APC’s PresidentialTicket and the Early Risers

Some persons in the All Progressives Congress are poised to make an early call before the expected time to present themselves for the party’s presidential ticket, writes Chuks Okocha

The race for the presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has started in earnest and it promises to be hotly contested as more aspirants continue to show interest in the party’s presidential flag.

While some of the aspirants have made known their intents, there are those who are still working through proxies, pending when they will be bold enough to own their campaign.

Those who have indicated interest in the race are Benue-born realtor and business mogul, Moses Chia Ayom who was recently endorsed by the Tiv Traditional Council headed by the Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse; as well as a coalition of South-east and Northern traditional rulers and clerics.

Others are a national leader of the party, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu who recently declared his ambition having met with President Muhammadu Buhari; Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, Governors Yahaya Bello and Dave Umahi of Kogi and Ebonyi states and a youth entrepreneur, Ikechukwu Dallas Chima.

While some youth groups are subtly advocating for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Transportation Minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, it does appear that more contestant will spring up in the days to come.
Here are some of the eminent persons who desire to lead the APC in the 2023 presidential race:

Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu

The former Lagos State Governor is one of the national leaders of the ruling party.

Since the advent of democracy in 1999, he has consistently held the opposition together up until 2015 when, working with like-minded people, his party, the APC swept the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) out of office.

Many of his supporters say Lagos is progressing tremendously today because of the viable economic blueprint of Tinubu and that he could replicate same at the centre given the opportunity.

They also speak highly of how he has groomed a lot of high fliers in the nation’s political scene, even though there are arguments that those people were already doing well in their various endeavours before Tinubu sought them out to help execute his vision.

His supporters like Senator Kashim Shettima believe that 2023 is payback time for Tinubu, having been very instrumental to the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

However, many Nigerians continue to question his health status which they feel may not permit him to undertake the rigours of office.

His opponents also challenge his origin, saying he is from Osun state and not Lagos while a recent article by communication scholar, Prof. Farook Kperogi attempted to trace his origin to Borno state.

In the lead up to the 2019 general election, pictures emerged of bullion vans in his Lagos residence, with many questioning his source of wealth and whether he was not involved in vote buying. But his associates say those were security vehicles and not bullion vans, that the pictures were manipulated by opposition elements to discredit the former Lagos Governor.

For Tinubu, those who love him do so with great passion and those who hate his political sagacity do so with commensurate measure.

Moses Chia Ayom

A recent article in one of the national dailies referred to him as the man with deep pockets.

His peers call him Bill Gates while his kinsmen in the Tiv Traditional Council in Benue State recently conferred on him a chieftaincy title , an occasion that witnessed Tor Jemgbah, Chief Afatyo nickname him the “Dangote of Middlebelt.”

He recently concluded a big business venture by partnering with the Federal Housing Authority FHA to build Africa’s first green smart city in Abuja, which spans over 308 hectares of land under the banner of FHA/Ketti Investments Development Company, FKIDC.

The CEO of the company, Ayom, recently corresponded with Elon Musk of Tesla Companies for a partnership to turn Ketti into a world tourist climate city centre in the mould of Dubai.

He also represented Granite and Marble while on the delegation to China in company of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote where the Federal Government signed a $6 billion currency swap while Dangote signed $2.6 billion mining deal. Granite and Marble signed with SBM China, the largest manufacturer of mining equipment in the world. All these were made possible by the integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari who led the delegation on that trip.

President Buhari also recently lifted a ban on land swap of which the FKIDC is a huge beneficiary.

These among other private initiatives are what Ayom said he would use to take Nigeria up like a rocket “because as a businessman, I know where to start”.

“As president, I will use Innoson vehicles for the Presidential fleet and get all MDAs to follow suit.

“As president, I will wear Nigerian brands and ensure that all the defence, security and paramilitary uniforms as well as school uniforms come from Aba and other parts of Nigeria where we have garment factories. That will be a great patronage to finance our companies. We will hold developmental workshops and not workshops just for the sake of collecting estacodes,” he stated.

His supporters say he could use his international contacts to negotiate debt relief for the country.

They say at 53 and in spite of his billions, he drives himself across Nigerian roads even in recent times.

“I still go to normal hospitals and join the queue like others. I don’t use standby generators even though I have the means. I don’t dig boreholes even though I have the means. It is not that I am stingy, it is that I want to continue to feel the pulse of the average Nigerian because it is very easy for people to forget where they are coming from,” he told our correspondent.

