The emergence of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has unsettled the camp of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, IDOMA VOICE can report.
This has also thrown the camps of Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, off balance.
IDOMA VOICE recalls that Atiku won the PDP presidential primary by 371 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, who polled 237 votes, while a former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, scored 70 votes.
Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State got 38 votes; Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, scored 20 votes; a former Senate President, Pius Anyim, got 14 votes, while a former President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Sam Ohuabunwa, polled only one vote.
With the emergence of 75-year-old Atiku, a native of Adamawa, northeast Nigeria, the ruling party is said to be confused on where to pick its candidate from.
Sources said the party had wanted to pick someone from the south as its standard bearer, but with the emergence of Atiku, the party seems to have had a rethink and might settle for a northerner.
The party is said to be shopping for who would stand Atiku at the polls.
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Senate President, Ahmad Lawan is said to be having the support of the leadership of the party at the moment.
This followed the refusal of former President, Goodluck Jonathan to join the ruling APC.
Thus, the party is in a serious dilemma over who to settle for as its candidate.
While some people are of the opinion that Tinubu should be given the ticket, many think that it would be a walkover for Atiku in 2023 as many Nigerians, especially northerners would not vote for him.
Villa cabals are said to be backing Lawan, but some party leaders believe he’s not a match for Atiku in the north.
The APC, an insider said, may have shifted its primaries to watch who the PDP would field.
“The party had wanted to field Osinbajo or Amaechi if PDP had settled for Wike, but with the emergence of Atiku, the ruling party is in serious confusion on who to field.
“There have been secret meetings urging Tinubu to step down for Osinabjo but all efforts met brick walls as the Asiwaju of Lagos seems not to be ready to back down,” the source claimed.
The fear of losing him and his southwest supporters is also the reason the APC is avoiding.
The party doesn’t want to make any mistake that would cost it the seat of power in 2023.
Meanwhile, out of the underlisted candidates, one of them will fly the flag of the APC in 2023.
1. Chukwuemeja Uwaezuoke Nwajiuba
2. Badaru Abubakar
3. Robert A. Boroffice
4. Uju Ken-Ohanenye
5. Nicholas Felix
6. Nweze David Umahi
7. Ken Nnamani
8. Gbolahan B. Bakare
9. Ibikunle Amosun
10. Ahmed B. Tinubu
11. Ahmad Rufai Sani
12. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi
13. Oladimeji Sabon Bankole
14. John Kayode Fayemi
15. Godswill Obot Akpabio
16. Yemi Osinbajo
17. Rochas Anayo Okorocha
18. Yahaya Bello
19. Tein Jack-Rich
20. Christopher Onu
21. Ahmad Lawan
22. Ben Ayade
23. Ikeobasi Mokelu