Chief Bisi Akande, former Interim National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, has declared that the party’s ticket for the 2019 presidential election remains open to contenders as President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to indicate interest in a second term.
This came as leaders and governors of the party in the South-West zone began strategising on how the party would retain power in the zone.
Chief Akande said this, yesterday, in Ibadan, after the South West leadership rose from a zonal meeting which had governors, ministers and members of the National Assembly in attendance. Unlike the previous meetings which had a low turnout, the meeting was well attended by party chieftains in the zone. APC leaders present included Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu. Also in attendance were former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba; former Governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Lasun Yussuf ; Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila; Senator Sola Adeyeye, APC Deputy National Chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure, and Prof. Claudius Daramola. National leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was, however, absent at the meeting due to ill health.
On the 2019 presidential elections, he said the seat remains vacant to any member of the party. He said: “President Buhari has not told us that. Anybody in our party is free to become the President of Nigeria. If anyone indicates interest and is ready to subject himself to the process through which a candidate is elected, and he is lucky to have the ticket, then, we will have no other thing to do than to present him as our candidate.” The former governor of Osun State also said the party did not support restructuring but devolution of power which the federal government has to consider. According to him, “Restructuring is not our language. Go and ask the advocates of restructuring and they will be able to define it. Ours is devolution of function from the centre to the peripheral governments like the States and the local governments. Restructuring is the language of other body, other group of people. So, go and ask those advocating restructuring to define it whether restructuring in education, economy or whatever. That is not in the APC manifesto or constitution.”
Chief Akande took his time to explain why former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Tinubu was absent at the meeting saying he had fully prepared to be at the meeting but he “suddenly took ill.” He said: “Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had prepared for this meeting. This morning (yesterday), he had prepared the helicopter line he wanted to use. But, he suddenly took ill.” Also corroborating Akande’s position, Tinubu’s media aide, Mr Tunde Raheem said the “illness was not a serious one so it shouldn’t be given much concern.”
