Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, has submitted a letter of intent to the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, just as he intensified consultations with stakeholders across the country, including former Presidents.
Sources said 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.
Reliable sources said that majority of the APC governors may soon endorse him as their candidate due to the belief that his popularity cuts across the country, which is one of the attributes they intend to explore to stop President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who, incidentally, is expected to visit Edo State this weekend.
Our correspondent report that the intention of the governor was to take a long rest after his tenure as governor must have expired in 2016, but 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 also is from the South-South.
However, the Special Adviser to the governor, Kaseem Afegbua, who reacted to the governor’s alleged presidential ambition, 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 suggests 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.”
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