There are indications that the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu would today meet with the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and all other Presidential aspirants of the party with a view to resolve any and all lingering crisis among them in order to woo them to support his Presidential bid and succeed at the forthcoming Presidential election slated for February 25, 2023.
Osinbajo failed to clinch the presidential ticket of the party in June. His decision to contest had pitted him against Tinubu, generally regarded as his benefactor, causing reported toxic relationship between the pair.
Tinubu in his characteristic manner however visited Osinbajo the following day after being declared winner of the primary election.
Following the successful reconciliation, Osinbajo has been chosen to mobilise the former presidential aspirants at a meeting scheduled for Abuja on August 31.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the media team of APC’s youngest aspirant, Nicolas Felix, said, “The special invitation to the strategic meeting of all 2023 APC presidential aspirants, which will be held at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, on Wednesday, August 31st, 2022 by 2pm is to brainstorm on adopting winning campaign strategies that will carry every Nigerian along and address the challenges bedevilling our country.”
The statement indicated that those expected to be in attendance are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former Science and Technology Minister, Ogbonnaya Onu; former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio.
There would also be five serving governors, namely Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Ben Ayade (Cross River) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti).
Others are Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; former Ogun State governor and serving senator, Ibikunle Amosun; a serving senator, Ajayi Boroffice; former Zamfara governor, Ahmad Sani; former Imo State governor and serving senator, Rochas Okorocha; a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole; fiery cleric, Tunde Bakare; Pastor and Businessman, Dr. Nicolas Felix; former Information Minister, Ikeobasi Mokelu; Businessman, Tein Jack-Rich and the only female among them, Uju Ken-Ohanenye.
Tinubu has continued his mobilisation ahead of the presidential election campaign which begins in September towards the realisation of a dream to be president.
He had previously met with some of the aspirants and few days ago skipped the annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, to meet with Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in his bid to woo the combative governor to the APC in London, the UK.
His camp described the meeting in London as “a necessary and important meeting.”
Although details of the meeting have not emerged, it was gathered that the ongoing schism in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has created an opportunity for both men to work together.
Wike has distanced himself from the PDP since June following his failure to clinch the party’s presidential ticket and Vice Presidential Candidate position of the party.
Tinubu had met Wike alongside Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State; Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, among others.