Tinubu and Buhari
Nigeria 2023: President Buhari’s men loses grip of ruling party structure
The ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) concluded its primary elections on Wednesday with an element, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is hitherto not favoured by President Muhammadu Buhari, emerging victorious.
Tinubu obtained over 1,271 votes to defeat his closest rivals, ex-minister Rotimi Amaechi and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
While Amaechi polled 316 votes, Osinbajo scored 235 votes.
Tinubu, an old-timer in Nigerian politics and leader of the party in the Nigeria’s South-West stood against Buhari’s moves to anoint a Northern consensus candidate.
For Tinubu to have challenged the President openly and eventually got elected showed that the President has lost his grip of the party structure.
Tinubu will face the main leader of opposition, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February general 2023 election.
He contested against thirteen other aspirants – Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Mr Ahmed Rufai, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Mr Jack Rich, Governor Ben Ayade, Governor David Umahi, Senator Ahmed Yarima, Dr Ahmed Lawan, Osinbajo, Amaechi, Governor Yahaya Bello and Mr Ogbonnaya Onu.
Nine aspirants had earlier stepped down, eight of whom asked their supporters to vote for Tinubu, while one asked his supporters to vote for Osinbajo.
Buhari, who is stepping down after the two terms he is allowed in the constitution, had spent days leading up to the convention in negotiations with the APC’s leaders seeking unity over a party candidate.
Tinubu vowed to fight terrorism and insecurity in the country if elected as the next president in 2023.
Tinubu commended the other 23 aspirants in the race for conducting what he described as a decent campaign, saying that the competition would eventually make the APC stronger.
He described himself as a unifier and the one which the current moment in the country calls for.
“Nominate me as the party’s presidential candidate for 2023 because am competent and courageous to serve Nigeria, and deliver good governance,” he said.
Tinubu, a former two-term governor of Lagos State said he had the experience, record of achievements and the ability to deliver good governance if elected as the country’s next president.
“I have done this in Lagos State as governor for two terms. I humbly ask you to allow me to use these skills and experiences to advance the nation.
“Ours shall be a land where all Nigerians will have an equal chance and no one is excluded because of his ethnic background, religious creed, place of origin or social status, we are all Nigerians.
“By this statement, I seek your help and support to become our party’s nominee and standard-bearer in the coming February 2023 presidential elections,” he said.
Tinubu expressed optimism that as an indivisible united country, Nigerians shall overcome the destructive forces attempting to steal the destiny of the nation