Temidayo Akinsuyi

LAGOS – As the controversy over zoning con­tinues to rage in the ruling All Pro­gressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2023 general elections, supporters of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the national leader of the party, are spoiling for a showdown over attempts by some powerbrokers in the party to short­change him, Daily Independent has gathered.

Speaking with Daily Independent on Sunday, two of the party’s elders in the South-West, said the reason Tinubu has chosen to remain silent on the issue is because of his respect for President Muhammadu Buhari and the need not to distract him with the politics of 2023 at the moment.

They, however, said they have been mounting pressure on the former two-time governor of Lagos to speak out now owing to what they called a calculated attempt to deliberately scheme him out of the race.

Despite the fact that Presi­dent Muhammadu Buhari, the first president produced since the formation of the party in 2013, will be completing two terms of eight years in 2023, there has been division in the party as some chieftains are rooting for another Northerner to succeed Buhari.

Last week, Minister of Works and Housing, Baba­tunde Fashola, urged the APC to respect its zoning formula in picking its presidential can­didate for the 2023 elections, adding that the decision is the core of the agreement reached by APC founding fathers prior to the 2015 elections.

According to him,“The truth is that what makes an agree­ment spectacular is the honour in which it is made, not wheth­er it is written. If it was written, there would be no court cases of breach of contract because it’s a document that is written and signed that go to court. The private agreement you make with your brother and sister should not be breached. It must be honoured.”

Even though Fashola’s po­sition has generated divergent views in the party, with some APC leaders even challenging him to provide names of those who were in attendance when the agreement was reached, our source said Tinubu and many APC leaders in Southern part of the country are fully in sup­port of what he said.

The source, who is a mem­ber of the Governors Advisory Council (GAC) in Lagos, also said the visit of some South- West leaders in APC led by Chief Bisi Akande, former interim national chairman of APC, to President Buhari in Aso Villa few days ago has to do with the controversy on the zoning formula.

“Fashola has spoken on the issue of zoning. His position co­incides with the belief of many of us who are rooting for Asi­waju as president in 2023. Not only us, most Southerners are of the strong opinion that once Buhari’s tenure ends, the par­ty should zone it to the South. It can go to the South-East, South-South or South-West but definitely not anywhere around the North.

“Asiwaju has been silent on this matter and many of us are already mounting pressure on him to speak out and take a definite position on this matter. He has told us privately and has even issued public statements that this is not the right time to discuss the issue of 2023 because President Buhari has not even completed two years in his sec­ond term.

“But it seems some people in the party are taking his si­lence as a sign of cowardice. We will wait and see how the development unfolds but we are already telling Asiwaju to speak out before it is too late. To us, the presidency should be zoned to the South. When it gets here, we will sort it out amongst the three zones which are the South-South, South-West and South-East. The North has no business in this matter at all”.

Also speaking, another par­ty leader who is also canvassing for Tinubu’s emergence said they are waiting for directives on what to do.

“We don’t want to react to speculations or hearsay. Have they zoned it to the North? The answer is no. Let them zone it to the North first and then we will know the next steps to take. My final word is that those champi­oning for another Northerner to emerge after Buhari should not play into the hands of the PDP.

“They should also remem­ber that the APC is not a North­ern party. It is a merger of polit­ical parties which include CPC, ACN, ANPP and part of APGA. Let them also remember that our president couldn’t suc­ceed in his aspiration in 2003, 2007 and 2011 until Asiwaju approached him for a merger and he won in 2015”.

When asked if he will be surprised if another North­erner emerges as the APC presidential candidate in 2023, Prince Tony Momoh, a for­mer Minister of Information and one of the party’s national leaders, said while all qualified aspirants from all parts of the country are free to contest, only the person who has the highest number of delegate votes will emerge as the presidential can­didate.

Momoh, who cited the ex­ample of the opposition Peo­ples Democratic Party (PDP), said in 1999, despite the fact that the party zoned the ticket to the South-West, other Nige­rians from other regions such as the late Abubakar Rimi and former Vice President Alex Ekwueme also vied for the party’s ticket.


He said, “It is not a question of being surprised or not. It is a question of someone who has clout and support contesting and emerging as the presiden­tial candidate. There is no way anybody who doesn’t have any support especially from dele­gates all over the country will come out and say he wants to be president.

“In other words, many peo­ple who say they want to be president and don’t have the support of the delegates will be wasting their time. It is the person who has the support of the delegates, no matter where he comes from that will be the person flying the party’s flag. That is the process in every political party, not just in APC.

“For instance, in the APC during the presidential prima­ry in December 2014, people contested from the South-East, North and all over the country. But the fact is that we wanted Buhari to become our presi­dential candidate and those who have that commitment organised the delegates for Bu­hari to emerge. It wasn’t all the Northern delegates who voted for Buhari then. Many of the delegates from Kano voted for Kwankwaso, others voted for Atiku, Okorocha, Nda Isaiah and others.

“Anybody can come from anywhere as long as you have the votes of the delegates, that is what will get you the ticket. So, nobody should think of zoning and then go and sit down and expect that you will be the presidential candidate. It doesn’t happen that way”, he said.

https://www.independent.ng/tinubus-loyalists-spoil-for-fight-over-apc-2023-presidential-zoning/

Interesting time ahead.

