PRIMARY: Defeating Adamu, Lawan, APC govs hand Buhari their own shortlist of aspirants

While the APC governors destroyed the party chairman Abdullahi Adamu’s plot to enforce a northern candidate as a consensus, the forum has begun implementing its own agenda.

In one of their many meetings with President Muhammadu Buhari since Sunday, the governors pruned down the long list of presidential wannabes from 21 to five.

According to the Daily Trust, the governors submitted the list to Buhari early on Tuesday.

Quoting a reliable source, the newspaper said the five names are those of Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti State) and Governor Dave Umahi (Ebonyi State).

Apart from the northern aspirants the governors struck out of the list, others who didn’t make the cut even in the south include Buhari’s ally Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, former Speaker Dimeji Bankole, Pastor Tunde Bakare.

Others are Sen Rochas Okorochan, Ministers Rotimi Amaechi, Chkwuemeka Nwajiuba, Ogbonnaya Onu, among others.

Earlier, the governors, especially the northern clique derailed the chairman’s effort to force Buhari’s hand to anoint Sen. President Ahmed Lawan from Yobe.

The governors insisted the ticket must go south.

Jigawa Gov. Mohammed Badaru has since pulled out.

The last northern governor standing, Gov Yahaya Bello, bolted out of the last meeting the governors had with Buhari at the Villa.