There were strong indications at the weekend that the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have decided to pair incumbent Governor of
Top sources at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja told Sunday Independent that the members were encouraged to step up the game after the large turn out that graced Buhari’s declaration of Wednesday.
From the event and judging by the large turnout of who is who in the party, theyreasoned , it was evident that most of the members were favourably disposed to the candidacy of Buhari.
At the event were four governors: Fashola, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Tanko Al Makura of Nasarawa and Adams Oshiomhole of Edo States; just as there were other prominent members of the party at Buhari’s declaration at Eagles Square on Wednesday.
Asked whether the party was mindful of the Muslim/Muslim ticket debate still raging at the moment, the source said the party has been making wide range discussions on the issue apart from consulting religious and opinion leaders across the country.
“Yes, we are mindful of the mood in the country presently. But we are also conscious of the fact that the country’s future is more important than every other thing; that is why we have not finalised the arrangement of pairing Fashola with Buhari. But you can be sure that after our consultations, the nation’s paramount interests would be the deciding factor and not religion”, the source, who craved anonymity said.
Before now, there were speculations that the APC was considering a strong Christian from the Southwest to pair with a Muslim presidential candidate from the core North. The permutation appears to have changed with the series of meetings that are being held in Abuja and Lagos between the party leaders.
It was gathered that at one of the meetings held in Victoria Island , Lagos last week, after over six hours, former governor of the state and APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Fashola were said to have agreed on the candidacy of Mr. Akin Ambode to carry the party’s flag in February.
Before now, the governor was implicitly backing his Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr Femi Hamzat to replace him at the Alausa, Ikeja, governor’s office.
At the venue of the agreement said to have been brokered by party elders, Sunday Independent learnt that the chieftains made Fashola and Tinubu to realise why they must find a middle ground and work together in the interest of the party, both at the state and at the national levels.
A source at the meeting said the elders impressed it on the governor that there is a link between his success in office and the role played by his mentor, Tinubu in the past years.
The party’s source added that the elders also made Tinubu understand that the governor has made the party and every one proud, and therefore deserved to be supported for a national ticket.
“The meeting urged Tinubu to begin mobilisation to make sure Fashola is paired with any candidate that eventually emerged at the party’s convention. They said it would not be too difficult to sell the candidature of the governor, since most of his colleagues already referred to him as ‘class captain,” the source said.
He added: “The meeting agreed that Fashola should support Tinubu given his pragmatism and consistency in building party structures in Lagos, Southwest and across the country. The elders also appealed to both leaders to work together in unity, for the interest of the party.“
Even so, it was gathered that pressure is being mounted on other aspirants to withdraw from the race to ensure Ambode emerges consensus candidate at the poll. This is why, according to another party leader in the state, many of the aspirants are not rushing to buy nomination forms . The APC leader said the party wants to avoid a rancorous primary, and have therefore appealed to the governorship aspirants to see the reality on ground and withdraw for Ambode.
It is not however clear if the aspirants are willing to forgo their ambition. While some have vowed to continue, insisting that the party should ensure a level playing, others are believed to be strongly weighing the option, and may leave the race this week.
The matter may not be as simple as that, after Lagos Assembly Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji picked his nomination form on Saturday, just like Obafemi Hamzat, Commissioner for Works, while Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon is not known to have jettisoned his life-long ambition to govern the centre of excellence, but whether any of them can sail through without Tinubu in APC is another issue.
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