There is seeming political tension in the country as Nigerians expect the flag bearers of the two leading political parties – the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – for the 2023 general elections to emerge this week.
While there is a total of 38 aspirants in the race for the presidential tickets of the leading parties, there are also some perceivable uncertainties from both ends, as contenders from the two parties are enmeshed in a web of internal politics around the selection of their presidential candidates.
While some aspirants are travelling from one state to another meeting with delegates, many others have gone silent in their bid for the highest office in the country since they obtained the presidential forms.
Daily Trust chronicles the candidates from the two parties who have seemingly gone underground after collecting the presidential forms in their respective parties.
ALL PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS (APC)
Pastor Tunde Bakare
Popular Pentecostal pastor, Tunde Bakare declared interest in the 2023 presidential race on Saturday, May 4 during a virtual programme tittled ‘Unveiling Project 16 to Nigerians in diaspora,’ before purchasing the APC presidential forms on Thursday, May 8. The founder of Citadel Global Community Church is a native of Ogun State who was President Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate in 2011 when the latter ran unsuccessfully in that year’s presidential poll. Unlike aspirants like the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who have been active in wooing delegates, little has been heard of Bakare’s political activities ahead of the primary.
Prof. Ben Ayade
The Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade received his APC presidential forms reportedly purchased for him by some groups including the AREWA Youths on Monday, May 9. The former legislator was a member of the Nigeria’s 7th Senate before becoming the governor of Cross River State in 2015 after which he was reelected in 2019. He was a member of the PDP before defecting to the ruling APC on Thursday, May 20, 2021. Like Bakare, Ayade has also been largely passive seeking support for his presidential ambition.
Dave Umahi
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State picked the presidential nomination forms of the APC on Thursday, April 28. Umahi who joined the APC in November 2020 from the PDP – the party on whose platform he won two governorship elections – had previously been the deputy governor and PDP Chairman in the State. However, he had been inactive in terms of consultation across the states.
Dimeji Bankole
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, purchased the APC presidential expression of interest and nomination forms on Friday, May 6. He was the 9th Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria, who was elected at the age of 37, as the youngest Speaker in the history of the House. In 2019, he contested in the Ogun State gubernatorial election under the platform of Action Democratic Party. Little or nothing has been heard of his political activities since he obtained the forms.
Muhammed Badaru Abubakar
Jigawa State governor, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar is also one of the APC members who purchased the party’s presidential forms to succeed President Buhari, having acquired the N100 million forms on May 5. Badaru is also the Chairman, Presidential Committee on Fertilizer and also the Chairman, Presidential Committee on Non-Oil Revenue.
Godswill Akpabio
Godswill Akpabio is the immediate ex-minister of Niger Delta Affairs who resigned from his miniaterial position on May 11, after purchasing the APC forms to contest for the president in 2023. The former two-term governor served as Governor of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria from May 29, 2007 to May 29, 2015.
Rochas Okorocha
Roachas Okorocha is a former Imo State governor and Senator representing Imo West who joined the presidential race after a group named New Nigeria Movement had procured the APC presidential forms for him on April 29. He is one of the seven presidential aspirants of the APC who on Sunday, reached an agreement to throw their weight behind any South-East consensus candidate the party endorses ahead of the May 29 primary election. Until his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday, noise about his presidential ambition had drastically dwindled after he obtained the forms
Ibikunle Amosun
The former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun also obtained the one hundred million naira APC presidential forms. The Ogun Central senator officially declared his intention to contest the 2023 presidency on Thursday at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Anyim Pius Anyim
A coalition of about 350 groups on March 24, purchased the expression of interest and presidential nomination forms for former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim. But unlike his co-contestants such as former President Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President Bukola Saraki, little or nothing is known of Anyim’s consultation after he obtained the forms.
Sam Ohuabunwa
The former Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company, Mr Sam Ohuabunwa is also one of those who obtained the PDP presidential forms but has not been active afterwards.
Dele Momodu
The Nigerian journalist and publisher of Ovation International Magazine, Dele Momodu picked the PDP presidential forms on March 25. He was active before picking the forms but went underground afterwards.
Ayodele Fayose
The former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, picked the preidential forms of the PDP on April 6 amid political theatrics which died down shortly afterwards.
Governor Udom Emmanuel
Akwa lbom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, joined the 2023 PDP presidential race, when the Brekete family, a popular reality show which focuses on human rights issues in Nigeria, presented to him on Thursday April 7, the presidential nomination forms they reportedly bought for him.
