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Tinubu Set to Build Alliance with Other Political Parties

The  All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has said it plans to build an alliance with smaller parties in a bid to boost the chances of its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to win the February 25th election.

Tinubu had met with APC governors on Monday night following fears expressed by some members on the need to address inadequacies in the party’s presidential campaign.

We learned through Punch that the APC Presidential Campaign Council, which comprises governors and the presidential candidate, believed that allying with other parties would help the party win the most votes and achieve the necessary national spread in the presidential election.

Senator Adesoji Akanbi, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, confirmed to The PUNCH on Tuesday that the APC was searching outside the Peoples Democratic Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, and the Labour Party, noting that agreements could be reached with the smaller parties to adopt Tinubu.

Additionally, the lack of interest shown by several APC leaders, former presidential candidates, and ministers in Tinubu’s campaigns are said to be raising concerns inside the ruling party.

Recall that Tinubu had been wooing the aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, G-5 governors comprising Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Samuel Ortom (Benue); Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).

However, the Governors are yet to announce the candidate of their choice. Tuesday’s meeting with his party governors is predicted to rejig his campaigns and bolster his prospect.

Akanbi, a member of the APC-Election Planning and Monitoring Committee PPC, and the group’s coordinator in the South-West spoke about their strategy for getting other parties to support the APC standard bearer and noted that talks were already underway in Oyo State. He urged APC leaders in other states to follow suit.

The former lawmaker, who is also the Chairman, of Strategy and Policy, Tinubu-Shettima Independent Campaign Council said, “We are reaching out to Accord (Party) members, Social Democratic Party and other political parties to vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the presidential election.”

“Seeking defectors (to the APC) is too late now; that will not work, that is like time-wasting. That can happen voluntarily. What we are selling to them is the product – Bola Ahmed Tinubu – for president.

“They should come out and support him for this reason and that reason so that they can have a president that can deliver.’’

“We are encouraging all our members and stakeholders in other states to take that approach and I am sure they are doing it. It was my idea from Day One, immediately after the primaries and I have sold the idea to the party generally and most states are adopting it. Politics is local,’’ he concluded.

Meanwhile, Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Alliance’s presidential candidate, and Chief Victor Oye, the All Progressives Grand Alliance’s national chairman, both ruled out the prospect of cooperating with the APC candidate.

Sowore stated, “No, and I think we’ve made it clear we had the first political alliance in this election cycle with the PRP-Vanguard. We have no ideological similarities with the rogue party you mentioned.”

In addition, Muhammad Nalado, the National Chairman of the Accord Group, stated that no negotiations were currently underway with the APC or any other political party.

He stated, “We cannot doubt them because we are not in APC. But at the moment, we have not discussed or sat with any political party to talk about mergers or alliances or whatever.

‘’Up till now, our presidential candidate is in the pursuit of his goal to be the president of Nigeria and we have already formed our campaign council, and we are going on with our campaign. So, there is no negotiation yet.

‘’I cannot rule out negotiation but at the moment, as l am talking to you, we have never discussed it, in our sitting or with any other political party.”

What is your thought on the proposed plan to ally with other political parties by Tinubu Campaign Council?

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