When all is said and done – after all the back and forth, the frenzy by both pretenders and contenders – only 23 aspirants are up for screening. Twenty-four actually returned their nomination forms. But Akinwumi Adesina pulled out of the race a few days ago, leaving these 23 members (22 men and one woman) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to slug it out for the presidential ticket soon.
However, the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, said on Sunday, May 22, 2022 that there are five genuine presidential aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor, who stated this when he met the party’s delegates in Minna, described the rest of the aspirants as “pretenders.”
He said: “Now you are able to separate the pretenders from the contenders going by the number of aspirants traveling to states to seek the votes of delegates.
“I hear there is a list of twenty-something presidential aspirants but only about five of us are going round the states speaking to delegates.”
Fayemi said he decided to visit Niger State for a meeting with the delegates despite his personal relationship with Governor Abubakar Bello because they were the ones in charge and would determine the aspirants’ fate at the primary.
“I am not here with any sense of entitlement. I don’t believe I don’t need to come to Niger because I have a personal relationship with your governor,” he added.
While stating his achievements as governor and minister, Fayemi urged the delegates to ensure that whatever decision they decide to take, they should always have the future of Nigeria at the back of their minds.
“One lesson that must always remain at the back of our mind is that we can remake Nigeria without unmaking Nigeria. Fayemi said.
“I am here to place my vision side by side with that of other aspirants and decide on the best“.
Meet a few men and one woman who want to succeed Buhari. They come from diverse backgrounds – reflecting Nigeria’s rich diversity.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu
In many respects, a lot of political analysts, have begun to think that the tide is slowly tilting in the favour of a former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This though changes nothing about the swirling perception about him – his corrupt disposition – it has however, improved his standing in the race for the APC ticket. For a man, who considers this project a life-long ambition and the first to publicly declare his intention, he knows this is definitely not a sprint and is ready for whatever lays ahead.
Yemi Osinbajo
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is believed by many as ordinarily the most ideal to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari after working together for almost eight years. And against all odds, Osinbajo, on April 11, 2022, declared his intention to succeed his principal, Buhari, through a short video uploaded on all the social media platforms. With his form submitted and consultations going on in almost every part of Nigeria, the die is cast.
Ahmad Lawan
News that the current President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, was eyeing the presidency was like a rumour many had thought would not evolve into reality and this was for obvious reasons. Interestingly, he is among the 23 other aspirants and appears to truly mean business. Even as many continue to say God forbid to Ahmad’s presidential ambition, Lawan is unperturbed. No one knows what the owners of Nigeria have up their sleeves. Since he joined the race, he is not crisscrossing the country to woo delegates. Well, who knows, maybe his confidence comes from his backers – that he doesn’t need to woo delegates. Or maybe it’s just a reflection of his nature and how he treats otherwise important issues with levity – like the way he conducts Senate’s business. He has practically turned the senate and by extension, the federal legislature into an appendage of the executive. This ironically, has remained what he’s been selling in his public statements in the name of being cooperative with the executive. Everyone is waiting to see how he will emerge.
Kayode Fayemi
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, who has led his colleagues as Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), is without a doubt, a man of class, panache and character. And with capacity and competence not in question, he is one of those who has marked up the ranks and quality of those aiming Buhari’s job, more so from the Southwest. Even though he kept this ambition close to his chest, he has never pretended about it and has always meant business. For Fayemi, the game is on and right.
Rotimi Amaechi
Unquestionably the most-experienced in the race, having not just held different offices in the past 23 years, but has remained in government for that stretch of time since the return of civil rule in 1999, the immediate past Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, is one issue, whose name is expected to send jitters each time it is mentioned. He knows the game, especially, palace politics, and has since declaring for the office of the president, shown the stuff he is made of. Amaechi is one man to watch out for and whose capacity for showing up insidiously is top notch. He boasts competence too.
Ken Nnamani
Renowned largely for killing former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third term agenda, a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, is another face of the South-east in the race that cannot be taken for granted. He has capacity, experience, maturity and has shown to know Nigeria and her challenges. Despite his personal inadequacies, he wouldn’t stop getting a deserved mention until this is over.
