2023 Presidency: Akande Hosts APC South West Meeting For Osinbajo, Tinubu, Other Aspirants

BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – It turned out a huge disappointment for some doomsayers as the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alongside other presidential aspirants, met in Lagos on Friday under a very cordial atmosphere.

Early in the day, speculations were rife that leading aspirants of the ruling party were scheduled to storm the Centre of Excellence for an engagement meeting with APC elders aimed at ensuring the 2023 electioneering campaigns for the party’s sole presidential ticket are devoid of hostility and mudslinging.

According to reports, acting as co-conveners of the meeting, which commenced at 6:50 p.m, are the first Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, a former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, and Chief Pius Akinyelure.

Presidential aspirants present at the meeting tagged; APC stakeholders in the South-West geo-political zone; are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi; and former Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

Inside sources said the Lagos summit is aimed at strategizing how the region will comfortably present a formidable front in its quest to produce the presidential candidate of the ruling party in 2023.

The sources further hinted that beyond the contentious 2023 presidential race, also on the table for discussion are the conflicts among the various Party stakeholders in the region.

Aside from the aspirants, other stakeholders at the meeting include National Secretary of APC, Otunba Iyiola Omisore; the former Governor of Lagos State and Works and Housing Minister, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila; Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State; Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State; and Governor Oyetola of Osun State.

Also in attendance are former Osun State Governor and Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola and the Minister of Trade and Industry, Otunba Niyi Adebayo.

So far, the aspirants from the South-West zone who have picked their APC Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms include Yemi Osinbajo, Asiwaju Tinubu, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Kayode Fayemi and Senator Ibikunle