South West Leaders Put Pressure On Osinbajo To Step Down For Tinubu

As horse-trading to prune down the number of All Progressives Congress, APC presidential aspirants continues, South-West leaders including traditional rulers are said to be pressuring Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to step down for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Conversely, there are also moves to get Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State to step down for Osinbajo.

Among the five aspirants recommended by APC northern governors and the National Working Committee NWC, three (Tinubu, Osinbajo and Fayemi) are from the South-West. Chief Rotimi Amaechi is from the South-South while Governor Dave Umahi is from the South-East.

Fayemi, the current chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, is said to be banking on the support of his brother governors.

However, a number of the governors, who are already eyeing the vice presidential slot are seen to be supporting Tinubu, and a few for Osinbajo.

Sources said the South-West leaders want one candidate from the zone hence the pressure on Osinbajo and Fayemi to step down.

As of 4.40 pm, the special Convention was yet to start.
A top party leader told Vanguard: “A lot of meetings are going on. If the meetings yield result only two aspirants will remain and the primaries will not take long to conclude.”

Sources close Tinubu said the former Lagos Governor is not entertaining any call on him to step down.

“If there is going to be a consensus, he said he is the consensus candidate otherwise let’s go for primaries,” a member of the Tinubu Campaign told Vanguard.