How Northern Governors Dumped Amaechi For Tinubu

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) chose Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, as its presidential candidate after weeks of intrigue and uncertainty.

The 70-year-old politician was able to rally northern governors to his cause, handing crushing defeats to other younger and more nimble contenders, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Tinubu, Osinbajo, and Rotimi Amaechi, the former Minister of Transportation, were neck and neck a few weeks before the national convention, despite the odds favoring Tinubu.

Governors Simon Lalong of Plateau State, Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna, and Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State were among those who publicly backed Amaechi.

The governors, however, had closed ranks and allied with the former Lagos State governor three days before the poll.

According to the findings of the DAILY POST, the governors assessed Amaechi’s candidacy against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and concluded that the chances were poor.

The governor of Jigawa State, who had openly expressed support for Amaechi, subsequently resigned and called his people to rally behind Tinubu.

According to an insider, after President Muhammadu Buhari declared that governors should support him in choosing a candidate, the governors met multiple times, but it became evident that more governors preferred Tinubu.

The insider also said Amaechi’s campaign also slowed down after his resignation as Minister, therefore, creating doubt in the minds of those willing to back him.

“During those meetings, Governor Umar Ganduje, Gboyega Oyetola, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Babagana Zulum were clear on their position as far as their favourite candidate is concerned. Also, the declaration by Abdulahi Adamu on Ahmad Lawan as consensus candidate united the governors to pick the strongest of the candidates,” the source said.

It would be recalled that the National Chairman had announced the Senate president as the choice of the president as the consensus candidate.

That same day, some governors, including Nasir El-Rufai, Umar Ganduje, Babajide Sanwo-Olu came to the National Secretariat and had a meeting with some members of the NWC; however, Adamu shunned the meeting.

Undeterred, the governors went to Adamu’s house in the Villa around 1 a.m., to make it clear they will not accept Lawan.

Another insider told DAILY POST that the governors wanted to make it clear to Adamu that they are the owners of the party.

“Since (Adams) Oshiomhole left, the governors have been in control of the party. They know the antecedent of Adamu. What played out at the convention was to make it clear that they are the one to pick the successor of President Buhari.

“On the choice of Asiwaju, they looked at who has the capacity to go head to head with Atiku Abubakar in the general election. The governors have a huge stake in the election. If the APC should lose the presidential election, it will affect their senatorial elections as most of them want to move to the Senate and also elect a successor,” the source said.

“For the governors, it was more of a logical reasoning, nothing more, and Amaechi fell short of the expectation,” the source further explained.

Tinubu, in his acceptance speech, also corroborated this, when he said he did not know what he told the governors, but they gave him their total support.