From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
A group of stakeholders within the fold of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified lobbying of highly-placed party members to combine efforts towards mobilizing support for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as President Muhammadu Buhari successor.
Acknowledged copies of a three-page letter from the Progressives Consolidation Group (PCG) to the Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan and other top party leaders indicated that several APC state governors, principal officers in the Senate and House of Representatives, members of the APC National Caretaker Committee, former and serving federal legislators, other stakeholders as well as the political aides of Vice President Osinbajo are lobbied to partake in the mobilization process.
The PCG, in a letter dated July 14, 2021, titled: ‘APC AND THE future of Nigeria: Why we must get it right and consider the Osinbajo option in 2023′, signed by the duo of Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed (National Coordinator and Dr. Eberechukwu Eli Dibia (National Secretary), emphasized the need for early preparations towards ensuring that Osinbajo and some elements within the current administration emerge to deepen APC and President Buhari’s legacies after 2023.
“Your Excellency, we are writing you as the Senate President and as one of the National Leaders of our Party and by whatever parameter of assessment, you remain one of those citizens whom God has chosen to elevate to impact our history through the performance of constitutional responsibilities as well as other innumerable lines of action.
“With history in mind, we, members of the Progressive Consolidation Group (PCG) hereby solemnly join our voices with that of many others in appealing that you throw your weight behind our call for consideration of an Osinbajo successor administration after that of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, would have run a full course in 2023.
“We believe, without any iota of doubt, that giving a worthy element within the system such as Osinbajo the chance to lead would not only enrich the system; it would certainly be the best assurance of stability and progress for extant developmental objectives,” the group stated.
According to the PCG’s letter, the APC group comprises sitting and former State Governors, serving and former legislators, leaders of women and youths groups, and many stakeholders from the national and state chapters of APC.
Unimpressed by the indifference they had encountered with aides of the Vice President whom they urge to ‘wake up’, the PCG asserted that the forthcoming national elections is too crucial for the fate of APC, democracy and the history of Nigeria.
“Against this background, it is apparent that the dynamics and outcome of the seventh national election since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999 would significantly determine the future of Nigeria’s democracy and development.
“Thus, it is with this great sense of reasoning and respect for leaders like you as well as future generations, that we strongly appeal to you as a major stakeholder in the affairs of our Party to join hands with us by asking other stakeholders in the Party to consider Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, as an appropriate person to fly our party’s the presidential flag comes in 2023,” the group stressed.
While emphasizing that their aim goes beyond mere politics, the PCG expressed conviction that the task of inspiring party members ‘towards shared consciousness of insightful search for President Buhari’s successor come 2023’ should not be left to chance or last minute ‘survival of the fittest’ contests, stressing that the Prof Osinbajo should be collectively adopted as the right successor for President Buhari.