The National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has emerged the candidate of the party for the 2023 presidential election.
The ex-governor of Lagos state won with 1271 votes defeating other aspirants, including Vice president Yemi Osinbajo (235) and former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (316).
Lawan, and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State came behind with 152, and 47 votes respectively.
Recall, former governor of Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio, former governor of Ogun state, Ibikunle Amosun, governor of Ekiti state, Kayode Fayemi, governor of Jigawa state, Abubakar Badaru, former speaker House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole and Senator Ajayi Boroffice withdrew for Tinubu at the Eagle square shortly before the contest.
The APC special convention was characterised with political intrigues, horse trading within the party and among aspirants before it finally settled for elective convention.
While, the National chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu had earlier announced Senate President, Ahmed Lawan as consensus candidate, but others members of the National Working Committtee (NWC) rejected the position, saying they were not consulted.
Similarly, the APC northern governors in a communique jointly signed by ten governors and a former governor of Sokoto, Aliyu Wamakko, insisted that that the presidential ticket of APC must shift to the south.
In a swift reaction, the chairman of Southern Nigeria governors’ forum and governor of Ondo state, Rotimi Akeredolu in a statement hailed their counterpart from the north, stressing, “We acknowledge this courageous stance for equity and moral rectitude. We applaud the zeal and determination of our brothers to engage realistically and honestly”.
Meanwhile, more than 2,300 delegates voted in the contest that produced Tinubu as the presidential flagbearer of the ruling party.
