Tinubu tipped to win APC presidential race – Newstrends
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Tinubu tipped to win APC presidential race

Published

3 years ago

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Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Frontline presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is projected to be ahead in the party’s presidential primaries slated for today and tomorrow in Abuja.

A number of factors make Tinubu the candidate to beat. The factors are: nationwide recognition, reach, structure, support, endorsements, mass appeal, track records as governor of Lagos State, rich experience in both the private and public sectors.

Tinubu, along with President Buhari, is a co-founder of the APC.

He has mentored politicians across the country, many of who became governors, senators, House of Representatives members, or were elected or appointed through his support.

Tinubu, as APC National Leader, has profound influence on the key structures of the party in many states.

He also has the backing of more governors than his rivals.

With governors having tremendous influence on the delegates – three per local government – Tinubu can feel confident about emerging his party’s torch-bearer and a potential face-off with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President candidate Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election.

The APC northern governors, in a communiqué at the end of their Abuja meeting on Saturday, advised President Muhammadu Buhari to restrict his search within the party for a successor to the southern states.

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They said power shift to the South would be in the interest of building a stronger, more united and more progressive country.

Based on the decision, Jigawa State Governor Mohammed Badaru withdrew from the race.

In the South, the Southwest is the bastion of the APC.

Tinubu is the clear favourite in the geo-political zone. He is also being backed strongly by most of the states in the North.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo may get his votes from Ogun which is his home state and Nasarawa where he is believed to be backed by the state governor.

Former Minister of Transportation Mr. Chibuike Rotmi Amaechi may get his votes from his home state, Rivers, and Plateau where he is being backed by the state governor.

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi may get his votes from Ekiti, Jigawa where the governor is his friend. He may also get some votes from Kebbi because of his closeness to the state governor.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan is being backed by his state, Yobe and states in the Southeast.

Of all the contenders, Tinubu best fits President Muhammadu Buhari’s description of the candidate of his choice.

The President recommended a party man who must be formidable, who appeals to the electorate across the board.

Projection as at today:

Tinubu is projected to win Kano, Lagos, Oyo, Borno, Sokoto, Bauchi, Osun, Benue, Ondo, Edo, Katsina, Gombe, Niger, Kaduna, Zamfara and Adamawa states.

Osinbajo: Ogun and Nasarawa.

Yahaya Bello: Kogi

Amaechi: Rivers and Plateau

Lawan: Yobe, Kebbi (strong), Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Anambra and Enugu.

Fayemi: Ekiti, Jigawa and Kebbi (partially)

Akpabio: Akwa Ibom

Ayade: Cross River

Undecided states: Delta and Bayelsa.

Last-minute’s horse trading intensified last night in Abuja. Chances are that some of the aspirants may step down after a realistic assessment of their chances.

If Yahaha Bello, who has disagreed with fellow APC governor’s from the North, withdraws from the race, he may ask his supporters to vote for the Senate President.

It is also likely that Akpabio and Ayade may withdraw from the race. It was, however not clear who they will endorse and then ask their supporters to vote for.

For Osinbajo and Fayemi, some of their delegates may abandon them at the venue of the primary if they are now fully convinced that they both stand no chance of winning and then vote for Tinubu with the brightest prospect of clinching the ticket. Supporters of other aspirants may be similarly inclined.

A lot will depend on what happened between press time and the time for voting.

THE NATION

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Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

Published

4 days ago

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March 26, 2025

By

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that he does not know if he will contest the presidency in 2027.

Atiku made the remark in a yet-to-be-aired interview for a television show, Untold Stories, with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, scheduled for broadcast today but exclusively obtained by Daily Trust.

The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently announced the formation of a coalition of opposition leaders to wrest power from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

However, there has been widespread speculation about who will lead the coalition and emerge as its presidential candidate, with former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, being considered among its key figures.

