Former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday emerged as the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Tinubu muscled former Minister of Transport, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Senate President Ahmad Lawan to emerge as the presidential flag bearer of the APC for the 2023 general elections.
Tinubu polled a total of 1,271 votes out of 2,102 to defeat Amaechi, who scored 316 votes; Osinbajo, who scored 235 votes, and Lawan, who scored 152 votes. The total votes of other aspirants, who took part in the APC presidential primary election was 280, with 13 invalid votes.
A total of seven (7) contenders, including the Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi; former Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, and the past Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio all stepped down to boost the chances of Tinubu clinching the presidential ticket of the APC.
Others who stepped down for Tinubu are Governor of Jigawa State, Abukakar Badaru; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole; Ajayi Boroffice, and the only female aspirant in the race, Uju Ken-Ohanenye.
Meanwhile, Osinbajo had one aspirant, Nicholas Felix, who stepped down for him.
The ninth aspirant who announced his withdrawal was former Senate President Ken Nnamani who decried the failure of the party to zone its ticket to the South East.
Thereafter, 14 aspirants went into the contest as voting commenced in earnest. They include Tinubu, Osinbajo, Amaechi, Lawan, Umahi, and Rochas Okorocha.
Others are Yahaya Bello, Tein Jack-Rich, Emeka Nwajiuba, Ben Ayade, Ikeobasi Mokelu, Ogbonnaya Onu, Tunde Bakare, and Sani Yerima.
TNG reports Tinubu is now scheduled to square up with Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and others in the February 25, 2023 presidential election.