Why Osinbajo Will Clinch APC Ticket – Group

A civic group, Identify the Right Leader (ITRL) Initiative, has said all political steps and strategies being taken by the All Progressives Congress (APC) towards the 2023 Presidential election will end up in favour of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN).

The group also said it is convinced that the Vice President will declare his intention to run for President and clinch the party ticket, declaring that “…everything points to the fact that Osinbajo will win the race, all things being equal.”

In the statement released today by the group, its National Coordinator, Mrs Temi Okesanjo, stated that the Vice President does not need an ultimatum to declare interest to contest for President in the 2023 election, as choosing whether to run or not is no longer his call.

Okesanjo said “We are not in doubt as to whether or not Osinbajo will contest in 2023. We’ve since moved past that stage. Groups like ours are out with prescribed arrangements for Prof. Osinbajo’s presidency because he represents everything Nigeria needs at this time in our national life.”

“Many people seem to overlook the fact that Osinbajo is dedicated to his Vice Presidential duties which are critical to our socio-economic development as a nation. He cannot precipitously abandon those tasks to commence an extensive, physically and mentally demanding presidential campaign for 2023 at this time.

“No one should expect a renowned lawyer who rose to the ranks of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and full Professor of law – both on merit – to jump the gun of the Electoral Act inasmuch as INEC is yet to lift the ban on political activities, which means actively campaigning now will be running afoul of the law,” stated Okesanjo.

Referring to the group’s recently launched Impact Assessment Report titled “The Unveiling”, the ITRL National Coordinator said “Those who spare the time to read the report will conclude that Nigerians will vote Osinbajo en masse because his past and present works speak eloquently for him. He has demonstrated capacity, readiness, and excellence in carrying out the duties of office since his time as Attorney-General of Lagos State through to his stints in the nation’s capital. Only a few public officials in Nigeria today can claim impacts of similar significance during their tenures – maybe none.”

“Without a doubt, APC will eventually favour Prof. Osinbajo. As a committed party man who wrote the APC’s 2014 manifesto, ‘The Roadmap’, which led the party to its historic victory at the 2015 presidential election, the elements are clearly aligned in Osinbajo’s favour to win his party’s ticket.”

“For us, we stand to be counted among the numerous socio-civic groups that have declared support for Osinbajo for 2023. The APC will get it right by picking Osinbajo as its flagbearer for 2023 and we expect an easy campaign because it is a case of the product selling itself. APC will have a harder time marketing any other candidate for the election.”

Okesanjo went on to say, “Several groups have reached out to ITRL to contribute their quota to and take part in the democratic process in ways that they can. Our arms are open to work with other groups whose objectives tally with ours.”