A member of the election management committee of the special National Convention of All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Girei has revealed that Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo was the actual winner of the party’s presidential primary election.
APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu, was announced as the winner with 1,271 votes.
Girei stated that Osinbajo refused to induce delegates with money to vote for him in the electoral process.
He also noted that the presidential primary was free, fair, and credible.
On another development, Girei while speaking on those calling for the Muslim-Muslim ticket said they are doing it for their selfish interests.
The APC Chieftain while speaking to newsmen in Kaduna on Monday, said, “But I can tell you that the Vice President won the special convention without fear of contradiction.
“As the Vice President, he is an heir to the throne, a crown prince, who should have been given the right of first refusal in the contest in which he offered himself to serve the nation, and in which he had national acceptability.
Girei stressed that the Vice President gave the best speech and his manifesto at the convention was the best.
“He identified problems and preferred solutions to them more than all other aspirants. For someone who has never contested any election before and with no politicking knowledge, to emerge third at the convention, I consider him the greatest winner of the convention.
“I do not doubt in my mind that Nigeria has lost the best presidential candidate that would have been produced.
“Politics of today, it is very clear that the highest bidders always have their way and the election goes to not necessarily the best, but those who could buy their way in a cash and carry manner.”
Girei who congratulated Tinubu over his victory promised to work for the overall victory of the APC from bottom to top.
“As a loyal member of the APC, I will work for the total victory of my party’s flagbearers from bottom to top and I’m confident that our party will emerge victorious in the general election.”
He added that the Vice President was against vote-buying Girei said “even his friends and associates who tried to help him could only do so without his knowledge or consent.
“His teaming supporters are those of us who are committed to his ideals out of the conviction that he has the knowledge, experience, capacity, capability, mental and physical fitness, and all that is required to transform our dear nation to greatness.
“It may also interest Nigerians to know that PYO is opposed to monetisation of our democracy and politics, and has refused to encourage delegate or vote-buying.”
Speaking on the Muslim/Muslim ticket, Girei said, “Politics, however, is all about winning strategy, so in my opinion, whatever strategy can be implored to win elections, that is within the confine of the Constitution, to me, it is okay.”