May 10, 2022
The race to clinch the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential ticket got more interesting yesterday with the entrance of former President Goodluck Jonathan; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade; and Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva. Various groups and supporters of the quartet obtained the N100 million nomination and expression of interest forms for them.
Apart from intensifying the jostle for the APC ticket amid contestations over zoning, the emergence of Jonathan, Lawan and Sylva, has raised further puzzles over President Muhammadu Buhari’s perceived anointed successor.
Recently, President Buhari said he would not disclose his preferred successor because if he did, the person would be killed.
Of late, fingers had been pointed in the direction of many aspirants as the would-be-anointed candidate. Also, no fewer than five aspirants had at one time or the other been presumed to be the anointed one.
They include Minister of Transportation, Chief Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of State for Education, Chief Emeka Nwajiuba; Science and Technology Minister, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu; African Development Bank, AfDB, President, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina; and Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.
