The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Sunday declared that the 2023 presidential race is still widely open to all members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) while the party leadership is yet to resolve the zoning of the presidential ticket. The Minister at a media interaction on Channel Television monitored from Lagos disapproved insinuations that he is being considered or anointed to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 after his second tenure. Amaechi declared that “only God knows Nigeria’s next leader.” His statement suggested that the race for the APC presidential ticket for 2023 remains wide open.
Meanwhile, while APC leaders are yet to come out clear on the issue of zoning of the president, there are innuendoes that the presidential ticket of the APC may have been zoned to the south west or in the widest claim, zoned to the south. While the southwest leaders are making claims of having the right to clinch the APC presidential ticket in 2023, the southeast leaders are crying for zoning of the president to the Igbo.
Amaechi, former Governor of Rivers State, had for long been perceived to be in the race for the 2023 presidential election. His mobilization groups have been working underground, lobbying and making overtures to other party stakeholders for alliances and support.
In the southwest, APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has been in the frontline of the contest for the APC 2023 presidential ticket. Several mobilization groups have since been formed for this purpose.
The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, have also been identified to be in the race, representing the southwest quota in the APC zoning scheme.
The Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, is also being linked to the contest for the APC presidential ticket in 2023.
In the north, about three presidential aspirants are in the race for the APC ticket for 2023.
The Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, is the main known presidential aspirant from the southeast in the APC.
Rotimi Amaechi may be relying on the old southeast regional structure that extended Rivers State before the creation of 12 states in 1967. Apparently, the Transport Minister may also be claiming Igbo kinship in his presidential ambition to succeed President Buhari in 2023.
Just like other presidential aspirants who are yet to make official declaration for the 2023 presidential race, Amaechi also insisted that his focus, at the moment, is to deliver as the Minister of Transport and does not want to be distracted.
“I am still the Minister for Transportation and only God can tell who the President of Nigeria in will be 2023,” Amaechi reaffirmed.