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There appears to be no end in sight to the intrigues
heralding the presidential primary of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) slated for December, as the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu
Tambuwal, who recently joined the party, has
jettisoned his governorship bid and picked up
presidential nomination and expression of interest
forms.
By this development, however, Tambuwal may have
complicated the race for the likes of former military
Head of State, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari
(rtd), former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Kano
State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and the Publisher
of Leadership Newspapers, Sam Nda-Isaiah.
Tambuwal, who on Monday picked up his forms,
was believed to have been motivated by the growing
clamour within the power blocs in the APC for a
game changer who could be presented to the
Nigerian people, signalling a departure from the
veterans and early starters in the presidential race.
Before this development, the duo of Buhari and Atiku
had remained the frontrunners in the presidential
race, while Kwankwaso and Nda-Isaiah were
deemed the dark horses.
But with Tambuwal throwing his hat into the ring,
the niggling issue of who would end up with the
presidential ticket of the APC may have changed
significantly.
Tambuwal, party sources informed THISDAY, should
not be dismissed as a lightweight as the likes of
former Lagos State Governor and a National Leader
of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu, may be
favourably disposed to his emergence.
Although Buhari is still the frontrunner in the race
despite Tambuwal’s entry, his major undoing
however remains his alleged religious extremism, even
though this is a misconception that has gained
currency over time.
Owing to the perception of his alleged religious
disposition, the Buhari candidacy could pose a
serious challenge that might affect the chances of the
main opposition party at the general election, hence
the new thinking in the party that a presidential
candidate other than Buhari be fielded.
This notwithstanding, Buhari is believed to still
boast of unalloyed support within the APC
hierarchy, especially amongst the governors. Some of
those believed to be pushing for his candidacy
include Governors Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State
and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State as well as
former Kwara State Governor, Senator Bukola Saraki,
among others believed to be funding his campaign.
Atiku, unlike Buhari, does not seem to have as much
support among the governors but might be banking
on his personal resources should a primary where
delegates are allowed to vote take place as opposed to
a consensus arrangement which is Buhari’s
preference.
Whilst he does not carry the kind of religious
baggage that seems the lot of Buhari, his candidacy
does not also seem to catch the fancy of the top
players in the APC hierarchy.
Kwankwaso, on the other hand, is unmistakably the
candidate of former President Olusegun Obasanjo,
who is believed to share in the sentiments of the
opposition party, even though he remains a nominal
member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Kwankwaso’s support base in the APC is generally
considered weak as far as the presidential primary is
concerned, even though he is believed to command a
cult-like following in his Kano State and possibly
one or two governors on his side.
Coming down to Nda-Isaiah, he is no doubt a lone-
ranger, itching to cash in on the religious tag that
the party has battled lately.
According to observers, Nda-Isaiah is of the view that
for the APC to upturn the religious tag that has been
levelled against it, it would need a Christian
candidate like him to face President Goodluck
Jonathan in the 2015 general election.
It is against this backdrop that the Tambuwal
option is being mooted by a few of the leaders in the
APC. But for the Tambuwal candidacy to fly, it
would have to be sold and accepted by a few of the
camps within the APC, some of which are insisting
that a governor must be on the ticket, either as the
presidential candidate or as running mate.
But already, there are strong indications that if
Tambuwal secures the push, it could get the backing
of Tinubu and even Buhari, both of whom may not
mind the change in the larger interest of the party.
In fact, Tambuwal, sources said, met with Buhari
last Friday to compare notes before picking the form
on Monday.
Tambuwal, who is billed to submit his form today or
before the end of the week, is also said to have met
with other presidential candidates, meetings which
afforded him the opportunity to intimate them on
his intention and the need to work together as one
family in the nation’s interest.
Sources believe it was as a result of this emerging
scenario that the party could not fix a specific date
for its congresses where delegates will emerge.
From My Knowledge. There Can Never Be Two Captains In A Ship, APC Needs To Bring Out One Strong Contender, If They Truly Want To Win
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