South West leaders and stakeholders in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) appreared divided over the presidential aspirants from the zone and the particular one to support.
A sources close to APC have disclosed that notable party stakeholders in the region including the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Governor of Ondo State, Arakurin Rotimi Akeredolu; among others, are purportedly not in support of the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu aspiration in the tussle for the presidential ticket of the APC for the 2023 elections.
The party source alleged that apart from the earlier identified ministers and governor, the governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, and some others have shunned Tinubu and pitched their alliance with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
The source added that the development has deeply fostered cracks in the zone limiting Tinubu to the prospect of getting collective support from two states – Lagos and Osun; while Osinbajo has prospects of getting collective support from two states also – Ogun and Ondo, while Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State is expected to dominate in the state, while Oyo State is a battlefield for all the aspirants from the southwest.
The aspirants, according to the party source, however, have chances of getting marginal support from the dominant states of the opponents.
Moreover, the source hinted that other presidential aspirants like Senator Ibikunle Amosun, for instance, may cut down the margin of support for the vice president in Ogun State; while the Minister of Interior could pull his supporters in Osun State to reduce the bloc support for Tinubu in the state.
“Senator Bamidele also has chances of curtailing mass support for Fayemi in Ekiti State, adding to the support base of Tinubu,” the source further stated.