If only our first of politicians in 1999 were like Tinubu, we wouldn't be where we are right now.

Man built leaders and a thriving economy.

Ours were sharing kerosene as empowerment to potential oil bunkers and terrorist.

TINUBU is not a Facebook made hero.....

He was made before the advent of crazy propaganda. That is why Yoruba say He has crossed the water before the collapse of the bridge..

IYE LE O MA WO LEYIN EYE.

Tinubu should stop hiding under Fashola to protest. Let him come out and speak against the injustice being done to him

They keep recycling old news.

Tinubu should stop disguising and declare his intentions.

But personally, I doubt he will declare, dude is not really cut out for this kind of pan Nigeria quarrel.

Localize the issue to SW, then nobody would even dare oppose him.

Yenefer:
If only our first of politicians in 1999 were like Tinubu, we wouldn't be where we are right now.

Man built leaders and a thriving economy.

Ours were sharing kerosene as empowerment to potential oil bunkers and terrorist

Yeye nefer you again! Kids everywhere!

They're using Aswaju Tinubu to play super mario!!!
They'll shenk him las las probably during primary...

Meanwhile, Monday is cool for business



I have something cool for you in my bio

They, however, said they have been mounting pressure on the former two-time governor of Lagos to speak out now owing to what they called a calculated attempt to deliberately scheme him out of the race.

Whao! This is the so called master political strategist who help in foisting a well known failure, catastrophe & tyrant on Nigeria because of inordinate quest for power.So the handwriting is now more clearer? Used but now about to be dumped.

Tinubu is just chasing shadows. even we the Yorubas are tired of his overbearing attitudes. 2023 is for the Igbos to produce the president or everyone goes their separate ways

Tinubu is not really cut out for this kind of pan Nigeria quarrel. Very poor reasoning

ChoCho54:
They keep recycling old news.

Tinubu should stop disguising and declare his intentions.

But personally, I doubt he will declare, dude is not really cut out for this kind of pan Nigeria quarrel.

Localize the issue to SW, then nobody would even dare oppose him.

nairavsdollars:
Tinubu is not really cut out for this kind of pan Nigeria quarrel. Very poor reasoning

Bring forth your superior argument.

If Buhari is impeached and Osinbajo takes over, nobody will talk about 2023 or zoning again

Racoon:
Whao! This is the so called master political strategist who help in foisting a well known failure, catastrophe & tyrant on Nigeria because of inordinate quest for power.So the handwriting is now more clearer? Used but now about to be dumped.

Buhari wants to zone it to South East, which is not fare to the south west......
Tinubu fight on, baba 70 na novice for politics

Politics in Nigeria is another game for smart people. If you observe the body language of the northern caucus of APC, you will observed that they are romancing Goodluck Jonathan to come back for his 2nd term so that the South will only have 1 term and the power will move back to North. They (north) are to desperate to retain power into their region forever if possible. As for Tinubu, you and I knows that there is good number of gang up against his Presidential ambition of 2023, it now left for the smartest to win this game of chess by our politician.


The youth have be pushed to the wall. Only the old boys kept coming out every 4 years to contest for elective post in major parties. I believe it's time youth comes together and fight hard for what rightly belongs to them.



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Say no to Tinubu
Say no to Afonja President
Say no to Bullion van looter
Say no to s/w polithiefcians
Say no to Tinubu

Tinubu, President of NIGERIA will really sound somehow

Can we focus on security issues instead of irrelevant issues






For your car tracking services and installation, check my signature

Tinubu should let us hear word Abeg

Mhen... this post is too lengthy. Tinubu just chill, weather you emerge as their presidential candidate or not, we ain't banking with that corrupt party no more.

fight ke

I see

2021 will be highly interesting, the political heavyweights will fight for their survival, those outwitted will start throwing ,stones, jab, bombs to the APC. Even Buhari government will feel the effect, I pray APC will be able to survive the tsunami.

USELESS FOOLS!

TINUBU DEY QUENCHING LEVEL

HE WILL NEVER BECOME PRESIDENT.
LET HIM CONTEST FOR PRESIDENT OF IRAGBIJI TOWN UNION

They should be very foolish and selfish after the zone had done 8 years presidency and 8 years vice presidency




They should ordinarily advise themselves to come out of greed and selfcentredness


That is why they cannot cooperate with any other zone

.

Another week another Tinubu's News

Tinubu is busy with his numerous business empire... You are here carrying his matter on your head like galla


.

GREEDY FROG EYE MAN STILL FIGHTING TOOTH AND NAIL TO BECOME PRESIDENT

DRUG PUSHER FAKE FATHER OF DEMO-CRAZY

hisexcellency34:
Temidayo Akinsuyi



https://www.independent.ng/tinubus-loyalists-spoil-for-fight-over-apc-2023-presidential-zoning/

Over 100 people were beheaded by Boko haram in Borno but these animals are busy thinking of 2023 election. May the Lord deliver us from evil

G

. Some people can fight for stupid things cha......
una dey fight for person wey him children dey abroad dey chill.....
But jokes apart,2023 presidency election go just too be like comedy show....