2023: Amaechi, Okorocha, 3 Other Powerful Politicians Who Have Gone Silent After Presidential Primaries
- Moments after the ruling party's presidential primaries, some key members of the APC who are handling powerful positions in the polity went into a silent mode
- The opposition party is also in the mix as some of its members who lost out during the party's primaries defected to other parties due to personal interest
- In the buildup of the 2023 general elections, these politicians are not active in the polity and Nigerians are on the lookout for what they might possibly be up to, this piece takes a dive
Four months after the presidential primary elections of the two leading political parties in the country, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), some big names, who lost in the race have gone silent after the exercise.
Interestingly, the PDP conducted its presidential primary election on May 28, 2022 during which Alhaji Atiku Abubakar emerged as the party’s flagbearer and some members who lost out are still at loggerheads with the leadership of the party.
The ruling party, on the other hand, Bola Ahmed Tinubu clinched the APC presidential ticket, flooring the likes of Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, and Rotimi Amaechi in the primary conducted on June 10, 2022.
Source: Facebook
Ahead of 2023 polls, campaign kicked off, some bigwigs are not active
Campaigns by political parties officially started on September 28, but some aspirants who were vibrant before the primaries are no longer active in political activities.
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Some party stalwarts who have gone silent for whatever reason less than four months before the 2023 presidential election is highlighted below;
Source: Facebook
1. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is the immediate past minister of transportation of Nigeria, a position he held from 2015 to April 2022 when he resigned to contest the APC presidential ticket.
He was a two-term governor of Rivers state from 2007 to 2015 and Speaker of the Rivers state House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007.
Amaechi came second in the APC presidential primary behind Tinubu, polling 316 votes. Throughout the night of the primary election, Amaechi kept on making the headlines.
Source: Facebook
2. Anyim Pius Anyim
Born on 19 February 1961, Anyim Pius Anyim was senate president from 2000 to 2003.
He was also Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) during Goodluck Jonathan presidency.
In 1999 he was elected Senator on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Ebonyi South constituency of Ebonyi State. In the last primaries, he also jostled for the PDP presidential ticket in a bid to occupy the highest office in the land.
While some other aspirants like the publisher of Ovation magazine and Nyesome Wike continued to make the headlines after the primaries, Anyim has been on low key.
Source: Facebook
3. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba
The Minister of State for Education, Chief Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba
Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba was the immediate past Minister of State for Education, a position he occupied from 2019 until he resigned on April 28 after picking the APC Expression of Interest and Nomination form to aspire for President in 2023.
The Imo state-born politician and lawyer, previously served as a Chairman of TETFund Board of Trustees. Like Amaechi, Nwajuba has remained passive as the APC strategies to retain power in 2023.
Source: Facebook
4. Rochas Anayo Okorocha
Rochas Anayo Okorocha was a two-term governor of Imo State and the current senator representing Imo West Senatorial District.
A few days to the primaries, Okorocha was arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after over six hours of a siege to his house in Abuja.
He eventually participated in the primary election and spoke passionately while addressing the crowd at the event. However, he has not been lending his voice to the political discussions as the race to the 2023 heats up.
Okorocha had been in PDP and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) before he joined the APC.
Source: Facebook
5. Mohammed Hayatu-deen
Mohammed Hayatu-deen was born on September 15, 1953 in Bama, Borno State in northeastern Nigeria. He was the Director/Chief Executive Officer, FSB International Bank PLC.
The banker-turned-politician contested the PDP presidential ticket and was vocal in the build-up to the primaries. Unlike some other former presidential aspirants of the party, he has not been politically active after the primaries.
Full list of states Tinubu must win to emerge Nigeria's president in 2023 and his possible chances
With about 177 days to the 2023 presidential election, a report by Thisday newspaper has analysed the chances of the top three candidates: Bola Tinubu of the APC, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
The report noted that the current standing of the major presidential candidates and their parties, based on public opinion assessment, is still too close to call, even though campaigns are yet to officially begin.
Nevertheless, the report listed states where Tinubu and others must secure 60% and 40% wins to emerge president in 2023.
Source: Legit.ng
