Six aspirants step down for Tinubu, Osinbajo

Sopuruchi Onwuka

The number of contestants in the ongoing selection process for the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has significantly thinned down with the withdrawal of six aspirants who yielded their platforms to Professor Yomi Osinbajo and Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu respectively.

News filtering from the Abuja convention venue of the party showed the three aspirants stepped down for Professor Osinbajo while another three stepped for Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu.

Chairman of The Progressive Project (TPP), a coalition of support groups backing Osinbajo for the presidency, told newsmen that former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, had earlier stepped down for the Vice President. He said the other two would announce their support for Prof Osinbajo at critical moment close to the vote casting.

Three aspirants declared support for National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They are Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State; Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio; and former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

Governor Fayemi said Tinubu is a the National Leader of the Party he and “a democrat that I worked with.” “I am not doing this for any prize,” he added.

Senator Godswill Akpabio said he believes that Tinubu would unite Nigeria. And Senator Amosun said Tinubu is capable of transforming the country.

Other serious contenders still in the race include incumbent Senate President, Ahmed Lawan; Former Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi; Former Science and Technology Minister, Dr Ogonnaya Onu; and Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State.

The Oracle Today reports that where Senator Lawan is a sole candidate for the northern caucus of the party, the rest of the aspirants still standing are from the south where rotation is expected to swing the party’s ticket even though there is no compelling law to support that.