When asked if he would be running for the presidency in 2027, Atiku said: “I don’t know because there has to be, first of all, a viable platform, more than any other time in the political history of this country, particularly since the return of democracy.”

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Atiku, who has run for the presidency a record six times, did not rule out the possibility of contesting again in 2027.

“I have not seen Nigeria in dire need of, you know, an experienced and credible leadership than this time.

“We had a similar, you know, what would I say, merger in 2014. About four of us or is it three? We all ran for president and one of us emerged, and we all supported the one who emerged, and he won,” he said.

He agreed with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s assertion that Nigeria’s democracy is deteriorating, saying the situation is “very dire.”

“No doubt about that,” he said.

Atiku also expressed his disappointment with the country’s political leadership.

“The next generation after me, many of them had been governors, had been senators. Instead of me to see an improvement in the level of governance at the state level and so on and so forth, I don’t see it. So I feel a little bit distressed.”

Atiku also questioned the credibility of the current legislative leadership, especially as it relates to the National Assembly’s ratification of the state of emergency in Rivers State

“I am not surprised,” he said, alleging that they are corrupt.

 

Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

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Africa’s democracy is govt by small for small number of people – Obasanjo

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5 days ago

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March 25, 2025

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Africa’s democracy is govt by small for small number of people – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has advanced reasons for what he called abysmal failure of democracy in Africa.

According to him, African presidents work with a clique and wield enormous powers with little or no resistance from perpetuating illegalities and abuse of office.

The ex-President said the democracy being practised in Africa does not aligned with the people’s values, culture, and way of life.

Obasanjo said spoke on Monday at a colloquium in Abuja to mark the 60th birthday of Emeka Ihedioha, a former governor of Imo State.

The former Nigerian leader, who chaired the event, referencing Abraham Lincoln’s definition of democracy as “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” said the system should work for all citizens rather than a privileged few.

He however wondered if African countries are practising true democracy or only adopting Western Liberal democracy.

He said, “If you are talking about democracy failing in Africa, democracy in Africa has failed. And why has it failed?

“Because in context and in content, it is not Africa. It does not have any aspect of our culture, our way of life, what we stand for, what we believe.

“Today, we have democracy, which is the government of a small number of people, by a small number of people over a large number of people who are deprived of what they need to have in life. That is not democracy that will endure.

“It is ‘I am because I can grab.’ What sort of democracy brings you, and you grab everything and then illegally, corruptly, and you say go to court? When you know that even in the court, you cannot get justice.

“It’s not that democracy is failing, democracy is dying and if we are going to make democracy not to die, we have to look at democracy in the context and in the content of Africa. I hope that we will get to that stage so that democracy which will deliver will be the democracy that we will have in Africa.”

Obasanjo was Nigeria’s military ruler from 1976 to 1979 and democratically elected president from 1999 to 2007.

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Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai’s coalition can’t unseat Tinubu – Shekarau

Published

1 week ago

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March 23, 2025

By

Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau

Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai’s coalition can’t unseat Tinubu – Shekarau

Former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has cast doubt on the ability of a newly formed opposition coalition to unseat President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.

Shekarau described the alliance, which includes former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, as a gathering of individuals with personal political ambitions rather than a structured and unified opposition front.

His remarks came just two days after the coalition’s formation was announced, with the stated goal of challenging Tinubu’s administration.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Dr. Sule Yau, Shekarau remarked, “This is just a gathering of certain individuals with political ambitions; none of them has officially consulted their party leadership.”

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He further argued that a coalition featuring prominent figures does not necessarily equate to an effective political alliance.

“The coalition of opposition figures is a good development, as seen in their recent meeting under what they call an opposition alliance. However, none of the key figures involved represents their party leadership,” Shekarau stated.

Emphasizing the legal framework for political mergers, he pointed out that only registered parties could formally unite, making the recent gathering an informal arrangement rather than an officially recognized coalition.

 

Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai’s coalition can’t unseat Tinubu – Shekarau

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