Tinubu tipped to win APC presidential race – Newstrends
Connect with us

Politics

Tinubu tipped to win APC presidential race

Published

2 years ago

on

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.

READ ALSO:

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

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Politics

Damagum to continue as PDP national chairman until August – NEC 

Published

13 hours ago

on

April 19, 2024

By

Damagum to continue as PDP national chairman until August – NEC 

National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it will revisit the leadership crisis in the party by August this year.

This therefore means the acting national chairman of the party, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, will remain in the office until the next NEC meeting in August, according to the party.

Bauchi State Governor and the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum hinted on Thursday that the party would look into the demand of the North Central for the national championship position then.

He spoke after the NEC meeting at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja.

The governor said, “You can see there was no dissension and rancour. It was planned that the party will have an implosion. PDP is more than that, we have given beyond all these. This party is a united party that is guided by experience and constitutionality.

“In the next two months, you will see a lot of activities, leadership is a responsibility, when we will have come out of our congresses, we will look at the issues of leadership. We will look at the constitution and we will do it with no rancor.”

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, also said because of the need for reconciliation the issue of the National Chairman would be revisited in August when another NEC will be expected to take place.

He said, “Our party emphasizes the need for reconciliation and stability within the party at this time. Therefore, the issue of the National Chairman, Amb Iliya Damagum, has been deferred to the next NEC meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for August 15, 2024.”

Continue Reading

Politics

Breaking: Saraki loyalist, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, dies at 57

Published

3 days ago

on

April 17, 2024

By

Breaking: Saraki loyalist, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, dies at 57

 

A top politician, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, has died at the a prime age of 57.

Ibrahim, an ally of former Senate President Senator Bukola Saraki, reportedly died early Wednesday morning in a hospital in Abuja.

Newstrends learnt from a family source that Ibrahim died after a brief illness.

Rafiu Ibrahim from Ojoku, Kwara State, was a member of Kwara State House of Assembly in 2009.

He was later elected in April 2011 to represent Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives of Nigeria in the 7th National Assembly.

Ibrahim became a senator in 2015 when he was elected to represent Kwara South Senatorial District.

He however lost his re-election bid into the 9th National Assembly to Lola Ashiru of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the 2019 general elections.

Continue Reading

Politics

PDP: 60 Reps stop Wike group from endorsing Damagun

Published

3 days ago

on

April 17, 2024

By

Nyesom Wike

PDP: 60 Reps stop Wike group from endorsing Damagun

The lingering leadership crisis of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a new dimension on Tuesday as members of the G60 in the House of Representatives led by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere truncated plans by lawmakers loyal to the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, to endorse Mr Umar Damagun as substantive National Chairman of the party.

Trouble started during the closed meeting convened by the Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda when Hon. Ugochinyere challenged the Caucus Leader’s presentation.

Hon. Ugochinyere, who flared up during the meeting was seen being persuaded by some PDP lawmakers.

However, before the end of the meeting, members of the G60 group left the hall, thereby leaving about 40 lawmakers in the hall where the press briefing took place.

While speaking on the outcome of the closed-door meeting which lasted for over 3 hours, Hon. Chinda said: “We have just concluded the third meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party Caucus of the 10th Assembly and we have resolved firstly to tell all of us and the world that the PDP Caucus in the House of Representatives remain united, indivisible committed and out to perform our duty as the watchdog on behalf of Nigerian people.

“In the same vein, we x-rayed the security situation in our country and we resolved that we can no longer take this situation where Nigerian is almost tagged as ‘one life, one minute silence’.

READ ALSO:

“The government is therefore called upon to immediately take steps to ensure that the security situation in the country is normalized.

“And the Caucus has also given a three-month ultimatum for government to normalize the security situation in our country. After three months, the Caucus will take further steps to sensitize and mobilize Nigerians to perhaps take their security into their hands.

“The House of Representatives Caucus also agreed to call on all Party Caucuses, the Board of Trustees, National Executive Committee and the National Working Committee of the party to embark on reconciliatory measures with a view to resolving all litigations that are pending and have hindered the party in any way whatsoever from having a substantive National Chairman.

“We call on our leaders, leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party to continue to demonstrate unconditional loyalty to the party and ensure that the party is moved to her pride of place where she enjoyed the position of the largest party in Africa and to take back the Aso Villa which is actually supposed to be our birthright.

“And so for us, we are going back as we resume the session to commence a strong, virile and purpose-driven opposition to give the people a voice in the Parliament,” he said.

While reacting to the recent suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi, the Minority Leader urged the Senate leadership “to recall our colleague, our senior brother, a veteran politician, a Parliamentarian per excellence, Abdul Ningi.”

Meanwhile, one of the G60 members who gave insight into the discussions during the closed-door meeting confirmed that the hard stance of the group frustrates the grand plan to pass a vote of confidence on the embattled acting PDP National Chairman.

The lawmaker who does not want his name in print said: “We are glad that the plan of the pro-Wike group supporting Damagun falls like a pack of cards, as we refused all entreaties to perpetuate illegality and stoking of crisis in the party.

“Our position remains that Damagun must go for someone from North-central to take over and complete Ayu’s tenure.

“Our Party needs total overhaul and reformation. We currently have in the PDP a national leadership that is in bed with the APC and is working extremely hard to hand over the party to the APC.

“This is quite shameful and disheartening. But we won’t fold our hands and let that happen.

“We are aside other demands insisting on 100 percent formation of Caretaker PDP executive list at all levels without any tampering or inclusion of new names outside the earlier resolution that members of the expiring excos should act as Caretaker for 3 months pending the conduct of substantive election.

“Our party will not be overtaken by APC, we are here to serve the Nigerian people not to the whims and caprices of some selfish politicians,” he noted.

PDP: 60 Reps stop Wike group from endorsing Damagun

(Nigerian Tribune)

Continue Reading

Trending

Skip to content