National leader of the All Progressives Congress Bola Tinubu emerged the party’s presidential candidate on Wednesday, June 8 at its special national convention in Abuja.
Over 2,000 delegates from the 774 local government areas of the country including the six area councils in the FCT voted at the Eagles Square, venue of the convention, on Tuesday, June 7.
A number of candidates contested the party’s presidential ticket. They are Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Ahmad Rufai Sani, Rotimi Amaechi, David Umahi, Rochas Okorocha, Governor Yahaya Bello, Tein Jack-Rich, Christopher Onu, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Governor Ben Ayade and Ikeobasi Mokelu among others.
Nine aspirants had earlier stepped down, eight of whom asked their supporters to vote for Tinubu, while one asked his supporters to vote for Osinbajo.
Tinubu obtained 1,271 votes to clinch the ticket. Amaechi was the first runner up with 316 votes, while Osinbajo scored 235 votes.
Umahi got 38, Bakare got zero, Sani got four votes, former minister of state for education Emeka Nwajuba, who boycotted the convention because the presidential ticker was not zoned to the south-east, got one vote.
Okorocha got zero vote, Governor Bello got 47, Jack Rich polled zero vote, former minister of science, technology and innovation Ogbonnaya Onu managed one vote, Lawan had 152, Ayade scored 37, while Ikeobasi Mokelu got zero vote.
Osinbajo placing third at the primary came as a surprise to many as he was adjudged Tinubu’s biggest stumbling block to the ticket. His speech at the primary was even hailed as the most intelligent. That, however, did not translate to votes.
Tinubu’s victory followed anxiety raised earlier that the party had chosen a consensus candidate in the person of Senate President Lawan.
