Breaking: Fayemi, Amaechi, Tinubu, Osinbajo, Umahi Make Buhari’s Final Shortlist

After hours of horsetrading between the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the National Working Committee (NWC),  the Progressive Governors Forum Monday night submitted a shortlist of five aspirants to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Prime Business Africa gathered that the governors submitted the list on the request of Mr President after  all members of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) and the NWC  met his to protest what they described as a coup against the ruling party in announcing Senate President Ahmed Lawan as the President’s choice of candidate.

On the list currently being considered  by President Buhari and from which on consensus candidate would emerge between Monday night and Tuesday are Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State,  Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum,  Dr  Olukayode Fayemi, Former Lagos State Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi.

Prime Business Africa had on Monday  evening reported that the Progressive Governors  had stormed the National Secretariat of the party protesting the unilateral announcement of Ahmed Lawan as President Buhari’s preferred candidate.

It was subsequently gathered that the NWC and the governors had immediately after the emergency meeting at the APC National Secretariat  on Monday night proceeded to the residence of the National Chairman.  Sources within the NWC of the party told Prime Business Africa that  they had requested that the Chairman went with them but Senator Adamu refused to follow them to see Mr President.

”This was the first signal that our Chairman lied about Buhari endorsing Ahmed Lawan,”  an NWC member told our correspondent.

”When all entreaties failed, we all had to go and meet with Mr President without our chairman. At the meeting with ,Mr President, we found that the President had asked  Senator Adamu to meet with the Progressive Governors Forum, the NWC  and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and  come up with a formidable candidate to be supported by Mr President.

The  President, therefore,  asked the Progressive Governors to liaise with ,members of the NWC to produce a shortlist of five candidates so that he could choose the strongest among them.

Meanwhile, some members of the NWC who spoke to Prime Business Africa on the matter said APC Chairman Senator Adamu lied about Lawan being Buhari’s preferred candidate and described their intervention as patriotic in saving  the party from coup.  They said the essence is to ensure that a true consensus candidate is produced between today (Monday night) and Tuesday morning. ”This does not stop any other aspirant wishing to contest against the consensus candidate,” one of them said.