Presidential aspirants of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the lead up to the 2023 presidential election have agreed to float a forum to mobilize support for President Bola Tinubu as part of measures to tackle the challenges confronting the nation.
They have consequently dropped any presidential ambition ahead of 2027.
Convener and acting chairman of the forum, Senator Yarima as well as APC’s youngest presidential aspirant, Nicholas Felix disclosed this in a statement issued Saturday in Abuja.
To this end, the aspirants have fixed an end of year dinner for Monday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja where the forum will be officially inaugurated.
In the aftermath of the APC presidential primary election, there were reports that a few of the aspirants had decided to not support the party’s candidate, Tinubu, who later emerged as president.
Meanwhile, Yarima and Felix in the statement said; “Today, as a people and country, we are faced with myriads of socio-economic problems and we believe that we can only surmount them when we come together, irrespective of our religious, ethnic and even political differences to face these challenges head on.
“It is therefore on this premise that all the candidates in the 2023 APC Presidential primary have decided to come together under one umbrella to mobilise support for our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his Renewed Hope Administration playing an advisory role to enable him succeed and transform this great nation.
“Basically, the objective of the forum is to ensure that we come together solidly to support President Tinubu’s administration having surrendered all our individual interests and collapsed to support the emergence of President Tinubu.
“As critical stakeholders, we have decided that it is not enough to sit back behind the scenes but to come out and mobilise support for the government’s policies and programmes.
“This forum from time to time will play an intermediary role of ensuring that all the policies and programmes of the government are well disseminated down to the people, especially the grassroots.
“To fully stay on track, the forum will push to constantly have direct engagements with the President as a way of feedback mechanism and at same time, render possible advice where necessary.
“This forum will leverage on our individual and collective international contacts to ensure that the Nigerians in diaspora are adequately informed and mobilised to give the President a rousing welcome. We will always go ahead and make adequate preparations in this regard.
“Also, this forum will be there as a rallying point for all former presidential candidates in the February 2023 presidential election.
“Finally, we want to thank all Nigerians and crave for patience with strong convictions that the President, relying on his vast experience and antecedents, is working very hard to turn the fortunes of the country around,” the statement added.
Some of the APC presidential aspirants in the last election are former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Ahmad Sani Yarima, Rotimi Amaechi, Nicolas Felix, Kayode Fayemi, Ibikunle Amosun, Rochas Okorocha, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Governor Yahaya Bello, Dave Umahi, Ogbonnaya Onu, Senators Ahmad Lawan and Godswill Akpabio among others.
