Tinubu's former presidential election opponents beg him for appointments

The opposition candidates said they are not known to practice politics of bitterness.

Some presidential candidates who contested against President Bola Tinubu in the February 25, 2023 election have appealed to the president to consider them for appointment in his government.

The candidates, under the aegis of the Forum of Concerned Presidential Candidates (FCPC), made the plea when they paid a courtesy visit to Abdullahi Ganduje, the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), at the party's secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, August 31, 2023.

The delegation comprised the presidential candidate of Action Peoples Party (APP), Charles Nnadi, Felix Osakwe of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) flag-bearer, Prof Peter Umeadi, Action Democratic Party (ADP) vice presidential candidate, Dr Odey Udo, and the leader of the team, Adewale Adeogun.

For his part, Osakwe noted in his speech that members of the delegation abhor politics of bitterness, citing their refusal to join the train of candidates challenging the president's election in court as evidence.

Consequent upon that, the NRM candidate declared their readiness to offer their services to the president in the spirit of inclusive politics, thereby urging the APC to draft members of the delegation into the campaign councils for the November 11 governorship elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi States.

He said, "I feel Mr Chairman you will be the right person to lead us to meet with Mr President. So that we can air our views in his presence and also let him know that it is not all the presidential candidates that were against him. We chose not to go to court because this is Nigeria. We are here to thank you and God.

"The former presidential candidates are willing to offer our services to this country. We have a demand and it is for the party. That a slot in the campaign council for the governorship elections should be made available to us. Those of us who have piloted this held a meeting. And we are asked to demand from you a presence in the campaign council. We believe that our job is much more wanted now as we prepare to go into the polls in the three states in November.

"I am to submit two names to the chairman. And we believe by your power and by the special grace of God, it shall be done with your help. We will do our best to make sure that the three states that are going for the polls succeed. And with what we have been doing, we are going to mobilise our parties in those states for your party."

In his reaction, Ganduje commended the team for supporting Tinubu's ideology of inclusive politics and government of national unity.

The former Kano State governor also assured the delegation that he would present their demand to the president.

"I will convey your request and ensure that you see Mr President eye to eye. I thank you for being faithful to your respective parties. You are not like one political aspirant who became a presidential candidate by accident and by hijacking another party because he was partyless.

"He could not give an account accordingly to INEC because it cannot qualify it to be a political party. He decided to hijack a political party. And since, he could not realise his aspirations he decided to make that party a revenue platform rather than a political party.

"He has now decided to expel the founder. God forbids. He will not succeed. But I salute you presidential candidates for being good ambassadors of your political parties, not destroyers of your political parties and for not turning your political parties into your source of revenue.

"Since you cannot get the presidential tickets, you will get pocket tickets. I thank you. No doubt we will include you in the three states that we are having elections come November this year," the APC national chairman said.

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