The All
Progressive
Grand Alliance
says it cannot
throw its
weight behind
President
Goodluck
Jonathan as it is
very likely that
the candidate
of the All
progressives
Congress, Maj.-
Gen.
Muhammadu
Buhari (retd.),
will emerge the
winner of the
presidential
election next
month.
The Chairman of
the Lagos State
chapter of APGA,
Mr. Campbell
Umeh-Nzekwe,
who is also a
special adviser to
the national
chairman of the
party, said this
during an
interview with our
correspondent, on
Sunday.
Umeh-Nzekwe
said Jonathan’s
problem was
compounded by
the fact that the
motion to adopt
him as the
consensus
candidate of the
Igbo for the 2015
presidential
election failed at
the Ime-Obi (inner
caucus) meeting
of the Ohanaeze
Ndigbo, on
Saturday, in
Enugu.
He added that
the sermon of
renowned
Enugu-based
Catholic priest,
Rev. Fr. Ejike
Mbaka, that
Jonathan had
failed and
should step
down seemed
to have sent
shockwaves
across the
South-East.
He said the party
was sure that
Jonathan would
not win votes in
the North.
He said, “The
game has
changed. As it
is, Jonathan has
no chance of
winning. Buhari
seems to have
taken over. The
PDP has
collapsed in the
North if you
care to know.
All those who
are running to
Aso Rock and
making
promises to the
President are
just deceiving
him.”
When asked if
APGA would be
supporting Buhari
next month,
Umeh-Nzekwe
said he could not
say for sure.
He said,
“Jonathan is a
sitting
President with
incumbency
factor in his
favour but
Buhari has the
masses and a
cult following in
the North. In
2011, Buhari won
12 million votes in
the North with his
rag-tag party, the
Congress for
Progressive
Change, without a
single governor or
senator to
campaign for him.
“Today, his party,
the APC, has 14
governors, 43
senators and 176
Reps as well as
625 House of
Assembly
members. Also,
the APC has
dominant control
of the North-
West with a total
number of 18.4
million voters and
North-East with
10.2 million while
South-West has
13.4 million voters
“ The PDP has
dominant control
of the North-
Central and Abuja
with 10.4 million
voters while the
South-South has
8.5 million and
South-East has
7.2 million votes.
“However, no
zone has achieved
50 per cent of
votes cast but
northern voters
are more
committed and
trustworthy than
those in the
South.
“Also, look at
Jonathan’s
campaign team.
He has Col.
Ahmadu Ali
(retd.) as his
Director General
and Peter Obi as
the deputy
while Buhari
has Governor
Rotimi Amaechi
and Senator
Olorunnimbe
Mamora as
director general
and deputy
respectively. It
is time for Ndi
Igbo to review
their strategy.”
