Strongman of Lagos politics, Bola Ahmed Tinubu wins decisive delegates votes to snag the APC presidential election ticket for 2023.
The Jagaban Borgu beat hard-fighting Minister Rotimi Amechi and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to a distant second- and third-place finish respectively.
At the end of counting, the Lagos strongman recorded a commanding 60 percent of votes cast at yesterday’s convention.
Amechi came second with 14.94 percent of delegate votes while Osinbajo was third with 11 percent.
The 2023 presidential elections thus promises to be a three-way race between party candidates from the North, East and West. The APC candidate will square up with Atiku Abubakar (PDP) and Peter Obi (Labour).
Gov Tinubu defied all odds to emerge candidate, even after party Chair Sen Abdullahi Adamu positioned Senate President Ahmed Lawan as consensus candidate.
Tinubu’s victory owes much to the support of governors, including Ekiti Governor Kayode Fayemi who read the handwriting on the wall and threw his support behind the Lagos landlord.
End of Southeast quest
The result confirms refusal of politicians to concede the Presidency to the Southeast through the two dominant parties.
The best performing Southeastern candidate, Gov Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state scored less than two percent of the delegates votes.
Others such as Rochas Okorocha and Mokelu scored zero votes while party loyalists Nwajiuba and Ogbonnaya Onu got one vote each.
As it happened during the PDP primaries, Southeast delegates voted massively for aspirants from outside their region. Except for Umahi who got 38 votes, the rest of the southeast votes largely went away from the zone.
Tinubu wins APC presidential ticket
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