Chief Don Etiebet, an ex-Minister
of Petroleum under General Sani Abacha’s regime has emerged the leading
candidate to replace chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John
Odigie-Oyegun.
His emergence followed a decision
taken by governors of the ruling Party at a closed-door meeting at the weekend.
A reliable source at the meeting
confirmed this decision to us in Abuja on Sunday.
He said the reason behind the
permutation that favoured Chief Etiebet was tied to his good relationship with
President Muhammadu Buhari and the desire of the APC to take control of the
oil-rich Akwa Ibom state in 2019.
The source told our
correspondent: “The governors, apart from expressing the desire to have APC win
Akwa Ibom state in next year’s general elections, also considered Chief
Etiebet’s good relationship with President Buhari. We all know that he served
as the National Chairman of the now defunct All Nigeria Peoples’ Party (ANPP)
when the President flew the Party’s flag against Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in
2003.
“Having said that, the governors
decided to withdraw their initial support for Comrade Adams Oshiomhole ((the
immediate past governor of Edo state) because of his cracked relationship with
some stalwarts of the APC which may jeopardize the Party’s outing in next
year’s general election.
“While the Minister of Transport,
Rotimi Amaechi’s support and charisma at home was not strong enough to even
deliver his home state of Rivers to the Party in the 2015 election, it was
doubtful if the crisis rocking the APC in neighbouring Cross Rivers would pave
way for a consensus candidate from the emerge from that state enjoying full home
support.
“The governors didn’t consider
the other South-South states of Delta and Bayelsa in their search for National
Chairmanship candidate because they lacked Party chieftains that possessed a
robust and stable political stature and national appeal especially in the
Northern parts of the country,” he added.
The APC NEC which comprises of
the National Working Committee (NWC) and all the state chapters will meet on
Monday April 9, 2018 to take a decision on the tenure elongation saga rocking
the Party.
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