Tunde Bakare
If there was a list of people deemed as likely to chicken out from the race, one name most certainly to be missing in that list is the General Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Lagos, Pastor Tunde Bakare. He has not only been calling himself the number 16 to the office of the president, succeeding Buhari; he has been working to realising it too for some time. Thus, crossing the second round was not a surprise, and how far he would push this further is also not what anyone can envisage.
Ibikunle Amosun
The former governor of Ogun State and senator for Ogun Central, Ibikunle Amosun, comes to the race with credibility, nobility and record of stellar performance as governor. A close ally of the president, Amosun boasts not just very deep knowledge in finance – combined with his executive and legislative exposures – he is not just ready for the race for the presidential ticket, but the task of leading the country to the next level. With his forms filed for consideration, maybe he is ready.
Ogbonnaya Onu
At this stage, the Minister of Science of Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, is arguably one of the names to watch out for. Unlike some of his colleagues, who chickened out, when the reality of what might be lurking next door stared at them, Ogbonnaya is not joking with the demand for a president from the South-east part of the country, albeit for Nigeria and Nigerians. While some still have reservations about him, he certainly would stand shoulders higher than many of the other contenders.
Chukwuemeka Nwajuiba
Unpredictable Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajuiba, appears to be one candidate setting the pace for the others in many respects, an indication he is not in the race to while away time. He obtained his form first and was the first to resign after Buhari handed the order. He submitted his form as quickly as he could and was ready early enough for screening. He is following rules and setting his own standards. Whoever underrates this south-easterner would do so at a huge cost, in addition to the fact that some northern elites seem to have a thing for him.
Nicholas Felix Nwagbo
Young and unknown Nicholas Felix Nwagbo, has sent a subliminal message to his critics by crossing the second stage of the process of his aspiration. A US-based Nigerian pastor at the Miracle Church International, is the second pastor in the race for APC ticket after Bakare. Whatever he intends to achieve with this, only time will tell.
When all is said and done – after all the back and forth, the frenzy by both pretenders and contenders – only 23 aspirants are up for screening. Twenty-four actually returned their nomination forms. But Akinwumi Adesina pulled out of the race a few days ago, leaving these 23 members (22 men and one woman) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to slug it out for the presidential ticket soon.
However, the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, said on Sunday, May 22, 2022 that there are five genuine presidential aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor, who stated this when he met the party’s delegates in Minna, described the rest of the aspirants as “pretenders.”
He said: “Now you are able to separate the pretenders from the contenders going by the number of aspirants traveling to states to seek the votes of delegates.
“I hear there is a list of twenty-something presidential aspirants but only about five of us are going round the states speaking to delegates.”
Fayemi said he decided to visit Niger State for a meeting with the delegates despite his personal relationship with Governor Abubakar Bello because they were the ones in charge and would determine the aspirants’ fate at the primary.
“I am not here with any sense of entitlement. I don’t believe I don’t need to come to Niger because I have a personal relationship with your governor,” he added.
While stating his achievements as governor and minister, Fayemi urged the delegates to ensure that whatever decision they decide to take, they should always have the future of Nigeria at the back of their minds.
“One lesson that must always remain at the back of our mind is that we can remake Nigeria without unmaking Nigeria. Fayemi said.
“I am here to place my vision side by side with that of other aspirants and decide on the best“.
Meet a few men and one woman who want to succeed Buhari. They come from diverse backgrounds – reflecting Nigeria’s rich diversity.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu
In many respects, a lot of political analysts, have begun to think that the tide is slowly tilting in the favour of a former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This though changes nothing about the swirling perception about him – his corrupt disposition – it has however, improved his standing in the race for the APC ticket. For a man, who considers this project a life-long ambition and the first to publicly declare his intention, he knows this is definitely not a sprint and is ready for whatever lays ahead.
