The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council says its candidate for the 2023 polls, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will record clear victory in Saturday’s election without a need for run-off.
Spokesperson of the Council, Festus Keyamo, said this at the News Agency of Nigeria Forum in Abuja on Sunday.
Keyamo, also the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, said he was confident that Tinubu would get the highest votes and the spread required by the Constitution for him to win at the first ballot.
He said that with the way the Nigeria Constitution and its demography were designed vis-a-vis the constitutional provision for a runoff, it was almost impossible to have a runoff election.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said: “To be honest with you, two parties can easily make the 25 per cent in 24 states and that is the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party.
“They have this spread.
“So, let’s be let’s be honest about that.
“Yes, they have the spread because they have been parties that have been long in trench and they have structures everywhere.
“APC is more likely to make that 25 per cent.
“PDP less likely, but possible.
“Labour Party, it is almost impossible.
“It is not a comical matter.
“It is a very factual matter.
“Factual because it’s a party that has not spent enough time.
“The whole praise for the LP, and I praise them too, is that they have done a lot of work within a short time.”
Keyamo commended the LP for its relatively large followership, saying, however, that it was not the party to beat in the 2023 general election.
He said: “Demographically, of course, the LP votes are concentrated only in a part of this country and that was seen during the rallies here and there, even in terms of the proper polls that have been conducted.
“For me, I’ve said this before, it’s not a matter of arrogance, that I can bet anything that’s precious to me, LP cannot win.
“We know the way Nigeria is configured.
“That is why I said it’s difficult to have a run-off.”
Keyamo said the APC does not see the LP as a threat in the 2023 elections as it was not capable of taking over any of the states under its control, adding, however, that the party was a bigger threat to the PDP, especially in the South East.
He said: “LP is projected to take to six states away from the PDP.
“The whole of eastern states.
“Most likely they will come to the South South and take one or two away from PDP.”
Speaking on the PDP aggrieved governors, known as Integrity Governors and G-5 Governors, Keyamo said it was unfortunate that the opposition party lacked the capacity to keep its house in order.
He said the development in the PDP showed that the party lacked the capacity to unite people and different interests.
He said: “I am sure you can see how swiftly Tinubu put his house together after the primaries.
“Of course, if the APC had the same different camps and different voices after the primaries, but little by little Tinubu carefully blended everybody together, made sure the house was tight.
“Even if there are dissents now, you can see that they’re not speaking out, unlike our brothers on the other side.
“Tinubu has been able to manage these issues, but the other side they just went haywire.
“And it also shows the ability of opposition party candidates to unite his house together.”
Keyamo wondered how the PDP would be able to manage Nigeria if it cannot unite itself.
He added: “The G-5 governors to me is an indication that the PDP cannot manages its affairs and so they cannot manage the affairs of Nigeria.”
Keyamo said for the APC, it was glad that the division was working for the ruling party.
He said: “For us, it is politics.
“We are glad, some of them are working for us.
“We are glad you saw what happened in Oyo State, what happened in Rivers.
“Without saying anything, it was clear the direction the votes are going and that is a plus for us.
“Don’t forget those were the states we lost.
“We lost Oyo in 2019.
“It was the only South West State we lost.
“They are the two critical states we lost.
“Even look at between 2019 and 2023 now, the factors that have changed in the polity, the factors are more in our favour.
“Since 2019, PDP lost three governors to us.
“Zamfara, Ebonyi and Cross River.
“Who did we lose to them?”
Keyamo said the APC was happy about how things were working in favour of the party and its candidate for the presidential poll, adding: “Our billboards are now everywhere in Port Harcourt to the glory of God Almighty.
“So people should get used to seeing Tinubu taking oath of office on May 29.”