By Emmanuel Aziken
In the most audacious attempt at monetizing the country’s democracy, the All Progressives Congress, APC, last week fixed the price tag for its presidential nomination forms at N100 million. The development practically fenced off the aspiration of any political actor who sweated to make his money.
Also affected were the young who do not have the grace of having been born to any of the political tycoons who have steered the nation these past years.
However, it was no barrier to political godfathers themselves. What was supposed to be a disincentive has rather lured many more political actors into the fray. Indeed, the APC nomination form market may end up becoming the most profitable economic venture of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
So profitable has it been that a whopping $75,000 belonging to an unknown political trader easily disappeared from the national secretariat sometime this week.
Among those who showed interest in the nomination ticket after the N100 million form was announced was Governor Ben Ayade, governor of Cross River State.
After indicating his interest and purchasing the form, he declared that he would not mind stepping down once the president and the party urge him to so do.
AD
Another person who has shown interest is Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who has in the past been labelled Buhari’s closest confidant from the Southwest.
Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State is also expected to formally declare after the Islamic holidays. He had in the past been dubbed as the candidate of the governors. Though he has the majority of the governors behind him, he has, however, lost the momentum that he once had months ago.
Senator Ken Nnamani, yesterday, also formally declared. He added to the number from the Southeast which includes Senator Chris Ngige, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Mr Emeka Nwajiuba among others. An attempt by Rotimi Amaechi to incline himself towards the Southeast has been firmly rebuffed as he is now left to wear the South-South toga. The prospects of Timipire Sylva, the minister of state for petroleum remain in unchartered waters.
However, the outpouring of aspirants has not in any way removed the position of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the man to beat in the contest. For a man who declared the presidency as his life ambition, and with the machine available to him, it is no surprise that from outside, that the permutations on him remain almost unassailable.
For those in the camp of the former Lagos governor, it would be tempting to believe that the emergence of folks like Ayade, Nnamani and maybe Amosun could be seen as little bother.
After all, associates of the Jagban could assure themselves that these recent day entrants do not have the political structure to rely on. Indeed, they may even believe that the increased number would help add verve to a game that they expect Tinubu to win.
However, sources have now revealed that any such optimism in the camp of Tinubu would be foolhardy as the deluge of aspirants is all part of the game to checkmate the National Leader.
After insisting on expressing his democratic right despite the body language of the system in Abuja that he should withdraw, the plan is to now use Tinubu’s own medicine against him.
In the first place, Tinubu is about to be relegated to the second place in the Southwest with the possible emergence of Governor Fayemi in the next few days. With Ogun State now firmly in Osinbajo’s hands, Lagos firmly in Asiwaju’s grip, the remaining states apparently still open are Ekiti, Ondo and Osun.
Ekiti and Ondo would go together for Fayemi while Osun which ordinarily had been in the hands of Asiwaju now has a new power player in the person of Senator Iyiola Omisore, the National Secretary of the APC.
Given insinuations at the last national convention where it was alleged that the Asiwaju Camp did not back Omisore’s bid for National Secretary until the last minute, the prospect of a hit back is not impossible.
As one top political APC member asked your correspondent, how will Omisore forsake Fayemi who pushed for his nomination to support Tinubu?
Now it is against the background of the surplus of aspirants that the party would impress it on the aspirants to come out with a consensus.
Nigerians would remember how Buhari insisted on the insertion of the consensus option while the Electoral Act was in the making and how Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, (a Tinubu ally) appeared to stonewall.
Somehow, whoever that consensus is, would definitely not be Tinubu.
Tinubu, expectedly would reject if the consensus does not happen to be him. It is upon this that all the other aspirants would be asked in the interest of party unity to step down, just as candidates for various offices were made to step down during the National Convention.
Indicative of this projection, Ayade has already indicated his willingness to step down even before being asked.
At the end it would leave two aspirants standing: the consensus candidate and Tinubu. It would now boil down to a straight battle in most probably, a direct primary.
Willy-nilly, readers would remember the direct primary that was used against Akinwunmi Ambode in Lagos. Remodeling that at the national level, writing the result and announcing it while voters are still at the polls would not be difficult!
