The number of presidential aspirants on the platform of the APC jumped to 13 on Friday as the Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, sent out a notice that he would formally declare for president next Wednesday in Abuja.
Fayemi joins a long list that includes Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu; former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu; ex-governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha; Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State; Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige; Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; former president of the Senate, Ken Nnamani; Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State and Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
Five of the presidential aspirants have so far paid N100 million and picked up their forms. Those who did are Tinubu, Umahi, Bello, Nwajiuba and Okorocha.
Nnamani, while declaring his intention to run for president on Friday, promised to improve on the legacy of President Buhari, while also demanding for the reduction of the cost of interest and nomination forms for aspirants seeking elective posts under the APC.
He said compared with other aspirants, he was the most suited for the job of the President.
Nnamani said his pedigree as the President of the Senate and Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Constitutional and Electoral Reform make him the right candidate.
Okorocha picked his presidential expression of interest and nomination forms on Friday, insisting that Nigeria’s biggest challenge remains the inability to create wealth.
Okorocha, who was presented the documents by “The New Nigeria Team”, in his Unity House office in Abuja, maintained that he remained the right candidate to take over from Buhari, promising that his government would be pro-people.
Tinubu Support Groups (TSG) on Friday also picked the N100 million Expression of Interest and nomination forms on behalf of Tinubu.
The TSG team was led by a member representing Ikeja Federal constituency in the House of Representatives and the Chairman House Committee on Finance, Hon. James Faleke.
Faleke said Tinubu paid for his form personally but asked them to pick it up on his behalf because he was out of the country.
The lawmaker stressed that Tinubu was the candidate to beat, no matter the mode of primaries adopted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Asiwaju at the appropriate time will deliver his address to us, but I know that this country under Tinubu will be better off. Economy will be better off because he is an economist, he is not a lawyer, he is an economist. He will deal with the economic situation of this country. He did it in Lagos, the security challenges in Lagos were solved by him. He will solve the same security challenges. He is a man who rewards loyalty, who ensures that people who work are also taken care of.”
On his part, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal said Tinubu is a branded product, adding that every Nigerian knows that he is the man to beat.
On his chances, he noted, “If we were not sure we have chances to win this election we would not waste our N100 million. Everybody’s free to buy the forms if he has N100 million. The choice is his own. He has the money. But as far as we are concerned, we are only fulfilling the constitutional requirement of campaigning and going for election. We don’t foresee any opposition in the contest.”
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