It was gathered that APC governors at the deal brokered with the Presidency insisted that only aspirants that receive the endorsement of their governor should be supported for the NWC, a development that led to the dispensing of Oyegun, after Governor Godwin Obaseki cast his vote on Oshiomhole. Similarly, Ibrahim-Imam, who is a longstanding political rival of Sheriff, was endorsed by Governor Kashim Shettima to contain the influence of Sheriff who recently returned to the party. It would be recalled that the prospects of Oshiomhole taking over the number one position in APC was settled long ago after his endorsement by the President and the recent affirmation by the Okorocha-led 24-member Progressives Governors’ Forum. The Guardian reliably gathered that the decision to offload Oyegun was sealed between President Buhari, Tinubu and some key members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, including Okorocha, and Kano State governor, Alhaji Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, in London over a month ago. Recall that both the Presidency and APC governors had okayed a one-year tenure extension for the Oyegun-led NWC alongside the 36 states executives of the party, before the issue of constitutionality and legality of the decision was thrown up.

Source: The Guardian June 03, 2018 04:41 UTC