Few hours to voting at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Primary Election at Eagle Square, Abuja today, Tuesday evening (by 4.00pm), fierce political horse trading and under the table campaigns are still going on among delegates and leaders of the party as uncertainty beclouds who the probable winner would be.
It would be recalled that governors of the party had yesterday rejected a unilateral decision by the National Chairman, Senator Adamu to impose Senate President Ahmad Lawan as consensus presidential candidate on the party.
The move was stoutly resisted by other members of the NWC as well as the state governors, the Tinubu Campaign Organization and several other stakeholders. The president later insisted that he has no preferred candidate.
As part of the political negotiations going on, information reaching us confirmed that the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo had come under subtle pressure yesterday night to step down for his estranged political godfather, Asiwaju Tinubu.
Party sources say some of the aspirants are still likely to withdraw from the race after intense negotiations with stakeholders before the actual commencement of delegates voting on Tuesday night.
There are strong indications in the early hours of today that critical stakeholders of the APC have shortlisted five of the party’s presidential aspirants for consideration by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Governors of the party had on Monday engaged in series of horse-trading, separately holding meetings along their regional composition and also separately meeting the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and then other members of the National Working Committee NWC.
Some of the names said to have been shortlisted for the President’s input, all from the South, are Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Dr Olukayode Fayemi, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
