2023: APC BoT member rules out supporting Tinubu, says Obi’s candidacy reduces Biafran agitation
3 min read2023: APC BoT member rules out supporting Tinubu, says Obi’s candidacy reduces Biafran agitation
By Naomisophyblog
Member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the All Progressives Congress from Abia State, Ochiagha Apugo, has adduced reasons for not supporting the 2023 presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu, despite being a party chieftain
Tinubu had, in June this year, emerged as the APCās presidential flag bearer.
The former Lagos State governor scored 1,271 votes to defeat his closest contenders, Rotimi Amaechi, who pulled 316 votes and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who scored 235 votes.
However, Ochiagha Apugo, while addressing a cross-section of journalists at the Nkata Ibeku country home in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State recently, maintained that he was not aware of Tinubuās presidential bid as he was neither informed nor consulted by the ex-Lagos governor before or during the concluded presidential primary election conducted by the party leadership.
āI donāt know him as a presidential candidate of APC. I am on the same level as him in APC.
āTinubu has not talked to me, how do I support someone whom I donāt know his political ambition. And nobody has come to say Tinubu sent him to see meā.
On the Muslim-Muslim tickets fielded by the All Progressives Congress for the 2023 presidential elections, Apugo opined that Nigerians are yearning for competent, and responsive leadership at all levels of the country, insisting that the partyās decision in fielding a presidential candidate and running-mate of the Muslim backgrounds would not in any way affect his personal choice of presidential candidate and his decision not to support or vote the presidential candidate of the APC.
His words: āI told you earlier that I donāt know Tinubu. He hasnāt come to me, so anything that he does, doesnāt in any way affect my decision about him or about me not knowing him.
Read Also:Labour Party Picks State To Begin Presidential Campaign.
On the rumours that heās backing Labour Party in the forthcoming 2023 general election in the country, Apugo ruled out supporting candidates based on political party affiliation, reiterating that he would throw his weight behind competent candidates and not on party affiliation as done before.
His words: āLet us not be sentimental about Peter Obi being an Igbo man, thatās sentimental. We are going to vote for the right person.
āI will vote the right person, I wonāt be sentimental about Peter Obi. Whether he is an Hausa man and I decide to vote for him, I will vote for him.
āLetās stop talking about Peter Obi being an Igbo man. From what you have been seeing, is it only the Igbo people that are supporting Peter Obi?
āWeāre not supporting Peter Obi, because heās an Igbo man; we are talking about the right people to be elected into leadership positions of the country.
āLet me tell you what this Peter Obi thing has done for the Igbo man. It has wiped out Biafraā.