The All Progressives Congress, APC, will undoubtedly miss the dexterity of former minister Chibuike Amaechi now that the presidential campaign has begun for the general election of 2023.
Since the party’s presidential primary election, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, its presidential candidate, and some of its top leaders have not been on speaking terms.
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Since the primary election, party leaders like Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and former Governor of Rivers State Amaechi have withdrawn from party activities.
In both the 2015 and 2019 elections, Amaechi served as the Director-General of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Campaign. In the two subsequent elections, he performed well.
That is not the case, though, as the party gets ready for the elections in 2023.
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Amaechi has not accepted or rejected Osinbajo’s appointment to the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, despite his glaring absence from the group.
According to Ejes Gist News, Tinubu received 1,271 votes, beating his closest competitors Amaechi (316 votes) and Osinbajo, after weeks of intrigues and uncertainty (235 votes).
After public endorsements of Amaechi from individuals like Simon Lalong of Plateau State, Nasir Elrufai of Kaduna, and Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State, Tinubu was able to win over the northern governors.
The Northern APC governors broke ranks and sided with Tinubu after Atiku Abubakar was chosen as the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate. They thought Amaechi’s chances of defeating Atiku were extremely slim.
After publicly endorsing Amaechi, Badaru led the group of presidential contenders who resigned and urged their supporters to back Tinubu.
And after the presidential primary elections, Tinubu insisted there was a gang up against him and that he fought to win the ticket.
According to a source close to the Tinubu presidential campaign council, the former Lagos helmsman has not yet forgave all of his rivals during the primary election, especially Amaechi and Osinbajo.
He claimed that Tinubu had made it abundantly clear that it was his turn to succeed Buhari as president. He exerted every effort to bring the APC to power, so it disappointed him that people like Osinbajo continued to challenge him. According to reports, the APC national leader was extremely disappointed that Osinbajo did not resign alongside the roughly 8 other candidates who did so that evening.
According to the insider, Osinbajo considers Tinubu’s rise to be a sign of backwardness. Although the vice president is aware that his former boss has suggestions for improving the nation, he claimed that his advanced age and failing health would be a major setback for Nigeria and that the vice president would never pretend to support him.
Our source claims that “most people take it as a joke when Tinubu says that becoming president of Nigeria was one of his childhood dreams. He spent his entire life working and dreaming of achieving this. It would have been simpler for him now if he hadn’t chosen this Muslim-Muslim ticket for vice president in 2015, but he gave that up and nominated one of his sons, Osinbajo, instead.
“The truth is that Tinubu didn’t anticipate any of the aspirants to compete against him in the primary when the Northern Governors agreed that it was Tinubu’s turn after weeks of intense campaigning. But as Osinbajo and Amaechi’s relationship dragged on, things were not the same. Amaechi was not added to his campaign team by him. As opposed to Amaechi, Tinubu was more concerned with winning over Governor Nyesom Wike. One person who does not support Tinubu and feels betrayed by the primary result is Amaechi. A few weeks after the primary, Amaechi made a statement that Tinubu’s camp found offensive. It would be a waste of time for anyone to count on the former minister to support Tinubu’s election. Amaechi doesn’t speak or act like the governor, so it’s almost like Wike and Atiku. Also take note that Osinbajo’s absence from the presidential campaign council is not an accident. In actuality, he ought to be one of the campaign’s leaders.
“Before I go, let me say this: Can’t Nigerians just respect when someone says they’re fine? For the love of Christ, it’s his health, and you are the best person to judge your own health. I have no doubt that, with or without their support, our presidential candidate will prevail in the 2023 presidential election on behalf of our wonderful party. Although he has the necessary structures in place, it would actually be simpler for us if they helped.
However, Tinubu insisted he has nothing against Osinbajo while speaking to a group in Kano that supported Osinbajo’s presidential campaign, declaring, “I have nothing against him. I visited his home following the primaries.
“I ran into him at the president’s retreat on the day of the goodwill message. How are you approaching Allah if you are unable to extend forgiveness? For me, it is finished.
