“The APC did not drop me as the running mate. I was a vice-presidential candidate in 2011 on the platform of CPC ( Congress for Progressive Change), which happened to be one of the 4 Legacy Parties that merged into APC. Since the remaining 3 parties namely ACN, ANPP and part of APGA are equal stake holders, it is only logical that the running mate should come from one of the other 3 parties. Consequently, the current running mate, Prof. Osinbajo was a former Attorney General for Lagos State that was the stronghold of the defunct ACN. Fair is Fair. The present arrangement is therefore a welcome idea” – stated the former running mate to General Mohammadu Buhari under the defunct Congress for Progressive Change [CPC] in the failed outing for the 2011 presidential elections. Pastor Tunde Bakare spoke to a correspondent of the New York Amsterdam News in response to the question of his being dropped from the presidential ticket after General Buhari was selected as the presidential candidate for the All Progressive Congress [APC] party.
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.Tunde Bakare’s statements comes amid speculations of rupture within the APC over the party’s management by an individual – as a personal and/or private business. Some of the major stakeholders who had contested for the presidential ticket are reported to have turned away from the APC presidential train. Reportedly, the governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha and the former vice president of Nigeria, Abubakar Atiku are reported to have silently walked away from the APC presidential train – while south west APC governors are reported to be divided over their support for the APC presidential train.
Bola Tinubu, the godfather of the APC has been reported to have initiated a peace meeting to attempt reconciling the aggrieved egos. Initial efforts by the APC godfather is said to have hit a brick wall considering the fact that many of the demands of the stakeholders concerns power sharing. Many of the stakeholders were said to be demanding for a more sharing of the powers in the party. Tinubu – in turn – is not readily willing to yield to the demands. A source attributed Tinubu’s hard stance to the large cache of funds available to the Buhari campaign through the Amaechi camp – since Amaechi had promised an addition 4 billion to the Buhari campaign. The former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva is reported also to be backing the Buhari campaign financially.
It is unsure which direction the brewing turmoil within the APC will head but it is certain a rupture has begun to show within the party. What magic Tinubu will apply remains to be seen. The fear remains that the rupture may permanently derail the presidential campaign of Buhari.
–
Stay tuned as this story continues to unfold
