.How Ahmed Bola Tinubu Won Party’s Ticket
It was indeed drama of a sort as the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC ended its national convention in Abuja to chose a flagbearer for the 2023 presidential election.
In agreement with earlier expectations, the two-day event that attracted the curiosity of Nigerians irrespective of party platform, saw the national leader, Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu emerge the candidate.
Aspirants from Imo State, including the state governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma who principally backed Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan for the job had a very dismal outing after voting.
Uzodinma who led the delegation that bought and submitted form for Lawan didn’t hide his preference for the Yobe born politician that has been a lawmaker since the nascent democracy deputed. Irrespective of the interest of the two aspirants from Imo State; former governor Rochas Okorocha and ex minister, Emeka Nwajiuba as well other South East contenders in the race Governor Dave Umahi, and former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, Uzodinma backed Lawan.
The bargain of the Imo State governor to have Lawan as APC ticket bearer would have pulled through when the National Chairman of the party Alhaji Abdulahi Adamu before the convention and to the disbelief of others announced the Senate President as consensus candidate of the party.
Trumpeta learnt that the position of the party chairman caused ruckus within the party as a select group of the governors rejected the pronouncement. At the end, the contest was thrown open which saw Tinubu of Lagos State emerge winner.
Trumpeta recalls that this is not the first time the Imo State governor is failing in his political pursuit outside the state since he became governor.
In 2020 he came into office, his sojourn to Edo State as campaign head of the party’s governorship candidate was disastrous while that of Anambra last year was marked with failure. It is believed that the votes garnered by Lawan were made up of principally, delegates from Imo State, Uzodinma was said to have package for his candidate. Uzodinma’s candidate came a distant fought position on the table of scores.
After a good speech during the few minutes allowed for manifesto, record available showed that former Imo State governor garnered no votes.
Okorocha who also ran for the position in 2015 won by Buhari had had troubling times before the primaries. Apart from arrest and subsequent prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC days to the primaries, he was ruled out by the party before names were shortlisted as favourites.
Despite usage of Hausa and Igbo languages to rap delegates for favour during the manifesto, he had no single vote which has killed his 2023 dream of becoming President.
More surprising in the whole scene was the absence of Chief Emeka Nwajiuba. When President Muhammadu Buhari asked appointees interested in elective positions to resign, the immediate past education minister (State) was the first to throw in the towel. Even as those the party didn’t favour to pick the ticket were present to address the delegates and Nigerians what they have in stock to offer during the manifesto, Nwajiuba was nowhere to be found near the venue of the convention. The politician from Ehime Mbano part of Imo State was the only one who failed to address the audience.
In the final scores, Tinubu scored 1279 votes followed by Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State who pulled 316 votes. Vice President Osibanjo had 216 votes whereas Lawan and governor of Kogi Yahaya Bello garnered 152 and 47 respectively.
