TheHILL | POLITICS | JUNE 5.
After a closed door parley of Presidential aspirants with President Muhamadu Buhari, on Saturday, TheHILL reliably gathered from authentic sources that, two aspirants, Rotimi Amaechi and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have decided to step down for Senator Godswill Akpabio as the consensus candidate from the South.
Their decision to throw their weight behind Akpabio was said to have been hinged on the endorsement of the position of the Northern governors that the position be zoned to the South by President Buhari.
Sources at the meeting disclosed to TheHILL that Tinubu’s support for Akpabio was based on his conviction that the former Minister has all it takes to continue with the progress so far recorded by the current administration, because of his unequalled achievements in Akwa Ibom State which earned him the appellation; the Uncommon Transformer.
Apart for his track records in public offices, Tinubu’s decision to step down for Akpabio was said to have been based on his youthfulness and ability to pilot the affairs of the country.
On why Amaechi decided to step down for Akpabio, sources at the meeting disclosed that Amaechi’s current travails in the hands of the Rivers State government over alleged corruption charges led to his decision.
It was learnt that should he emerge the candidate, Governor Nyesom Wike, would ensure that the Panel he had earlier set up to try Amaechi will find any ground to convict him and the party would end up not having a candidate in the presidential election. It was based on the above scenario that Amaechi was said to have hinted the president that he was ready to step down and support Akpabio in the interest of the party.
