By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
After losing the 2023 presidential election, candidates of various opposition parties, including All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Action Peoples Party (APP), African Democratic Party (ADP), among others, yesterday stormed the ruling party to seek inclusion in President Bola Ahmed Tínubu’s government.
Making their intentions known to the National chairman of APC, Umar Ganduje, the spokesman of the group, understand the auspices of Concerned Former Presidential candidates, Ambassador Felix Johnson Osakwe, urged that they were willing to work for the ruling party in any capacity.
Restating their commitment to peace and development of the country, the opposition candidates said that is the reason they rejected all entreaties to challenge Tinubu’s victory in the court of law.
Osakwe, who was the presidential candidate of National Rescue Movement (NRM) in the 2023 presidential election, said they were for peace, hence Tinubu should include them in his government.
Osakwe said President Tinubu should be told that not all the presidential candidates are against his victory at election.
He said “We are here sir, not only to see Mr president, number one is to be identified with you and to thank God for your appointment, then number two, we see you as a father sir, who has been a Commander-in Chief of a state and here you are today to be the pilot that will lead the presidential candidate especially those who are ready and those who love this country and the interest of this country first before politics, before parties.
“That you will be the right person to lead us to meet with Mr President, so he can hear our own views in person and also for him to know that it is not all the presidential candidate that is against him.
“We choose not to go to court because this is Nigeria and we have no other country to go.
“So we are here to thank you and to thank God and everyone seated here and to say that as presidential candidates, there is something we can offer this country and I believe with government of inclusion will be necessary in terms like this.”
In his response, the APC national chairman commended the candidates and promised to convey their views to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said “I will convey your views and requests. And I will ensure that you see Mr President eye to eye. I thank you for being faithful to your respective parties. What I am seeing is one political aspirant who became a presidential candidate by accident. Who became a presidential candidate by hijacking another party because he was partyless.
“He decided to hijack a political party. And since, he could not realise his aspiration he decided to make that party a revenue platform rather than a political party.
“He has now decided to even expel the founder. God forbid. He will not succeed. You presidential candidates I salute you for being good ambassadors of your own political parties, not destroyers of your own political parties. And not turning your political parties as a source of revenue.
“No doubt we will include you in the three states that we are having elections come November this year. Than you and God bless.”
