APC Ticket: How Buhari’s decision unsettles Tinubu, Amaechi & other contenders

President Muhammadu Buhari has decided to take a decision that unsettles the major contenders for the post of President in 2023.

Among them are: former Lagos Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha among others who are in the race. All these people have declared to contest for the post in 2023.

Buhari has decided not to openly back any of the aspirants. In fact, he adopted a non-committal stance on the issue. According to a report by Daily Trust, this position taken by Buhari has unsettles Tinubu, Osinbajo, Amaechi and other aspirants.

Of great importance is that they all reached out to tell Buhari that they would contest for the post. They also sought his backing but he remained silent without telling any of them whether he would back him or not. Buhari usually told them to go ahead. That was all he said to each of them.

Well, it is most unlikely that a sitting President would not back someone to emerge his successor. Over the years in Nigeria, the incumbents usually do all within their powers to produce their successors. Although, Buhari had initially said that he was not interested in who succeeds him, he later said that he would not reveal his favoured candidate for security reasons according to Daily Trust report cited above.

With the way Buhari later backed Senator Abdullahi Adamu to emerge the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, the presidential aspirants are worried that such scenario may play out at the APC presidential primary. This is even as Buhari has chosen not to disclose who he is backing to succeed him. If he makes his preferred choice known, others may drop their ambition while those who insist can go ahead to test their popularity at their risk.