TheCable

Between June 7 and 8, ad hoc delegates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) exercised their franchise in electing a standard-bearer for the party in the 2023 presidential election.

A total of 2,229 delegates from across the country converged on the Eagle Square in the federal capital territory (FCT) to take part in the process that many have described as “historic”.

However, 93 delegates from Akwa Ibom did not participate in the presidential primary election because of a court order; so only 2,229 participated.

Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos, defeated Rotimi Ameachi, former minister of transportation; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Senate President Ahmad Lawan to become the APC standard-bearer.

IT’S OFFICIAL: Tinubu defeats Osinbajo, Amaechi, Lawan to win APC presidential primary#TheCableIndex#BAT2023 pic.twitter.com/AoyBtIk7DO

— TheCableIndex (@thecableindex) June 8, 2022

Tinubu will be up against Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, and Peter Obi, Labour Party standard-bearer.

Here are six takeaways from the ruling party’s special convention.

‘TINUBU BOYS ARE STILL LOYAL’

During the convention in the early hours of Wednesday, Ibikunle Amosun, serving senator, and Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti governor, withdrew from the contest for Tinubu.

The development came as a shock to many because both men who are said to be at loggerheads with Tinubu, conceded to him before the contest began.

The decision of both men have sent political watchers speculating on whether they are trying to patch things up with Tinubu.

ADAMU IS APC CHAIRMAN — BUT ‘WITHOUT POWER’

On the eve of the special convention, Abdullahi Adamu, APC national chairman, announced that Lawan was the consensus presidential candidate.

This caused some ripples among the ranks of the party, and some members of the national working committee (NWC) distanced themselves from Adamu, describing the chairman’s choice as an “opinion”.

The NWC members took sides with governors in the party who agreed that power should go from the north to the south.

But Lawan, Adamu’s preferred candidate, finished fourth after securing 152 votes.

It is believed that Lawan failed to clinch the ticket because Adamu does not have an hold on the APC governors and the NWC.

AMAECHI’S DEFIANCE

Amaechi’s decision to follow through with his presidential bid and contend for the ticket have been praised by many.

The former transportation minister came second after polling 316 votes in the presidential primary election.

Amaechi told the delegates on Wednesday morning to judge him by his work.

“Judge me by my work. Today there is railway from Lagos to Ibadan. Today work is ongoing from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri,” he had told the party’s electoral college.

OSINBAJO OVERPLAYED HIS HAND?

Going into the convention, the vice-president appeared confident that he will become the party’s standard-bearer.

While visiting APC delegates across the country, Osinbajo said his experience as vice-president and acting president had prepared him for the highest office in the land.

“As you know, I also acted as president during a certain period when the president was away on medical vacation,” he had said on one of those visits to delegates.

“Everything that I learned as vice-president and acting president has prepared me to run and function as president of our country.”

But the vice-president failed in his bid. He came a distant third after polling 235 votes.

BUHARI’S NON-INTERFERENCE

President Muhammadu Buhari appeared not to be concerned about presidential primary election of the APC. He had said he is not interested in who succeeds him.

But the president got a bit involved after the opposition party picked Atiku as its presidential candidate.

On May 31, less than a week to the primary election, Buhari said the APC must focus on the “changing dynamics of our environment” when choosing its presidential candidate.

Afterwards, Adamu announced Lawan as consensus candidate.

But Buhari said there would not be any imposition of presidential candidate on the APC.

APC GOVERNORS’ ROLE

Without the insistence of APC governors that power should go to the south, Tinubu might not have been elected as the party’s standard-bearer.

While Adamu was pushing for Lawan as the consensus candidate, the APC governors worked to get delegates in their states in line for Tinubu.

Without a doubt, the race to Aso Rock will be long and hard.