Former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Chief Jide Awe, has advised leading presidential aspirants from the Southwest to strike an accord among themselves for the zone to grab the party’s presidential ticket.
As the party’s special National Convention which also serves as the presidential primary election kicked off on Tuesday, Awe said there was still time for aspirants from the Southwest to consult among themselves to come out with a single contestant.
Reacting to reports that the APC national caucus has narrowed the search to five aspirants with three aspirants from the Southwest, former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; and Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Awe described the scenario as a welcome development.
The other two aspirants in the shortlist endorsed by the APC Governors on the platform of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) and the National Working Committee (NWC) are former Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi and Ebonyi State Governor, Mr. Dave Umahi.
Awe who spoke on Tuesday as a guest on Bottom Line, a current affairs programme on New Cruse 92.7 FM, Ikere, Ekiti State, also advised the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, to be a team player in the management of party affairs most especially the party primaries.
Speaking on the aspirations of Tinubu, Osinbajo and Fayemi as the APC presidential primary hots up, Awe described the trio as eminently qualified but advised them to consult among themselves to enhance the chances of a Southwest aspirant winning the ticket.
Awe said: “The Southwest must be very careful in the APC presidential primary. All our gladiators are out there and they are all competent and qualified to be our party’s flag bearer.
“There is no one that is picked among them that will not perform when elected into office. But I want to say that it is not too late for them to consult among themselves to step down for one of them to emerge as the representative of the Southwest to face any candidate that emerges from another geopolitical zone.
“Politics demands that you make consultations. I know there will bee adjustments here and there and I know that there will be more consultations as the day goes by because twenty four hours is a long time for politicians to take decisions.”
Speaking on the announcement of Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the consensus candidate by the National Chairman Adamu, Awe counselled the party boss to always carry the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and other organs of the party along in taking key decisions.
He said: “Politics, as I have said earlier, is about consultations. You don’t make statements that are against the opinion of the majority. Adamu should always get across before making statements.
“I am aware that our delegates are already in Abuja ready to choose the presidential candidate but we have not heard the last about this issue. That was what you heard yesterday and you are hearing today that the choice has been narrowed to some aspirants.
“Crisis happens in politics but it is good to have the mechanisms to resolve them. As things are, the games are still on. I am aware that the number has been pruned down because I am following the development on the Internet. Everything will be resolved.”
