Former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, took a major step toward his ambition of becoming Nigeria’s President by winning the All Progressives Congress’ presidential primary at a special convention held in Eagle Square, Abuja.
He won the election by a landslide after beating the likes of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
“This is to certify that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, having scored the highest number of votes cast, is hereby declared the winner,” said Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State who returned Tinubu as the elected candidate.
“In line with the provisions of the constitution of our great party and by the power conferred on me as the Returning Officer of this special convention, I, Atiku Bagudu, do hereby declare Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the presidential candidate of our party in the 2023 presidential election.”
Tinubu polled a total of 1,271 votes – more than four times the votes scored by his closet rival, Amaechi who had 316 votes.
Osinbajo, Lawan, and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State came behind the duo with 235, 152, and 47 votes respectively.
More than 2,300 delegates voted in the contest that produced Tinubu as the presidential flagbearer of the ruling party.
He is now scheduled to face the Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar and others in the February 25 presidential ballot.
Flurry Of Endorsements
After weeks of political drama and intrigues during which the party held several meetings and tried but failed to get a consensus candidate, things started to swing Tinubu’s way when aspirants were called to address delegates before voting began.
Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, was the first aspirant to step up. Rather than solicit votes for himself, he endorsed Tinubu and appealed to delegates to vote for the APC chieftain.
Senator Ibikunle Amosun and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, followed in Akpabio’s lead.
Two other aspirants — Senator Ajayi Boroffice and Dimeji Bankole — also signalled their support for Tinubu.
Another major endorsement for Tinubu came from Jigawa State Governor, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
The only female in the contest, Uju Ken-Ohanenye, also endorsed the APC chieftain.
The only other endorsement from an aspirant came from Nicholas Felix to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Although 23 aspirants were billed to participate in the primary, nine of them – including the seven aspirants who endorsed Tinubu and Felix who stepped down for Osinbajo – pulled out of the contest.
The ninth aspirant who announced his withdrawal was former Senate President Ken Nnamani who decried the failure of the party to zone its ticket to the South East.
Thereafter, 14 aspirants went into the contest as voting commenced in earnest. They include Tinubu, Osinbajo, Amaechi, Lawan, Umahi, and Rochas Okorocha.
Others are Yahaya Bello, Tein Jack-Rich, Emeka Nwajiuba, Ben Ayade, Ikeobasi Mokelu, Ogbonnaya Onu, Tunde Bakare, and Sani Yerima.
