Presidency 2023: Tinubu limits self, ignores southeast, south-south in his consultation

The national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has since the commencement of consultations in the country for his presidential ambition been perceived to ignore stakeholders in the southeast and south-south. There were insinuations that the leading presidential aspirant in the APC may have chosen to limit himself to the north and southwest in accordance with his campaign plan, time schedule or self-confidence political calculations.

Some stakeholders have observed that the former Lagos State governor has purportedly maintained isolationist contacts in mobilizing support for his presidential ambition across the country.

Some stakeholders insinuated that the isolationist consultation and mobilization for support approach of the APC national leader may not be unconnected to his uncomplimentary and unfriendly comments about the Igbo population in Nigeria in recent years, or the backlog of unfriendly relations with southeast residents in Lagos during the 2019 presidential election in Lagos State.

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Meanwhile, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has been deepening courtesy visits to the south-south, southeast and the north, both on official and personal arrangements, meeting with relevant stakeholders.

Sources from Tinubu’s camp structure, however, dismissed any insinuation that the APC leader is ignoring or isolating the southeast or any part of the country in his consultations for the 2023 general election. The sources said that their principal cannot visit everywhere on the same day or same time, adding that he is taking up consultations with the different parts of the country one after the other. The sources also said that the Tinubu is not oblivious of the election value of the Igbo population or their contributions to national development, and therefore, cannot ignore the southeast or any other parts of the country. They stated that Tinubu has strong campaign structures and representatives in the southeast and south-south who are on ground mobilizing support for him. They assured that the APC national leader will soon engage stakeholders in the southeast and south-south in his consultation for the 2023 presidential ambition.