Some opposition presidential candidates, who took part in the 2023 general elections, on Thursday met with the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, begging him to prevail on President Bola Tinubu to include them in his ‘Government of National Competence’.
Tinubu as president-elect had, in reaction to calls for a Government of National Unity, said he would go beyond that and establish a ‘Government of National Competence‘.
Some of the presidential candidates who met with Ganduje at the National Secretariat of the party included those of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA; Action Democratic Party, ADP; National Rescue Movement NRM; Action Peoples Party, APP, among others.
During the visit, the presidential candidate of the National Rescue Movement, NRM, Ambassador Felix Osakwe, spoke on behalf of the Forum of Concerned Presidential Candidates.
He said they are for the peace and development of Nigeria, hence their refusal to challenge Tinubu’s mandate at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal PEPT.
He said: “I feel Mr Chairman, you will be the right person to lead us to meet with Mr. President so that we can air our own views in his presence and also to let him know that it is not all the presidential candidates that were against him. We choose not to go to court because this is Nigeria.
“We are here to thank you and God. The former presidential candidates are willing to offer our services to this country. We have a demand and it is for the party. That a slot in the campaign council for the Governorship elections should be made available to us
“Those of us who have piloted this, we held a meeting and we were asked to demand from you a presence in the Campaign Councils. We believe that our job is much more wanted now as we prepare to go into the polls in the three states in November.
“I am to submit the two names to the chairman. And we believe by your power and by the special grace of God, it shall be done. We will do our best to make sure that three states that we are going into polls for, succeed. And with what we have been doing, we are going to mobilize our parties in those states for your party”.
Responding, Ganduje said he would convey their requests to the President.
Taking a subtle swipe at his political rival and Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party NNPP, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Ganduje said the party has now been converted into a revenue generating platform.
He said; “I will convey your views and requests and I will ensure that you see Mr President eye to eye. I thank you for being faithful to your respective parties.
“What I am seeing is one political aspirant who became a presidential candidate by accident. Who became a presidential candidate by hijacking another party because he was partyless.
“He could not give account according to INEC that it cannot qualify it to be a political party. He decided to hijack a political party and since he could not realize his aspirations, he decided to make that party a revenue platform rather than a political party.
“He has now decided to even expel the founder. God forbid. He will not succeed. You presidential candidates, I salute you for being good ambassadors of your own political parties not destroyers of your own political parties and not turning your political parties to sources of revenue. Since you cannot get the presidential tickets, you will get pocket ticket. I thank you. No doubt we will include you in the three states that we are having elections come November this year”.