Nigeria’s former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has congratulated the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, on his emergence as the presidential candidate of the party.
On Wednesday, Tinubu polled 1,271 votes to defeat 13 other presidential hopefuls including Amaechi who garnered 316 votes. While giving his victory speech at Eagle Square, the venue of the APC primary, the former Lagos governor had asked other stakeholders in the party to join hands with him in defeating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the presidential election in 2023. In a letter addressed to Tinubu, Amaechi said he would give him the needed support to ensure his victory in the 2023 presidential election.
“Congratulations on your well-deserved victory at the APC Presidential Convention held on 07 – 08 June 2022 and extend my best wishes as you prepare for the 2023 Presidential Elections.
“I am confident that your victory will re-energize the progressive ideals of our great party APC, buttressed by your mission of a Common Sense Revolution which led to the defeat of PDP in the 2015 general elections.
“As you embark on this historic journey, I wish to assure you of my commitment to your success at the polls in 2023 and ultimately look forward to providing the necessary support to ensure that we develop a prosperous country for all Nigerians,” Amaechi said.
Meanwhile, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is yet to officially react to Tinubu’s victory 24 hours after the conclusion of the exercise.
Osinbajo, who was one of the leading aspirants in the presidential primary election, had 235 votes. Tinubu had on Wednesday during the exercise snubbed the Vice President before the intervention of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Osinbajo served as Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General of Lagos when Tinubu was the state governor between 1999 and 2007.
Many supporters of Tinubu had criticised Osinbajo for contesting the presidential ticket of the APC with his former boss.
Tinubu had also claimed he nominated Osinbajo as President Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate in 2015, as part of the political bargaining that led to the formation of APC.
