APC Govs line up after screening panel ranks him best among 23 aspirants
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
“There were [other Governors] who also insisted that [Osinbajo] was the most popular candidate based on the feedback that the Governors got from delegates in their states and they were almost certain and very confident he would defeat candidates from other parties including Atiku,” a source with knowledge of APC Governors’ meetings said.
Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday night met with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Advisory Council (NAC) in the Villa in Abuja and reiterated the need for a consensus presidential candidate for the party to retain power in 2023.
He first mooted the idea at his meeting with the 22 APC Governors on 31 May, repeated it at his meeting with the party’s 23 presidential aspirants on 4 June, and is expected to reinforce the message at his meeting with the Governors later today.
APC Governors are lining up behind Yemi Osinbajo to pick the ticket on Tuesday and to become the main man in the Villa on 29 May 2023 after he would have served loyally as Deputy to the President for eight years.
The convention begins today but the primary is tomorrow. Election will hold from 6pm to 9pm, the counting of votes from 9pm to 10pm, and the candidate will deliver his acceptance speech from 10pm to 10.15pm, according to the programme of events.
The rally for Osinbajo at the weekend began after news broke that the APC Presidential Screening Committee chaired by John Odigie-Oyegun scored him highest among the 23 aspirants.
An anonymous source with knowledge of the inner workings of both Aso Rock and the APC National Working Committee (NWC) chaired by Abdullahi Adamu said the aspirants were scored on the criteria devised by the screening panel.
The panel’s report, which was submitted to Adamu on Friday, was deliberated upon at the meeting Buhari held with the NWC members and the aspirants on Saturday.
Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha and National Security Adviser (NSA) Babangida Monguno were also at the meeting
It was learnt that the main objective of the meeting was to encourage the aspirants to support Osinbajo, being the best of those screened.
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Support grows for Osinbajo
Coalition for Osinbajo soared at the weekend as APC Governors began rallying around him because they say he alone fits Buhari’s description of his preferred successor.
Several APC Governors were sighted in the Villa meeting with Osinbajo and Presidential Chief of Staff Ibrahim Gambari in what sources said may result in a consensus candidate.
Governors sighted in the Villa between Wednesday and Friday included those of Kano, Ogun, Ekiti, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Ebonyi, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), per ThisDay.
A clear majority of the 22 APC Governors under the banner of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) have agreed on Osinbajo.
The move is boosted by more Northern Governors, including those of Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Nasarawa, and Gombe, opposing a Northern APC presidential candidate.
The Governors held a series of meetings at Kebbi Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, on 31 May after the parley with Buhari in Aso Rock.
The Governors’ meetings were initially deadlocked on who to support as a presidential candidate. But after reconvening, they agreed the Presidency should be zoned to the South, with Osinbajo as APC candidate.
The heroes of power shift
“The heroes of this whole thing are the Governors of Borno, Nasarawa, and Gombe who even though are from the North argued that the Vice President from the South [Osinbajo] fits the bill perfectly,” a source with knowledge of the meetings said.
“Kaduna and Borno Governors were also of the same view but the Kaduna Governor has not been seen in the Villa this week.
“He was represented by his Deputy at the meeting with the President on Tuesday.
“Some Governors had first insisted that the party’s Presidency should be zoned to the North because the main opposition party had settled for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar at its convention.
“It was a very heated argument between the Governors.
“Some Governors wanted a Northern candidate to challenge the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate but some other Northern Governors kicked against it. They said that the it is morally right for power to return to the South.
“The Governors represented different interests at the meeting and were all pushing for their candidate but there were more Governors who were loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari and who wanted to reciprocate the President’s gesture.
“There were others who also insisted that Mr VP was the most popular candidate based on the feedback that the Governors got from delegates in their states and they were almost certain and very confident he would defeat candidates from other parties including Atiku.”
A Governor’s aide who attended the meeting disclosed that “it was indeed a difficult call as some Governors were asked to reach out to their candidates to relate the choice of the Governors and to also tell them to step down their ambition so that the party can present a united front at the convention.”
Buhari had stressed to APC Governors that meeting on 31 May that “in keeping with the established internal policies of the party and as we approach the convention in a few days, therefore, I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor ….”