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THE rank of the All Progressives Congress aspirants jostling to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 has swollen with the official entrance, on Friday, of more party chieftains into the race. Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele; Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonaya Onu; Hon Dimeji Bankole; former governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Sani Yerima and the senator representing Ondo North, Ajayi Boroffice are the latest entrants into the contest. 

After several months of denial, the CBN governor, Emefiele, joined the race on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). 

Sources at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, venue of the sale of forms to aspirants, confirmed to Saturday Tribune that certain individuals picked the expression of interest and nomination forms on behalf of the apex bank governor on Friday morning. 

Checks revealed that in March, Emefiele-for-president posters were all over Eagle Square, venue of the APC national convention, where Senator Abdullahi Adamu emerged as the national chairman alongside other members of the ruling party’s National Working Committee (NWC). 

But Emefiele had, in a tweet, described the posters which dotted the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as the handiwork of mischief makers who were hell-bent on distracting him from his focus on giving the nation a sound monetary and fiscal policy and ultimately stimulating economic growth and development under the Muhammadu Buhari administration. 

In the tweet, the CBN governor said: “My focus at this time is a robust monetary policy and fighting inflation which is now a global problem; building a strong financial system in an increasingly uncertain global economy; development finance and supporting farmers and manufacturers in our self-sufficiency and import substitution drive; raising N15 trillion for infrastructure financing; building a worldclass international financial centre in Lagos; as we support the @MBuhari administration to finish strong. #NoDistractionsPlease.” 

Saturday Tribune checks also revealed that the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonaya Onu, also picked the nomination form for the presidential race on Friday. 

The former Zamfara State governor, Yerima, also on Friday, formally signified his interest in the race to succeed President Buhari. 

He made his declaration at Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja. Senator Boriffice also picked presidential nomination form on Friday. 

Saturday Tribune investigation revealed that amidst plot to bully presidential aspirants to surrender to a consensus arrangement for the emergence of the party’s standard-bearer, aspirants who are agitated over the letter of voluntary withdrawal attached to their nomination forms are avoiding ventilating their reservations within the media space. 

Some aspirants who spoke with Saturday Tribune on condition of anonymity said they were wary of the implication of appending their signatures on the form. A governorship aspirant said he was yet to fill the form. 

“I learnt that it is for everybody. We are all worried but what can you do? I don’t think it is for consensus because that will bring injustice. I think it is for a different purpose,” the aspirant said. Another aspirant said he had no choice but to surrender himself to the dictates of the party. “The party is supreme,” he told Saturday Tribune. 

The letter of voluntary withdrawal tagged Form 18, reads in part: “I hereby voluntarily withdraw my candidacy from the contest. My withdrawal is in the best interest of our great party, the All Progressives Congress.” 

The national publicity secretary of the party, Felix  Morka, however, allayed the fears of aspirants. He told Saturday Tribune in a telephone interview that there was no sinister motive behind the Form 18. 

He said: “It isn’t mandatory for aspirants to sign the form. An aspirant needs to sign it if and only if he decides to withdraw from the race. That is in line with provisions of the Electoral Act.” 

Consensus is one of the models in the APC constitution for our candidates. The form is there for aspirant who voluntarily submits himself to the consensus option to fill and submit. No aspirant is under any obligation to fill the form.” 

Yarima said he received the go-ahead of President Buhari to join the race. He met the president on Friday after Juma’at prayers at the Presidential Villa to seek his blessing to contest for the ticket of the ruling party in next year’s election. 

Speaking to newsmen as he emerged from the meeting, Yerima said he was at Villa to inform the president of his desire to succeed him in office. 

The former governor, who is famous for introducing harsh Sharia law in Zamfara State during his time as governor, said he acted within the provisions of the constitution to do what he did. 

Yerima, who also represented Zamfara West in the Senate, said if elected, he would fight insecurity, poverty and ignorance.

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