Presidential Election: Renewed Euphoria Energizes APC

The recently completed election primaries by the All Progressive Congress [APC] for the selection of the presidential flag bearer for the party – along with the selection of the presidential running mate may have served the necessary booster that the opposition party needed going into the December yuletide season. According to preliminary investigation conducted by 247ureports.com, the selection of the running mate to the presidential candidate has energized the party into new optimism that had waned immediately following the formation of the party.

As a caveat, the selection process of the vice presidential candidate in the person of Professor Yemi Osibanjo was not without its share of national controversy – with many of the stakeholders within the party demanding to have an input into who becomes the vice presidential candidate. The Governor of Rivers State who had invested heavily financially to the tune of N19Billion was particularly interested in having his man to fill the seat. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was also interested in having his input on who mounts the seat. The godfather and the brain behind the formation of the party was also determined to either mount the seat or present one of his ‘stooges’ to mount the seat.

In all, the final selection and uneventful and relatively rancor free announcement of Professor Yemi Osibanjo as the running mate to General Mohammadu Buhari was registered as a resounding success  for the party members and for impartial observers cognizant of the happenings within the APC. The decision for have a Muslim/Christian ticket appeased many within the party – in addition to the proclaimed profile of Prof. Yemi Osibanjo being astounding – added an extra impetus to the euphoria that the journey to the presidency might be feasible after all.

The feeling of a possible victory in February among the party bigwigs have automatically caused an effect – that has resulted in the aggrieved top stakeholders who had considered ‘anti-party’ activities to put away their swords – and to fall in line with the party’s program. “None of them wants to be left out should the APC wins the presidency” confessed a close ally to the godfather of APC, Bola Tinubu.  Another close ally to the godfather who spoke to 247ureports.com from the United States of America via the telephone stated that the aggrieved stakeholders have come to become accepting of Bola Tinubu’s stooge as the vice presidential candidate – largely because of the sudden change in political climate. The ally continued that “Tinubu was not about to lose control of a project he nursed from stillbirth to a major political opposition, you cannot blame him for wanting near absolute control of the project. Tinubu is determined to rule Nigeria, mark my word“.

The other side of the political canvass shows an overjoyed group of APC politicians that are holding elected positions. One of the more popularly accepted APC Senator representing a constituency in the south east geo political zone, Senator Chris Ngige was quick to express his high enthusiasm over the presidential ticket presented by the APC this time. He pointed to the change in climate as a positive development that will ride the political wave till 2015 straight to the seat of president. The same enthusiasm is shared by the Atiku camp who spoke to 247ureports.com relating their willingness to play a more active role in Buhari’s campaign. They believe the party to be in a ‘good place’ now. The Rochas Okorocha team who has returned to Imo State to battle for the Rochas Okorocha re-election campaign also shared with 247ureports.com the optimism of an eventual victory come February 2014. They spoke of its willingness to double its efforts and investment towards the Buhari/Osibanjo campaign.

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But analysts reserve their optimism over the present euphoria. One of the analyst who spoke to 247ureports.com acknowledged that there have been a positive climate change since the end of the APC primaries and the selection of the running mate. The analyst however pointed to the present euphoria as a ‘candle in the wind’. “For now, there is peace and solidarity but with any perturbation, the APC will be in trouble. The party may not survive any negative political turbulence between now and the election day“. He explained that the party has should its volatile in a manner that has exposed its weakness to any internal agreements. “The party is no doubt a meeting of straight bedfellows who are kingmakers in their own domains“.

The more cynical analyst point to Osibanjo’s role as a stooge as the spark that would implode the Buhari presidential campaign. They point to the role played by Osibanjo as a one time State Attorney General of Lagos State under the administration of Bola Tinubu as a marker to how much s stooge he was and still is. They cite his role in the imprisonment of Al Mustapha as a task carried out for Tinubu in revenge for what the Abacha regime did to him financially and otherwise. Osibanjo was reported to be the figure head in assuring that Al Mustapha remains behind bars. Some of the other analysts view Osibanjo as the man-Friday to Tinubu – particularly concerning the many business deals handled under the Tinubu business empire. Osibanjo is said to be to Tinubu what Al Mustapha was to Sani Abacha and/or what Andy Uba was to Obasanjo.

Stay tuned as the story continues to unfold…

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