APC primary: Tinubu, Osinbajo adamant as southwest elders intensify consensus effort

The moves by the southwest elders to come up with a consensus presidential aspirant for the region seem to have hit the rock as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are said to be adamant, Daily Trust reports.

Telescope.ng reports that political leaders from the southwest geopolitical zone on Sunday, June 5, continued with their moves to present a common front ahead of the presidential primary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) slated for Tuesday, June 7.

Promoters of the consensus move in the southwest including former APC chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, and former Ogun state governor, Olusegun Osoba, had met with the aspirants at the residence of Chief Osoba.

The meeting, which was attended by the aspirants from the southwest, governors and elders of the region ended without them reaching a consensus.

The duo of Akande and Osoba had last month met with the aspirants in Lagos, where it was agreed that they should conduct their electioneering campaigns devoid of hostility, free of rancour and in an amicable manner.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Saturday, June 4, urged presidential aspirants of the APC to consult, build consensus and come up with a formidable candidate ahead of the party’s presidential primary. The directive of the president came around the same time when northern governors asked him to source for his successor from the southern part of the country.

The president’s consultations continued on Sunday, June 5, with the National Advisory Council of the party.

The meeting, held at the State House, Abuja, was attended by Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Akande, his successor, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, and some governors including those of Borno, Babagana Zulum; Plateau, Simon Lalong; Zamfara, Bello Matawalle and David Umahi of Ebonyi State.

The newspaper, however, said that while the meeting was ongoing on Sunday, the duo of Osinbajo and Tinubu were not ready to shift grounds as they have continued to intensify their consultations and engagements with delegates.

The aspirants from the southwest region include Osinbajo, Tinubu, former speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, Ekiti state governor, Kayode Fayemi, former Ogun state governor, Ibikunle Amosun, Senator Robert Ajayi Boroffice and Pastor Tunde Bakare.

Sources said while some of the aspirants were ready to shift grounds, Osinbajo and Asiwaju are not.

“We expect both Asiwaju and VP to slug it out as efforts to persuade one of them to step down have not yielded results as of now,” a source who does not want to be named, hinted.

The duo of Akande and Osoba, who have been making efforts to arrive at a consensus among aspirants from the southwest, have rejected several efforts to comment on the move.

The director of media and communications, Tinubu Campaign Organisation, Bayo Onanuga, said the party is looking forward to a free and fair contest at the convention.

“We are going into the convention for a free and fair contest. Everybody is looking out for a delegates’ election,” he said.