PRESIDENT of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, who is a former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development under President Goodluck Jonathan, is under intense pressure to run for Nigeria’s highest office in 2023 and he would give in to the pressure.
The Sunday Tribune findings revealed that his interest in the job predates the selection of 100 million naira All Progressives Congress (APC) nomination and expression of interest forms for him on Saturday by a coalition of 28 groups.
Some of his associates, who spoke to the Sunday Tribune but preferred anonymity, said Adesina “has no qualms about running for president in 2023”.
“We have discussed this before. He had always thought the idea would be championed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo who put him in the limelight in the political arena.
“So he’s been waiting in the wings for the opportunity to come forward. I can confirm there’s been intense pressure on him lately, especially from well-meaning people across the country.
“And all the clues favor it. He is a Christian. He’s a technocrat and he’s never been found wanting. As a minister, he distinguished himself.
“To all this is added the fact that he is very intelligent, internationally connected and the most ideal person to be president at the moment in the country. He is very energetic, ”said one of his associates.
On Saturday, a coalition of 28 groups led by Mohammed Saleh, consisting of Youth Arise Movement, Nigerians in Diaspora One Nigeria Group, Prudent Youth Association of Nigeria, women’s groups, farmers, people with disabilities and others civil society groups, had purchased nomination forms for Adesina.
The investigation revealed that last January a group, the Prudent Youth Association of Nigeria (PYAN), urged Adesina to join the race for the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking to reporters, PYAN Spokesperson, Mr. Haruna Awode said at the time that Adesina had the exceptional qualities needed at the critical moment to solve the myriad problems facing Nigeria as a nation.
Tinubu activist Jibrin quits APC
A staunch supporter and campaigner of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential aspiration, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin caused a stir in the former Lagos State Governor’s camp on Saturday by hinting that he was planning to get rid of the ‘APC.
Jubrin, in a post on his Facebook wall, said he had done his best for APC and “it’s time to move on.
The APC leader, who represented Kiru and Bebeji, the two local governments in his federal constituency of Kano before he was ousted by a decision of the Ninth National Assembly Court of Appeal, promised to announce very soon his new political platform.
A source, however, told the Sunday Tribune that the former chairman of the House Finance Committee is expected to join the New Nigeria Peoples Party led by former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The source said Jubrin, who belonged to the APC faction led by former Kano state governor Ibrahim Shekarau, made the decision following Friday’s Supreme Court ruling recognizing the faction loyal to the current state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, submitted his Expression of Interest and Nomination forms this weekend after being the first to choose the APC Presidential form before his presidential convention.
Nwajiuba, who was represented by a former Imo state legislator, Hon. Chidi Nwogu, to submit the form to the APC national secretariat in Abuja, told reporters that the seemingly intractable confrontation between the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government was not his creation and would in no way jeopardize his chances if he became the standard bearer of the ruling APC.
He further dismissed the ASUU strike as a labor issue and said he believed the federal government would soon resolve the impasse to get students back into classrooms.
