It was a surprise when Presidential candidates of some opposition political parties surfaced at the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, National Secretariat on Thursday.
Their mission was to meet with the national chairman of APC, Abdullahi Ganduje and plead for appointment in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu.
The candidates included Peter Umeadi, Ambassador Felix Osakwe and Charles Nnaji of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), National Rescue Movement (NRM), and Action People’s Party (APP), respectively.
Nigerian Tribune checks revealed that 18 political parties fielded presidential candidates in the last general elections won by sitting President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC.
Both Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) are contesting the outcome of the process before the Presidential Election Petition Court.
Addressing the APC National Chairman, the candidate of the NRM, Osakwe who spoke on behalf of his other colleagues pleaded with the former Kano state governor to lead them to meet with President Tinubu.
While submitting that it was needless to approach the Court to seek invalidation of the process that produced President Tinubu, the candidates requested inclusion in the present administration.
He said: “We are here sir, not only to see Mr. President, number one is to identify with you and to thank God for your appointment, then number two, we see you as a father sir, who has been a Commander-in-Chief of the states and here you are today to be the pilot that will lead the presidential candidate especially those who are ready and those who love this country and the interest of this country first before politics, before parties.
“That you will be the right person to lead us to meet with Mr. President so he can hear our own views in person and also for him to know that it is not all the presidential candidate that is against him.
“We chose not to go to court because this is Nigeria and we have no other country to go to.
“So, we are here to thank you and to thank God and everyone seated here and to say the presidential candidates, many of us, there is something we can offer this country and we believe that government of inclusion will be necessary in time like this.”
In his response, the APC national chairman thanked them for the visit and assured them that he would convey their request to President Tinubu.
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