Politics

Why Some Top APC Stakeholders May Not Work For Tinubu’s Candidacy

Published

3 years ago

October 2, 2022

There are feelers that some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who are one way or the other unhappy with the presidential candidate of the ruling party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu may either sit on the fence or work against him in the 2023 election.

Some stakeholders of the party fell out with the former Lagos State Governor after he clinched the APC presidential ticket during the June 8, 2022, primary elections.

Recall that prior to the party’s national convention, which produced Asiwaju as APC flagbearer, National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu had announced Senate President, Ahmad Lawan as APC consensus presidential candidate.

The move was, however, swiftly antagonized by some governors and party members believed to be loyal to Asiwaju who insisted on a Southern presidency.

Similarly, some members of the National Working Committee, NWC, kicked against the move and insisted that other Presidential aspirants, including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Engr. David Umahi and Rotimi Amaechi must be allowed to contest the primary election.

Tinubu, who was finally declared winner of the indirect primary election, told Ahmad Lawan during his victory speech at the Eagles Square, Abuja that the lawmaker can now lick his wounds.

According to him, “I’m a little agitated that you contested against me, but thank you, you can now lick your wounds.”

Tinubu scored 1,271 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Rotimi Amaechi, who polled 316.

An APC chieftain, Dr. Martins Apeh, who spoke with DAILY POST in Abuja on Saturday, claimed that the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo actually rejected the offer to be included in the recently released APC Presidential Campaign Council.

According to him, the vice president and the former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi have no confidence in Tinubu’s candidacy and would distance themselves from the campaign.

He said, “You see, Osinbajo believes in the New Nigeria Project, he doesn’t believe in the old politicians who may not have anything to offer to Nigerians but only see power as property that can be acquired.

“When Osinbajo lost the primary election, he stated clearly that his dream to support a New Nigeria has not changed. That should send a message to you and other Nigerians. Don’t be surprised if the VP makes a big announcement to support a candidate of another party”.

On the former Rivers State governor, Martins opined that “Amaechi is still very angry with the party on what played out during the APC primary. It was a shock to him and other Nigerians.”

He said Amaechi, Osinbajo and Lawal “may work for the presidential candidate of another party”, stating that those who want the country to work again will not jeopardize another four years in the “hands of people they don’t believe can deliver”.

It would be recalled that there was an indication that the immediate past minister of Transport, Amaechi, may not accept his appointment as the Special Adviser on Infrastructure of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.

Recall that Amaechi had in July 25 said in Port Harcourt that the delegates who voted Tinubu during the APC presidential primary were regretting their decision.

According to Amaechi: “Those who voted at the APC primaries, who are they? They are ordinary Nigerians. The small money they got solved their immediate problem, now they are saying they made a mistake, you are now hearing different things.”

Another chieftain of the party, Mr Patrick Okwori, who spoke with our correspondent, alleged that the cabals in the presidency were not happy that Tinubu clinched the party’s ticket.

“Even some of us that are trying hard to push our party even to the grassroot levels, we are doing it not because of any candidate but because it is our party and the party must work.

“We have several stakeholders who are not happy that the party is fielding Muslim-Muslim ticket. If either Amaechi of Osinbajo had won the primary, the campaign would have been very easy because they are Christians and getting a Muslim northerner would have been a simple thing”, he added.

DAILY POST

Politics

Obasanjo, Atiku, Obi Meet In Abuja

Published

14 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Editor

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi met in Abuja on Saturday.

The trio were among prominent political figures who attended the Tambuwal Colloquium, titled “Leadership, Service and Statesmanship at 60,” held at the New Event Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, in honour of the 60th birthday of former Sokoto State Governor and Senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

Atiku confirmed his presence at the event in a post on his X handle, stating that he had arrived at the venue for the colloquium organised to mark Tambuwal’s milestone birthday.

The former vice president also shared images of himself, Obasanjo and Obi at the event.

The event attracted political leaders, statesmen and stakeholders from across the country.

Politics

PANDEF Wades Into Rivers Crisis, Sets Up Seven-member Mediation Team

Published

20 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Editor

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has intervened in the political crisis in Rivers State, calling on all actors to sheathe their swords and embrace peace in the interest of the development of the state and the region in general.

Expressing concern that the political disagreement involving the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly might degenerate to total lawlessness, the Board and National Executive Committee of PANDEF set up a seven-member reconciliation team to resolve the issues.

The team, which is headed by a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi, has six other members.

They are Senator Obende Domingo (Vice Chairman); Chief Essien Nduese; Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agari; Chief Mike Ejiofor; Mrs Nella Rabana-Andem, SAN; and Prince Godwin Okotie, the Deputy National Secretary of PANDEF, who will serve as the secretary of the team.

Politics

Wike: Why Removing Fubara Will Be Difficult – Ex-Commissioner

Published

2 days ago

January 9, 2026

Editor

A former Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Austin Tam-George, has said that attempts to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara would be difficult to sustain, citing what he described as the governor’s performance record and the lack of concrete allegations against him.

Tam-George made the remarks on Thursday while speaking on Prime Time on Arise Television, arguing that the impeachment process being initiated against Fubara was to scuttle his chance for a second term.

According to him, Governor Fubara has continued to place the needs of the people at the centre of his administration, with visible interventions in rural development, housing, education and healthcare.

He said this, in his view, has made it difficult for opponents to justify moves to remove the governor from office.

Tam-George also called on the All Progressives Congress, APC, to intervene, arguing that the party should not allow what he described as the humiliation of a sitting governor.

He said: “Well, all I think he needs to do is to do exactly what he’s been doing from the beginning, which is to place the people at the center of gravity of his administration, prioritize the needs of the people, so that the people can see the direct impact of government action in their lives.

“And that’s exactly what he’s doing in terms of rural development, in terms of housing sector transformation, which I mentioned that he is doing the same in education sector and in health.

“So if he continues, if he persists in placing the people’s need at the center of focus of his administration, there is no way they are going to be able to justify this kind of shenanigans.

“Because, if you look very carefully at the so called articles of impeachment, you will see that there is no specificity in terms of any infraction by the governor or his deputy.

“What they are trying to do is to make sure they scuttle the administration so that the governor doesn’t then get to the point where he will be seeking a second term.

“Let me be clear, just two days ago, Nyesom Wike was at one of the local governments, and he made it clear in a moment of epiphany, he made it clear that, look, if Governor Fubara were to get a second term in office, it will amount to his own political burial.

“So all of these things that we are seeing the so called impeachment proceedings they’ve initiated, it’s actually an effort to try to scuttle the prospects of the governor coming for a second term, and I don’t see how they will succeed.

“If you look at the so called articles of impeachment, as I said, they lack specificity in terms of the kind of infraction that they allege that the governor has committed. He has done nothing wrong, and they will see how the process will play out.

“My sense, and in fact, if I were to advise the governor, my sense is that he should just maintain the people, retain the people at the center of gravity of his administration, meet their needs, run a transparent administration as he always done, and then the truth will come out, and he will be able to defend the administration.

“I think the the governing APC should also step in because they can’t possibly allow the governor of the office with probably one of the best performance records in the country to be humiliated by some of these members of the assembly.”