In preparation for the 2015 presidential election, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has indicated interests to vie for the coveted seat of the country’s president. He has submitted a letter of intent to the APC hierarchy to that effect just as he intensified consultations with major stakeholders across the country, including former Presidents.
It was reliably gathered that time table for his nationwide consultation meeting with APC governors, meetings with former presidents, opening of his campaign headquarters in Abuja and Edo State and setting up of committees would soon be made public.
His former governorship campaign office will serve as his presidential campaign office in Edo State, it was gathered.
In a bid to square up with the People’s Democratic Party candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan, it was gathered that majority of the APC governors may soon endorse him as their candidate due to the belief that his popularity cuts across the country. Incidentally, the president is scheduled to visit Edo state this weekend.
It will be recalled that the tenure of Governor Oshiomole is to elapse in 2016 and he had planned to take a long rest but that may not be viable as persistent pressure on him to join the presidential race from APC governors and influential Nigerians may have made him change his mind.
If the governor picks the APC ticket, he may be squaring up with President Jonathan, who was recently endorsed by PDP governors as their sole candidate. The president is from the South-South just as Governor Oshiomole.
However, to substantiate the fact the Governor is vying for the presidency, the Special Adviser to the governor, Mr KaseemAfegbua, has reacted to the governor’s alleged presidential ambition. He said that the governor has the pedigree to run for the highest position in the country, therefore, people should not be surprised if he decides to join the race.
“I don’t know why it appears strange that Adams Oshiomhole is running for president? Does he not have the pedigree to do so or some people are just trying to be cynical about his ambition? Or the PDP is jittery, knowing fully well that Oshiomhole enjoys national support and a greater appeal than some of those presently eyeing the plum position.
“Since the news broke, we have been inundated with several telephone calls which also suggest that a lot of Nigerians across socio-political divides welcome the idea. Some of those highly placed Nigerians that spoke to us concede to the fact that he is eminently qualified to run for the nation’s highest office,” he said.
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