2023: Osinbajo, Amaechi Banking On Buhari’s Endorsement To Knock Off Tinubu

Two of the leading All Progressives Congress, APC presidential aspirants, Rotimi Amaechi and Yemi Osinbajo are patiently waiting for the endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari to vanquish each other, and then torpedo the momentum of the leading aspirant, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

A report in Daily Trust on Monday deposed that the Tinubu camp which has resigned itself to not getting Buhari’s endorsement has strategically planted itself to win the majority of support in the delegates rich states.

“We have the full support of the key states where most of the delegates are going to come from including Kano, Katsina, Borno, Lagos, Osun, Niger and Kwara states. We are good to go,” a source in the Tinubu camp told the newspaper.

It was however gathered that the main challenge that may weigh down Tinubu’s aspiration is the issue of running mate. 

 “As a Muslim from the South West, it is expected that he would pick his running mate from the Christian community in the North,” another source said.

“But there are calls on him to look for his deputy from the core North and beyond that, he should pick a Muslim. I don’t know if this will work because the advocates of this move are citing the Abiola/Kingibe ticket in the 1990s. However, things have changed now.

“And the implication of the first option is that in the event the PDP picks its flag bearer from the North and the running mate from the South, they would give the APC a run for their money,” he said.

 But a leader of the Osinbajo team said they have secured the backing of five state governors and are therefore unperturbed by the confidence in the Asiwaju camp.

 “More (governors) would fall in when we get the endorsement of the president,” he said.

For Amaechi, sources said he is hopeful most of the people they defected to APC together from the PDP ahead of the 2015 elections would work for him.

Osinbajo, Amaechi Bank On Buhari’s ‘Expected’ Endorsement 

Sources around the Osinbajo and Minister Amaechi said besides their personal effort of reaching out to delegates across the regions, they are also banking on the president’s endorsement to actualise their ambition.

Though the duo has commenced campaigns to woo delegates and other stakeholders of the party, one of the leaders in Amaechi’s campaign team told this paper that they are of the belief that the former Rivers State governor is the president’s candidate.

“Like the case of our national chairman, the president will endorse Amaechi before the primaries. Our presidential candidate will emerge through consensus. The president’s endorsement will be ratified during the primaries,” he told our correspondent.

However, when his attention was drawn to the push by the camp of Tinubu, he said, “If the consensus arrangement fails, then we will slug it out at the primaries’ venue. 

“The delegates are Nigerians and our selling point is our experience. He is young and healthy and this can be attested to by all. He was a lawmaker, governor and now a minister.  This is unlike the aspirant that believes it is his turn to become the president. God is the kingmaker and not him.”

Recalling the president’s statement on how age hinders his performance, the Amaechi’s lead foot soldier said; “Nigerians cannot afford to have an aged person as their leader.”   

Similarly, the promoters of Osinbajo’s aspiration are also waiting for the president’s ‘endorsement.’ Villa sources said the delay in the declaration of the vice president until last week was a result of a lack of clarity in Buhari’s body language on the number two citizen’s ambition.

One of them said the president will soon throw his weight behind the aspiration of Osinbajo, saying the president has been very impressed with his conduct and commitment to his administration.

“Forget the glooming picture that mischief-makers are painting, the president is in support of the VP’s ambition. It is just a matter of time, everyone will fall in,” he said.

With additional reporting from Daily Trust

Send Us A Press Statement Advertise With Us Contact Us

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG