former Senate President, and Aregbesola, a former Governor of Osun State, as the party’s national chairman and national secretary.

On July 7, Kachikwu and four others – Adikwu Elias, Etimbuk Umoh, Muhammed Khala, and Alaku Godwin William – filed an originating summons challenging the recognition of the duo.

The suit lists INEC, ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Mark, and Aregbesola as the first to fifth defendants.

When the matter was called on Friday, Akinlaja told the court that a motion dated September 19 had been filed. He argued that despite the pendency of the suit, INEC went ahead to recognise Mark and Aregbesola as party leaders.

The plaintiffs asked the court to set aside the recognition and publication of their names, describing it as a breach of the doctrine of lis pendens. They also sought an injunction restraining Nwosu, Mark, and Aregbesola from further relating with INEC as ADC’s national officers.

However, counsel for the ADC, Shaibu Aruwa (SAN), along with other defence lawyers, opposed the application.

After hearing arguments, Justice Omotosho declined to entertain the motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1331/2025.

He said, “This court is not inclined to nullify anything at this stage, whether done before or now. This is a political case. I am not taking any interlocutory matter.”

The judge held that all processes filed by the parties, including preliminary objections, would be taken together with the substantive case.

Despite repeated pleas by Akinlaja for the motion to be heard, the court stood its ground.

Justice Omotosho also granted an application for joinder filed by Nkemakolam Ukandu, the ADC deputy national secretary, and ordered that his name be added as a defendant.

He directed the plaintiffs to file the amended processes within 48 working hours and gave the defence seven days to respond. The case was adjourned till October 23 for hearing.