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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The National Coordinator of Senator Godswill Akpabio for Common Good (SGACG), Dr Jibril Tafida, has reacted to the separate meetings of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Ebonyi State Governor Umahi with President Muhammadu Buhari over the 2023 presidential election, saying that both of them are no match for Senator Godswill Akpabio for the presidential race.
Ebonyi Governor David Umahi told State House Correspondents on Tuesday that he had informed President Muhammadu Buhari of his ambition to contest the presidency on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Party (APC).
Governor Umahi’s action came barely 24 hours after the National Leader of the Party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, took similar steps.
Reacting, Dr Tafida in an interview with newsmen in Kaduna said: ‘Both Tinubu and Umahi are no match for Akpabio and as a volunteer group we are confident that our struggle to convince Senator Godswill Akpabio to contest Nigeria’s presidency in 2023 will eventually yield a positive outcome.’
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Tafida, while responding to a question on whether Tinubu and Umahi’s declarations could threaten Akpabio’s prospects because they are ahead of him in going public, he said the duo were ‘in too much of a hurry and Akpabio is a slow and steady man, who could win any race. We are not the least disturbed by the action of the duo because we are currently calculating and consulting with relevant stakeholders.’
Dr Tafida assured that although his group was still working to convince Akpabio to take a shot at the nation’s presidency in 2023, the former Akwa Ibom governor will not disappoint Nigerians.
He explained that ‘there was a lot of proof that Senator Akpabio, the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, is favoured by history because of his democratic credentials and age, unlike Tinubu – who is clearly old enough to play an advisory role in governance at the national level. Even at the international level, younger people are today the leaders, as can be found in France, North Korea among others,’ he argued.
Dr Tafida also disclosed that his group, the SGACG has reached an advanced stage in mobilizing support for the proposed Akpabio-led presidency and expressed hope of successfully drafting him into the 2023 race.
