Reports reaching NewsClickNg indicate that some presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress, APC are set to step down and declare support for the candidacy of former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the race for 2023 presidential election is gathering momentum hots up.
Though, the development is coming after the party adopted the consensus method, a chieftain in APC disclosed to NewsClick under the condition of anonymity that some of the candidates who are on the verge of stepping down to back Tinubu were sponsored by the national leader of the party (Tinubu) in anticipation of the crisis presently troubling the party.
Among the names listed by the aforesaid source include, Senator Godswil Akpabio; Sen. Rocha Okorocha; Com. Adams Oshiomole; Prof. Ben Ayade; Emeka Nwajiuba; Sen. Ken Nnamani; Ahmed Sani Yerima; Ajayi Borriface and Mrs Uji Ohnenye.
Recall the number of presidential aspirants bidding for the party’s ticket has almost reached 30, despite the presidential form being pegged at N100m.
Meanwhile, the Campaign Director General of APC frontline presidential aspirant, Ahmed Tinubu, Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin, has announced plans to dump APC.
Jubril who made the notification public via his Twitter handle said he would be announcing his new party in the next 24 hours
He tweeted, “I have done my best for APC. Its time to move on. I will announce my new political party within the next 24 hours insha Allah. I will make a formal statement in due course. Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin.”
So far, 12 aspirants have purchased the presidential form. They are Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, APC stalwart, Bola Tinubu, the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajuiba, Lagos pastor, Tunde Bakare, Governor Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa State, his Ebonyi State counterpart, Dave Umahi, and Senator Rochas Okorocha, Governor Yahaya Bello; the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Ms Unu Onaneye, the only female and Nicholas Felix.
Others include Governor Ben Ayade, Ex-Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Governor Kayode Fayemi, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, former Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Senator Orji Kalu, ex-Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, and Senate President Ken Nnamani.
Mr Yakubu Mohammed; Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim; Tien Jack-Rich; Tech Entrepreneur, Adamu Garba; Rev. Moses Ayom; Dr Ibrahim Bello-Dauda; and Ibinabo Dokubo are also expected to pick forms.
However, aspirants and their campaign groups, who had got wind of the planned adoption of the consensus method, in separate interviews with The PUNCH, were divided over the plan with some of them warning that it could lead the party into a major crisis.
While campaign groups of the APC National leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, warned against imposing the method, organisations campaigning for the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, said their principal would emerge the consensus candidate.
