Four out of the contenders that ran against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the March 18, 2023 president election have begged him for appointment into his government.
The candidates made the plea when they visited the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje.
During the visit on Thursday at the National Secretariat of the APC in Abuja, they pleaded that Tinubu should accommodate them in his “Government of National Competence”.
Those who made the plea were the presidential candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Professor Peter Umeadi; Action Democratic Party, Yabagi Yusuf Sani; National Rescue Movement, Ambassador Felix Osakwe; and Action Peoples Party, Osita Nadi.
During the visit, Osakwe, who spoke on behalf of the Forum of Concerned Presidential Candidates, said they are for the peace and development of Nigeria hence their refusal to challenge Tinubu’s mandate at the Presidential Election Petitions Court.
He said: “I feel, Mr. Chairman, you will be the right person to lead us to meet with Mr. President so that we can air our own views in his presence and also to let him know that it is not all the presidential candidates that were against him.
ALSO READ:
Lagdo Dam: Flood claims five lives in Adamawa – ADSEMA
Lecturers operating under terrible environment, poorly paid – VC
Why I relocated my office to National Stadium – Minister
“We chose not to go to court because this is Nigeria.
“We are here to thank you and God.
“The former presidential candidates are willing to offer our services to this country.
“We have a demand and it is for the party.
“That a slot in the campaign council for the governorship elections should be made available to us.
“Those of us who have piloted this, we held a meeting and we were asked to demand from you a presence in the Campaign Councils.
“We believe that our job is much more wanted now as we prepare to go into the polls in the three states in November.
“I am to submit the two names to the chairman.
“And we believe by your power and by the special grace of God, it shall be done.
“We will do our best to make sure that the three states (Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi) that we are going into polls for, succeed.
“And with what we have been doing, we are going to mobilise our parties in those states for your party.”
Responding, Ganduje said he would convey their requests to President Tinubu.
He said: “I will convey your views and requests and I will ensure that you see Mr. President eye to eye.
“I thank you for being faithful to your respective parties.”
Ganduje, a former Governor of Kano State, whose APC lost the governorship poll in the state to the New Nigeria Peoples Party, took a swipe at the presidential candidate of the NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso, though he did not mention his name.
He said: “What I am seeing is one political aspirant who became a presidential candidate by accident, who became a presidential candidate by hijacking another party because he was party-less.
“He could not give account according to INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) that it cannot qualify it to be a political party.
“He decided to hijack a political party and since he could not realise his aspirations, he decided to make that party a revenue platform rather than a political party.
“He has now decided to even expel the founder.
“God forbid.
“He will not succeed.
“You presidential candidates, I salute you for being good ambassadors of your own political parties, not destroyers of your own political parties and not turning your political parties to sources of revenue.
“Since you cannot get the presidential tickets, you will get pocket ticket.
“I thank you.
“No doubt we will include you in the three states that we are having elections come November this year.”
END.
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
