When the 19 APC presidential primary losers allegedly announced Aug 31 to meet at Transcorp, Abuja, and deliberate on how to help the APC win the 2023 presidential, many thought that was the end of the cold war between the losers and the winner Bola Tinubu.
But on Wednesday, only one of the also-rans, Nicholas Felix. who stepped down for V.P. Yemi Osinbajo, showed at the venue.
As of that time, the National Daily reported Osinbajo was already on his way to the US for the energy transition summit. E-Ministers Rotimi Amaechi, Ogbonnaya Onu, Rochas Okorocha, Ikeobasi Mokelo, and 15 others refused to show up.
While no reason was given, Felix announced the meeting had been rescheduled.
The reason may not, however, be difficult to pinpoint.
None of the losers, except Senate President Ahmed Lawan and Gov Dave Umahi, have spoken in any favorable manner about Tinubu chances. Amaechi went ahead to even deliver a stinger of a speech about those delegates who collected money to vote Tinubu. Others former aspirants have kept quiet.
And in the choice of those staffing the APC campaign council, none of those the APC candidate defeated got an offer. Or none accepted to serve on the council.
“I can confidently tell you that over 19 of them are not ready to work with Asiwaju to win the 2023 election,” the Daily Post quoted a party source as saying
“How many of them have you seen talking about Tinubu?
“The election didn’t go as expected and some of us are still in shock. Having a strategy to sell our candidate is a major issue,” the source told the newspaper.
But the APC campaign council has yet to show it cares the 19 losers are giving Tinubu a cold shoulder.