By Princess-Ekwi Ajide, Abuja
Shouts of “stand up for the champion” rented the air at the pronouncement of Ahmed Bola Tinubu as the flag bearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in a keenly contested primary election for presidential aspirants in the party.
It all began with a night likened to a rain of dropouts as aspirants dropped out from the race and dissolved their structure to another.
While 7 dropped out of the race for Tinubu, only one person dropped out for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and all the drop outs quoted the need for power shift to the South as their reasons for stepping down
Tinunu emerged winner after securing 1,271 votes out of the 2,102 total votes cast to beat his closest rival who secured Rotimi Amechi who secured 316 votes, followed by Vice president Yemi Osinbajo who secured 235 votes, 13 votes were voided and the total number of accredited delegates remained at 2,322.
Senate President, Ahmed Lawan got 152 votes. while Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State secured 38 votes and Professor Ben Ayade got 37 votes.
Other contenders like Pastor Bakare, Rochas Okorocha,Jack Rich, Honourable Ogbonaya Onu, Ahmed Rufai Sani, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and Chief Ike Obasi Muokelu, secured less than 5 votes secured votes.
In his acceptance speech, Bola Tinubu, described the victory as a historic one enabled by the delegates and the Nigeria people.
He thanked President Buhari and his Vice Osinbajo for steering the ship aright for the past 7 years and promised that he will turn around the tide to bring back the glory of the party.
According to him, this is the beginning of building a team that will make Nigeria great again
Earlier, President Muhammadu Buhari had urged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to remain united and avoid acrimony, asking them to vote the presidential candidate with the best chances of securing victory in the 2023 general elections.
The President noted the critical task ahead of the Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) remains to continue to forge the unity of purpose among party members and to keep securing best interest of the party abd enjoined them to be fair to all and to create a level playing field for all the presidential aspirants.
President Buhari, told the delegates to follow due process and abide by all extant laws and regulations pertaining to election of the party flag bearer bearing I’m mind that the flag bearer must be knowledgeable, fair-minde nationalist with a very strong belief in the unity of the country and strength of character and purpose to steer the country forward.
He urged the aspirants to keep to maintain the spirit of sportsmanship, avoid acrimony as only one winner will emerge from any contest.
Also speaking, the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who was also an aspirant, urged delegates to be mindful of their actions as their votes means answers to all their prayer for Nigeria.
The National Chairman of APC, Senator Abdulahi Adamu, on his part, said, the fate of the party depends on who emerges as the flag bearer bearer of the party in the primary,
He urged party members to commit the best practices in party politics by being honest and fair in their dealings looking towards the ultimate price, which is the post of the presidency in 2023.
According to the National Chairman, since the emergence of the new leadership of the party in the last few months, he has always harped on the need for unity of the party, as it is only when they are truely united, that they can hold the party and remain at the top
