Dipo Olowookere
By Dipo Olowookere
The former Governor of Lagos State, Mr Bola Tinubu, has clinched the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after defeating his closest rivals, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Mr Rotimi Amaechi.
Mr Tinubu, who doubles as the national leader of the APC, polled 1,271 votes at the primary held in Abuja on Tuesday. He was announced the winner of the exercise on Wednesday afternoon.
Mr Amaechi, a former Governor of Rivers State and immediate past Minister of Transportation, raked in 316 votes to occupy the second spot, while Mr Osinbajo, who is believed to be the political godson of Mr Tinubu, managed to garner 235 votes, with the Senate President, Mr Ahmad Lawan, getting 152 votes.
Reacting to the victory of Mr Tinubu, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, congratulated him for winning the party’s presidential primary election with a landslide.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Eromosele Ebhomele, the Lagos Speaker urged for greater support for the APC presidential candidate as the party enters the next stage of electioneering ahead of 2023.
According to him, the “victory is not for Asiwaju alone. It is for our great party. It is for well-meaning Nigerians who aspire for a greater country.”
Mr Obasa, who noted that the primary election had every feature of seriousness in a democratic setting, described the election as free and fair, emphasising that the outcome was well-deserved for Mr Tinubu.
“The outcome of this primary election is the result of hard work and the support of critical stakeholders across the length and breadth of this country who love Asiwaju. It is interesting and exciting how the exercise, which was held under a peaceful atmosphere, ended,” the lawmaker from the Agege area of Lagos State said.
He commended other aspirants in the exercise “for putting in a good fight.”
“I also specially commend all those who took the last-minute decision to relinquish their aspiration in support of Tinubu, the father of modern Lagos,” he noted.
Before the commencement of voting yesterday, some of the aspirants stepped down for the former Lagos State governor. They were Governor Kayode Fayemi, Governor Abubakar Badaru, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Professor Ajayi Boroffice, Mr Dimeji Bankole and Ms Uju Ken Ohanenye.
