Presidency: How the Southwest APC governors may align with Tinubu, Osinbajo and Fayemi

Southwest politics has been one of the most strategic, peculiar, entertaining and educative political arena since the return of democracy to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, since 1999.

2023 general elections is around the corner and the major political gladiators, members of the public and prominent political strategists are taking turns, to evidently, paint and shape the political circumstances in the country. Mostly, the Southwestern part of Nigeria is, arguably, talking and making the much of the topics that are being discussed within the political discussion forums, online and offline, across the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

This is happening so, simply, because; aside from other prominent sons and daughters of the Southwestern origin contributing immensely to the political activities of another party, three distinct sons of the region are being perceived to be eyeing the presidential ticket of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC). How do I mean?

I mean the perceived presidential ambition of Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo; Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi and the one in the public domain, the presidential ambition of the former Executive Governor of Lagos State and a National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, might have been responsible for the intensified political activities in the Southwest.

However, bearing in minds that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has five of the six states in Southwest under her control, the Executive Governors of the states could be considered as major players in this contest.

Although, one of the serving APC Governors in Southwest, the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi; is being perceived to be vying for the presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), but he may considerably stand alone in the course of picking the presidential ticket of the party. This is clear to all, no APC Governor in the Southwest is publicly in support of Governor Fayemi’s presidential ambition.

However, it is a clean sheet for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be enjoying the support of at least three of the four other APC governors in the Southwest part of the country.

No doubt, the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun and Osun State Governor, Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola are major supporters of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential ambition.

Although, one may want to take the position that Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, is an unrelenting supporter of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential ambition, but to be fair and truthful, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has been more neutral and friend to all than taking position with anyone, at the moment.

Arguable though, as it stands, Governor Kayode Fayemi is the only Southwest Governor supporting himself for the 2023 presidential ambition in Southwest; Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential hopefulness enjoys support of three of the four other governors, but Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo seems not to be having any Southwestern Governor behind his perceived presidential ambition.