The All Progressives Congress’ first female presidential aspirant, Uju Ohanenye, has stepped down for the National Leader of APC, Bola Tinubu.
She announced this at the party’s convention on Tuesday.
She said, “Nigeria needs a leader and I decided to be the mother of the country. Nigeria is lacking women’s expertise.
“I thank you so much, but I have found out that we need more time for that to happen. I am pleading with delegates to know that their votes are life savers. Think of your children and mothers before you vote.
“Vote for someone that will ensure the brighter future of our children. I feel I should step aside for that life saver and the best candidate who is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. I beg my supporters to vote for Tinubu.”
Selected members of APC have gathered to vote on Tuesday in key primaries to choose a candidate for next year’s election to replace the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
More than 2,300 APC delegates will select a candidate to face 75-year-old Atiku Abubakar of the opposition People’s Democratic Party among others in the February 25 presidential ballot.
Buhari, who is stepping down after the two terms he is allowed in the constitution, arrived at the Eagle Square convention centre early in the evening before voting was to start.
The Nigerian leader has spent the days leading up to the convention in negotiations with the APC’s leaders seeking unity over a party candidate.
“The fate of the party depends on what we do here,” APC party chairman Abdullahi Adamu said, echoing Buhari’s call for unity in the ranks.
“We cannot go into the general election next year without putting our house together.”
Part of the APC’s debate over candidates relates to “zoning” – an unofficial agreement among political elites that Nigeria’s presidency should rotate between those from the predominantly Christian south and those from the largely Muslim north.
After northern Buhari, observers expected the presidency to go to a candidate from the south.
But the PDP – which held its primary on May 28 and 29 – chose Abubakar, a former vice president and a political stalwart who is a northern Muslim.
The opposition’s choice to ignore “zoning” has made the APC reconsider how their candidate will appeal to the north, where voter numbers and participation are traditionally higher.
Buhari, who is the leader of the ruling party, has not declared support for any candidate and instructed APC members to “allow the delegates to decide.”
“Our objective must be the victory of our party and our choice of candidate must be someone who would give the Nigerian masses a sense of victory and confidence even before the elections,” he said last week.
Heavy security was deployed in central Abuja early Tuesday and streets were gridlocked as hundreds of APC supporters wearing the party colours of green, white and red gathered in and around the venue.
Meanwhile, Bola Tinubu is projected to win the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress, following the declaration of support for his candidacy by two governors Kayode Fayemi and Badaru Abubakar and five other aspirants.
The big boost for Tinubu’s candidacy must have disappointed Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who had high hopes.
Just before 7.am Wednesday morning, Osinbajo left the venue, about five hours after President Buhari and his wife also left.
Osinbajo left while voting was yet to be completed at the Eagle Square, the venue of the convention.
Both Badaru and Fayemi were presidential aspirants and their withdrawal from the race on Tuesday night gave Tinubu all the delegates from Jigawa and Ekiti.
It also altered largely in Tinubu’s favour voting preference in Ondo, where Fayemi was projected to have been able to snatch votes from Tinubu, were Fayemi still running.
Tinubu was already ahead of the other candidates in the run up to the convention, with delegate support from the Northwest, North east, North central and South West.
Former minister of Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio first boosted Tinubu’s chances by announcing his decision to step down and support Tinubu.
Senator Godswill Akpabio pulled out of the race for Tinubu at 10:06pm.
Akpabio’s action gave Tinubu an immediate firm footing with delegates from Akwa Ibom state, where Akpabio is the leader.
It was after Akpabio stepped down that former governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun also announced his withdrawal.
Amosun was followed by Governor Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, Governor Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Senator Robert A. Boroffice and a female aspirant, Uju Ken-Ohanenye.
In all, seven aspirants, who picked the party’s tickets for N100 million each, stepped down for the former Lagos State governor.
In contrast, Osinbajo also harvested some aspirants, such as 40-year-old Felix Nicholas, the youngest in the race.
But they were mainly political paperweights.
Earlier on his arrival at the convention, Osinbajo was booed by delegates from the South West, who were supporters of Tinubu.
The incident happened when the vice president walked toward the delegates’ area to greet them upon his arrival at the venue.
The development forced Osinbajo to change his route to the VIP area, where he was waved at by some senior party officials and other stakeholders.
In contrast, Tinubu arrived the venue with thunderous shouts of ‘Jagaban’ renting the air for more than 10 minutes.
Crowds swarmed the bus that brought him and it took a titanic task to clear the path for him to join other aspirants at the VIP area.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan came in shortly after Tinubu but his arrival was overshadowed by the rousing ovation, singing and dancing by the supporters of the former Lagos governor.
All the aspirants were given two minutes to address the delegates before voting commenced.
Some 2,203 delegates are expected to vote at the convention. Counting of votes will commence immediately.
Thirteen aspirants – Tinubu, Osinbajo, Ahmad Lawan, Rotimi Amaechi, Ogbonnaya Onu, Rochas Okorocha, Dave Umahi, Yahaya Bello, Tein Jack-Rich, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Ahmed Sani Yarima, Prof Ben Ayade and Ikeobasi Mokelu – were in the race, after the withdrawals.
