By our reporter| A top campaigner for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Richard Akinnola, on Wednesday congratulated Bola Tinubu on his victory in the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Akinnola, a lawyer and journalist, extended his wishes to the APC chieftain on Wednesday in a statement posted on his Facebook page.
“Congratulations, Asiwaju Tinubu, the presumed winner of the primaries,” he said in the statement.
“In any contest, there must be a winner.
“However, I’m very proud of my choice of support in the person of Professor Yemi Osinbajo. I have no iota of regret over my support for him. It was a privilege to play a pivotal role for him during the process. I would gladly do it over and over again.”
Akinnola stressed that he was proud to have supported the Vice President in his bid to emerge as the APC presidential flagbearer.
“It’s a matter of conviction, and for all our supporters and other volunteers who worked assiduously, day and night on the PYO project, God bless you all. I’m so proud of all of you,” he said. “As l often say, God rules in the affairs of men and He has a purpose for what just happened.
“Understandably, many of you are dispirited and downcast but do not let your heart be troubled. There must be a reason God allowed this. It may not be manifest to us now but later as He is all knowing. I’m unfazed, unbowed, and very proud of PYO.”
Tinubu, took a major step toward his ambition of becoming Nigeria’s President by winning the All Progressives Congress’ presidential primary at a special convention held in Eagle Square, Abuja.
He won the election by a landslide after beating the likes of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
“This is to certify that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, having scored the highest number of votes cast, is hereby declared the winner,” said Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State who returned Tinubu as the elected candidate.
“In line with the provisions of the constitution of our great party and by the power conferred on me as the Returning Officer of this special convention, I, Atiku Bagudu, do hereby declare Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the presidential candidate of our party in the 2023 presidential election.”
Tinubu polled a total of 1,271 votes, more than four times the votes scored by his closet rival, Amaechi who had 316 votes.
Osinbajo, Lawan, and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State came behind the duo with 235, 152, and 47 votes respectively.
More than 2,300 delegates voted in the contest that produced Tinubu as the presidential flagbearer of the ruling party.
He is now scheduled to face the Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar and others in the February 25 presidential ballot.
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