Amaechi claims APC delegates are now regretting voting for Tinubu after Muslim-Muslim debacle

FORMER transport minister Rotimi Amaechi has alleged that many All Progressives Congress (APC) delegates are now regretting electing Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as their party's presidential candidate following his adopting of a fellow Muslim as his running mate.

Last month, the APC held its presidential primaries, which were won by the former Lagos State governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who coasted home with 1,271 votes. Mr Amaechi, who was also a one-tine governor of Rivers State, came second in the contest, with vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo coming third and senate president Ahmad Lawan coming fourth.

Since the election, however, the APC has been in turmoil as Asiwaju Tinubu appears not to have had a running mate in place before standing. After weeks of prevarication, he eventually picked former Borno State governor Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate but the move has created rancour as like Asiwaju Tinubu, he is a Muslim.

His choice has polarised the country as the Christian faithful feel highly marginalised and already, several senior party members have left the APC over the matter. Last week, Asiwaju Tinubu formally presented Senator Shettima as his running mate and to deflect some of the criticism over the Muslim-Muslim ticket, he tried to pack the venue with Christian clergymen.

APC loyalists and members of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers were all given Christian robes and asked to appear as clergymen to create the impression that they supported Asiwaju Tinubu. However, this footage of bishops dressed in cassocks has backfired big time as it was clear they were hired hands and some of them even confessed that they were brought in from an Abuja motor park.

Wading into the debate, Mr Amaechi pleaded with clerics to pray for the ordinary Nigerians to enable them elect a president that would solve the problems of country. Speaking in Port Harcourt at the 60th birthday celebration of Apostle Eugene Ogu, the general overseer of Abundant Life Evangel Mission, Mr Amaechi said some of the voters at the convention took money and made their decisions, adding that they were now regretting their actions.

He added: “Those who voted at the APC primaries, who are they? they are ordinary Nigerians. The small money they got solved their immediate problem, now they are saying they made a mistake and you are now hearing different things.

“If you are praying for us, pray for the leadership of the country but also pray for ordinary Nigerians to be able to choose the right president to govern the country. Those bishops you saw may not be bishops but they are Christians, so pray for the ordinary Nigerians. Please vote for APC, I am not joking. May God make you vote for the right candidate that will change Nigeria.

“When you marry two wives, you know that the first one is better. People are now saying when Amaechi was here insecurity was not like this bad. Remember, I was always in the bushes chasing those criminals and when you kidnap, I will come and look for you.

"I will call the security heads, we go into the bush together and we must recover the man. Now kidnapping is natural, as you are you expect to be kidnapped. Nobody cares.”