Considering the election time table released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), all recognized and registered political parties are expected to organize their primaries on October 2, 2014. Hence aspirants to the various elective positions have commenced campaign.
At the national level, especially within the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC several politicians have indicated interest or ambition to gun for the presidential seat. Those who are eyeing the Aso Rock, according to our findings include: Atiku Abubakar, Muhammadu Buhari, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Sam Nda-Isaiah, Nuhu Ribadu, and Aminu Tambuwal.
These presidential hopefuls have commenced consultations with political weights and power brokers across the country. Of recent the leadership of the APC says that it would soon announce its presidential candidate for the next year February 14, 2014 presidential election.
Though the party said that it would not zone the office of the presidency to any of the six (6) geo-political region, but manipulations within the leadership of the party, clearly shown that presidential candidate may emerge from the north, while the Vice Presidential candidate may come from the South-South.
Those that have been linked with the Vice Presidential ambition are: Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomohole and Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha.
Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the factional chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has been nursing the Vice Presidential ambition. Based on this, the leadership of the Rivers State wing of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on several fora accused the state Governor, Amaechi of squandering the resources of the state. The state PDP chairman, Hon. Felix Obuah blasted the governor for spending billions of naira to host some chieftains of APC when they visited the state.
Hon. Obuah further lampooned the governor for wasting much funds during the Anambra State gubernatorial election.
There is no doubt that Governor Amaechi is eyeing the office of the Alhaji Sambo in the 2014 presidential election.
Last week, this weekly gathered that some members of the national leadership of the party (APC) met and deliberated on who is to deputize any presidential candidate that will emerge at the end of the day.
Amaechi, Oshiomohole and Okorocha were critically assessed and scrutinized, and they came out with a view that the Edo State Governor should be considered to be the running mate to any presidential candidate that will be emerged on the APC platform.
According to the party leadership, Governor Amaechi despite the huge resources he has spent to sponsor APC he cannot withstand the forces of the nation, when the time comes for the presidential poll.
The current political permutations have it that Governor Amaechi cannot deliver South-South for the party as long as President Goodluck Jonathan is in the race. Even delivering his home state (Rivers) is in doubt.
Apart from this reason, the Rivers State Governor might not enjoy the support of the politicians from the north. The party leadership declared that Governor Oshiomhole is more popular, looking at his antecedent as the former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). His tentacles have spreaded to all nooks and crannies of the nation, saying that he is imminently qualified for the position.
A source who spoke to newsmen in Abuja described the consideration of Governor Oshiomohole as the Vice Presidential candidate as a “good omen and welcome development”, expressed optimism that it would bring electoral victory to the party come February 14, 2015.
With the current situation, Governor Amaechi is facing in the party, as he lost out the Vice Presidential ticket to Governor Oshiomohole of Edo State, what will be his fate in 2015. Will he return to the ruling People Democratic Party PDP? This may not be possible since the Governor has umpteen times vowed that he would no longer identify with the ruling party since the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan had cornered some oil wells allegedly owed by the Soku people in Rivers State and gave them out to the neighbouring Bayelsa State.
Now that Governor Amaechi is in the state of political dilemma, nobody can predict what would become of his political career in the year 2015 and beyond.###