Though he has a proficient understanding of European and Asian economics, as a shrewd businessman, he does not thrust his two feet into the ocean. For him, money may not be a challenge, but there are not too many businessmen who are willing to spend their hard earned resources on politics.

Governor Yahaya Bello

The Kogi state Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello was one of the first to indicate where he would put his political feet in 2023.

Without a formal declaration of intent, his deputy and other foot soldiers were in the field canvassing support for him.

Members of the Kogi House of State Assembly have been meeting their colleagues in different states to seek endorsement for Bello.

While Bello has to some extent tackled insecurity in the state, especially on the Abuja-Lokoja-Okene-Auchi road, the non-payment of salary especially at the local government level remains his Achilles’s Heel. Many believe that since the local government bosses are his “boys”, he could easily compel them to pay local government staff including primary school teachers and pensioners. Most of these category of civil servants are said to be receiving only about 35 percent of their entitlements. Local government staff who retired more than 10 years ago have also not been paid their gratuity.

Consequently, many Nigerians are wary of what his presidency would portend for workers.

His recent altercation with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC) has also not helped his image. The last may not have been heard on that matter.

Governor Dave Umahi

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State is still seen as a new entrant into the APC having joined the party only last year.

Although, APC says it does not discriminate against anyone on the basis of when they joined the party to the extent that they have met the minimum requirements, some stakeholders feel the Ebonyi Governor should wait and allow those who have “suffered” with the party right from when it was an opposition party to try their luck.

Umahi, in spite of reports of being high handed even against some journalists in the state, is reputed to have performed well, endowing the state with never-seen-before infrastructure.

His supporters say ithat given the chance, he has the capacity to turn the entire country into a huge construction site.

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu

The Senate Chief Whip recently announced his intent on his official Facebook page.

Though he said he was still consulting with the people, the former Abia State Governor said he would be meeting President Buhari in the days ahead in order to intimate him of his ambition.

Kalu is also an experienced businessman whose ventures are doing well.

Probably because he is still consulting, he hasn’t made so much noise about his ambition.

Ikechukwu Chima

Ikechukwu Dallas Chima is a young entrepreneur who is not so much known within the APC.

Last year, he declared his intent to vie for the presidency with very ambitious programmes such as making the Naira more valuable than the Dollar and cutting off Aso Rock from any special power line.

He has a lot of networking to do and a lot of learning to embark on to enabpe him properly navigate Nigeria’s political terrain.

Rotimi Amaechi

Transportation Minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has not officially made his ambition known.

However, his close allies say his ambition is dependent on the disposition of President Buhari – that if the president asks him to contest, he would and if the president declines support for his aspiration, he would also back down.

He is set to receive a chieftaincy title in the next few days from the Daura Emirate where the president hails from. Analysts believe that the kind of interest generated by the event is not unconnected to 2023 presidential permutations.

Governor Kayode Fayemi

Governor. Kayode Fayemi is the Chairman of the influential Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).

Fayemi has not also openly declared his ambition, but there are indications that he could have his eyes set on the Villa.

If he eventually declares, he would among others, have his erstwhile political godfather, Tinubu to contend with.

Prof. Yemi Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is said to be a highly cerebral politician.

At least three groups have emerged on the political scene to canvass for an Osinbajo Presidency in 2023. However, the Vice President who is seen as an ally of Tinubu has not declared his intent to run for the most exalted office in the land.

If and when he eventually declares, his greatest challenger could be his godfather, Tinubu.

Senator Rochas Okorocha

He is a former governor of Imo State and currently a Senator. He contested for the presidential ticket of APC in 2015. He recently declared for the presidential ticket when he wrote the leadership of Senate.

He has a running battle with his successor in Imo state.it is not certain whether his governor, Hope Uzodimma will support his ambition as the APC governors remain a powerful bloc within the party. They are determined to call the shots

Gbenga Olawepo -Hashim

He is from Kwara state in the north central geopolitical zone. His biological link to the natural rulers of Kebbi State may work in his favour. Age is also going for him. He recently adopted the FCT as his constituency. Contesting presidential election is not new to him as he was once a presidential candidate of the Peoples Trust before he defected to the APC. He also has a deep pocket to drive home his ambition. However, one snag is whether the APC will zone the presidential ticket to the zone.

QUOTE

At least three groups have emerged on the political scene to canvass for an Osinbajo Presidency in 2023. However, the Vice President who is seen as an ally of Tinubu has not declared his intent to run for the most exalted office in the land. If and when he eventually declares, his greatest challenger could be his godfather, Tinubu