Yemi Osinbajo
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is believed by many as ordinarily the most ideal to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari after working together for almost eight years. And against all odds, Osinbajo, on April 11, 2022, declared his intention to succeed his principal, Buhari, through a short video uploaded on all the social media platforms. With his form submitted and consultations going on in almost every part of Nigeria, the die is cast.
Ahmad Lawan
News that the current President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, was eyeing the presidency was like a rumour many had thought would not evolve into reality and this was for obvious reasons. Interestingly, he is among the 23 other aspirants and appears to truly mean business. Even as many continue to say God forbid to Ahmad’s presidential ambition, Lawan is unperturbed. No one knows what the owners of Nigeria have up their sleeves. Since he joined the race, he is not crisscrossing the country to woo delegates. Well, who knows, maybe his confidence comes from his backers – that he doesn’t need to woo delegates. Or maybe it’s just a reflection of his nature and how he treats otherwise important issues with levity – like the way he conducts Senate’s business. He has practically turned the senate and by extension, the federal legislature into an appendage of the executive. This ironically, has remained what he’s been selling in his public statements in the name of being cooperative with the executive. Everyone is waiting to see how he will emerge.
Kayode Fayemi
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, who has led his colleagues as Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), is without a doubt, a man of class, panache and character. And with capacity and competence not in question, he is one of those who has marked up the ranks and quality of those aiming Buhari’s job, more so from the Southwest. Even though he kept this ambition close to his chest, he has never pretended about it and has always meant business. For Fayemi, the game is on and right.
Rotimi Amaechi
Unquestionably the most-experienced in the race, having not just held different offices in the past 23 years, but has remained in government for that stretch of time since the return of civil rule in 1999, the immediate past Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, is one issue, whose name is expected to send jitters each time it is mentioned. He knows the game, especially, palace politics, and has since declaring for the office of the president, shown the stuff he is made of. Amaechi is one man to watch out for and whose capacity for showing up insidiously is top notch. He boasts competence too.
Ken Nnamani
Renowned largely for killing former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third term agenda, a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, is another face of the South-east in the race that cannot be taken for granted. He has capacity, experience, maturity and has shown to know Nigeria and her challenges. Despite his personal inadequacies, he wouldn’t stop getting a deserved mention until this is over.
Tunde Bakare
If there was a list of people deemed as likely to chicken out from the race, one name most certainly to be missing in that list is the General Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Lagos, Pastor Tunde Bakare. He has not only been calling himself the number 16 to the office of the president, succeeding Buhari; he has been working to realising it too for some time. Thus, crossing the second round was not a surprise, and how far he would push this further is also not what anyone can envisage.
Ibikunle Amosun
The former governor of Ogun State and senator for Ogun Central, Ibikunle Amosun, comes to the race with credibility, nobility and record of stellar performance as governor. A close ally of the president, Amosun boasts not just very deep knowledge in finance – combined with his executive and legislative exposures – he is not just ready for the race for the presidential ticket, but the task of leading the country to the next level. With his forms filed for consideration, maybe he is ready.
Ogbonnaya Onu
At this stage, the Minister of Science of Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, is arguably one of the names to watch out for. Unlike some of his colleagues, who chickened out, when the reality of what might be lurking next door stared at them, Ogbonnaya is not joking with the demand for a president from the South-east part of the country, albeit for Nigeria and Nigerians. While some still have reservations about him, he certainly would stand shoulders higher than many of the other contenders.
Chukwuemeka Nwajuiba
Unpredictable Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajuiba, appears to be one candidate setting the pace for the others in many respects, an indication he is not in the race to while away time. He obtained his form first and was the first to resign after Buhari handed the order. He submitted his form as quickly as he could and was ready early enough for screening. He is following rules and setting his own standards. Whoever underrates this south-easterner would do so at a huge cost, in addition to the fact that some northern elites seem to have a thing for him.
Nicholas Felix Nwagbo
Young and unknown Nicholas Felix Nwagbo, has sent a subliminal message to his critics by crossing the second stage of the process of his aspiration. A US-based Nigerian pastor at the Miracle Church International, is the second pastor in the race for APC ticket after Bakare. Whatever he intends to achieve with this, only time will tell.
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