Seven of the APC aspirants who didn’t make the governors list have rejected the shortlist the governors sent to President Muhammadu Buhari.
A statement on Tuesday by the aspirants after a brief meeting in Abuja distanced them from the list.
Among those crossed out of the longlist are Cross River Governor, Ben Ayade; former Minister for State for Education Emeka Nwajiuba; former Minister for Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu; former Imo Governor Rochas Okorocha and businessman Tein Jack-Rich.
Describing the whole exercise as shambolic and failed attempt to sideline other aspirants particularly those from the South-East and South-South regions.
“In the past few hours we have been bombarded with calls and messages from my supporters and concerned Nigerians on a list of five Presidential aspirants submitted to President Buhari to choose from.
“As long as we are concerned no list has been submitted to Mr. President, the move by the Governors is considered a joke taken to the extreme with the aim of playing with the intellect of Nigerians particularly us from the South-East.
“Mr. President’s directive is very simple, that all Presidential aspirants including those from the North should meet and harmonise in order to produce a single candidate. As it stands we have not been consulted or attended a meeting where it was agreed that such names be sent to Mr. President.
“In the so-called list out of the five names only one was selected from the South-East and we are talking about fairness and justice to the South.
“What the Governors have done is a mere picnic in the park. These are the same Governors talking about Equity, justice and fairness yet in a clandestine manner purportedly sidelined the South-east.
“In the absence of any harmonised agreement no list has been submitted to Mr. President, what they have done is just nothing but a charade which is bound to fail.
“We also have it on good authority that the majority of these Governors have been promised and also given various forms of gratifications in order to thwart the process in favour of one aspirant and such grand plot will fail woefully.
“More so, the party led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu remains the official organ of the party through which decisions taken by stakeholders in the party will be communicated and acted upon, in the absence of that any other move remains null and void.
“We urge all well-meaning Nigerians to disregard such information, as we remain in the race hence no consensus agreement has been reached amongst all contestants.”
Those shortlisted by the Governors are Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Ekiti Governor Kayode Fayemi; former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi and Ebonyi Governor Dave Umahi.
Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, ex-Speaker Dimeji Bankole, and Pastor Tunde Bakare didn’t make the shortlist either, but have yet to protest.