South South laments loss of APC VP slot

There is jubilation in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) camp, but the allies of Rivers State Governor, Romiti Amaechi, are worried that he lost out in the high wire horse trading that eased him off the vice presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in favour of Yomi Osinbajo.

However, Amaechi takes it in his stride and has accepted to be the director general of the Muhammadu Buhari campaign, the man who got the APC ticket to make his last run for the Villa in February 2015.

Osinbajo, a professor of law and former Lagos State attorney general and justice commissioner, was picked to pair with Buhari on Wednesday, December 17 at the behest of former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu.

TheNiche learnt that Amaechi’s foot soldiers in Port Harcourt and other major cities in the South South lamented when Osinbajo was confirmed in place of Amaechi who had lobbied for the post even before the party’s third national convention in Lagos which produced Buhari as flag bearer.

APC foray in South South

A confidant of Amaechi, who did not want his name in print, confirmed that the South South was not happy with the decision, as the zone had hoped for compensation for its support for the APC.

He said: “Amaechi is the leader of the APC in this zone. He single handedly built the structures of the APC in Rivers, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and even in Delta States.

“He has worked so hard to establish the party in these states so much so that the party has become a major threat to the PDP in the zone.

“The least the people here expect from the leadership of the APC is to reward Amaechi’s hard work with the vice presidential ticket. But this has failed and people here are not happy.”

The source explained that the reaction of the people at this point depends on what Amaechi himself feels.

“Up till now, as we speak, Amaechi has not said anything and we cannot issue any statement or be categorical until we hear from him. He has not told us anything yet, so we don’t even know how he is taking it.

“People have been calling me from all over the world. At a point I had to switch off one of my phones to avoid the telephone bombardments. One person even called from abroad to tell me that he heard that Amaechi fainted when the decision was taken. But I cannot react to all these until I am briefed.”

He dismissed the idea that Amaechi lost out because of the zoning formula which had earlier seeded the post of APC national chairman to the South South.

“We were actually ambushed. They should have told us before now that taking the slot of national chairman would preclude the zone from taking a shot at the vice presidential slot. It is an ambush.”

Zoning as hindrance

But another source at APC national headquarters in Abuja insisted that the zoning formula worked against Amaechi.

“It is true that Amaechi had worked so hard to establish APC in the South South but the zoning formula which gave the national chairmanship to the zone cannot take the vice presidential ticket too.

“Besides, the South West states are all united in giving the party a block vote in the coming election and they deserve to have the vice presidential slot. Again, both Amaechi and the governors in the South West worked together in ensuring that Buhari emerged as the party’s flag bearer.”

It was also learnt that APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, who hails from Edo State, was not willing to vacate his seat if the slot of running mate were to go to the South South.

Sources close to Amaechi confirmed that he is satisfied that his candidate, Buhari, emerged as presidential candidate for the election on February 14, 2015.

His absence at the presentation of Osinbajo by Buhari on Wednesday, December 10 had led to speculation that he felt let down.

But he is said to have put the disappointment behind him and is preparing to lead Buhari’s campaign.

PDP jubilates

The pockets of lament in the APC contrasted with the celebration in the PDP over Amaechi’s failure to clinch the vice presidential ticket.

Sources said the PDP was scared that an Amaechi on the Buhari ticket would have spelled doom for the party in the South South where it is witnessing its worst crisis in recent times.

The APC has taken advantage of the rifts in the PDP in Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Delta to make deep in roads and if Amaechi had got the ticket, pundits said it would have been an overkill.

Therefore, his failure to be on the ticket is a big relief to the PDP.

 
Tinubu defends position

Amaechi is, however, not the only APC chieftain who felt bad about how the matter was resolved. Tinubu is another. He kicked against what he described as a vicious campaign to prevent him from getting the vice presidential slot.

Tinubu’s media aide, Sunday Dare, issued a statement saying: “This campaign is being run from the PDP’s basement. They fear him. They cannot assail his competence and experience. He has been an able senator and governor.

“They cannot assail his commitment to democracy. He has personally sacrificed more for democracy than all the PDP hierarchy combined.

“They fear his ability to campaign, to get out the vote, and to protect that vote, especially in the South West, because they know that is the pivotal region where the election will likely be won or lost.

“These assailants desperately try to scuttle Tinubu’s potential candidacy. In that the truth offers them no solace, they resort to lies. They seek to ambush the man under the cover of innuendo and untruth.

“But their aim is off and their knives are wrong. In the end, what they use to injure him will turn to point against them. Such is the outcome when one engages in malice.

“Thus, they seek to prevent a person who may be controversial yet he is perhaps Nigeria’s most able and versatile politician, strategist and policy maker. For perhaps the most gifted politician of his time not to seek national office is a luxury a nation in this dire circumstance can ill afford.

“In the end, governance has little to do with religion, region or rumour. It has to do with vision and competence wrong knives will never be able to cut that truth.”

Tinubu reportedly piled pressure on both Buhari and the APC leadership to make him the running mate but his Muslim background robbed him of that opportunity as the party has taken a decision against a Muslim/Muslim ticket.

Osinbajo garners support

Osinbajo continues to garner encomiums from chieftains of the party for his emergence as Buhari’s running mate.

Former Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki, said in a statement that Osinbajo is “a committed Pastor of unquestionable integrity from the South West” which “attests to the commitment of the APC to fairness and equality.”

He commended Tinubu for his “sacrifice and contribution” to the development of the APC and democracy in Nigeria.

“Historically, the South West is known not to pay attention to religion but competence when picking candidates for positions, but due to Tinubu’s belief in the Nigerian project which he sees as bigger than any individual interest, he made it clear that we cannot ignore the current happenings around the country that require that as a party, we must take extra caution and be sensitive to every ethnicity and religion by picking a Christian candidate.”

Saraki explained that despite the reports in some newspapers, “some of us privy to the happenings behind closed doors attest to the leadership role of … Tinubu which led to the emergence of Osinbajo, an erudite scholar and a dogged advocate of the people.”

He also commended other APC leaders, among them former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; Governors Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Rochas Okorocha (Imo) for pledging their support for Buhari on December 11 after the primaries.

He said this was “contrary to speculations by naysayers that the APC would implode either after the primary or in the course of the nomination of its vice presidential candidate.

“The APC has once again demonstrated that national interests are paramount in the guiding principle of the party, as opposed to personal ambition.”

In his view, this process has once again demonstrated to Nigerians the preparedness of the APC to run an efficient and transparent government putting to shame those who said the party comprised people with personal ambitions.

Buhari’s gratitude for encouragement

Presenting Osinbajo to the media, Buhari expressed his thanks to “all Nigerians and friends of Nigeria who have continued to send messages of goodwill and congratulations to me and the party” since his election as presidential candidate.

He said “the huge outpouring of support and acceptance has been a great encouragement” to me and hardened my resolve to lead the process of rebuilding a New Nigeria and securing our future.”