2023: Ogun APC chieftain, Ayoola charges Southwest on consensus

By Our Correspondent

Five days to the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary in Abuja, an Ogun State chieftain of the party, Prince Adekunle Adebayo Ayoola has said that the dream of the Southwest to pick up the presidential ticket is seriously under threat except it puts its house in order.

Prince Adekunle Ayoola, a political scientist and strategist disclosed that the Southwest APC will only be living in fool paradise if it is confident of securing the presidential seat without resolving to present a common candidate for the presidential primary just like the north did to win the PDP presidential ticket.

He said “what we are talking about here is not rocket science, you don’t have to use the microscope to see the danger ahead. Politics all over the world is a game of number and interest.

“In this instance, the south of Nigeria which comprises of the Southwest, Southeast and Southsouth has 19 presidential aspirants with 1068 delegates to vote at the presidential primary while the North comprising of the Northwest, Northeast and North Central has 1257 delegates with four presidential aspirants.

“Is it not clear from this simple arithmetic that the South which is clamouring to produce the next successor to President Buhari has already lost the election before it is held except it decides to present a common candidate just like it turned out to be before Alhaji Atiku Abubakar emerged as the PDP presidential candidate.

“If Gov Aminu Tambuwal had failed to withdraw from the race leaving Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Gov Nyesom Wike to slug it out, your guess is as good as mine. So, what we need now is for our elders to help manage the situation such that the Southwest that is highly favoured to pick the presidential ticket present a consensus candidate.

“It is either all that are involved in the race eat the humble pie and put the interest of the Southwest ahead that of any other or forget the idea of power returning to the South in 2023. I sincerely hope that our presidential aspirants will allow reasons to prevail before it is too late”.