By Seyi Odewale
The All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders from the South West will on Friday meet presidential aspirants from the region in Lagos.

The meeting, it was learnt, is being convened by the former governors of Osun and Ogun state. Chief Bisi Akande, and Aremo Olusegun Osoba, with other party stakeholders. Chief Akande was the founding chairman of the APC

It was gathered that the APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and an ex-Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who have all declared interest to contest for the presidency on the platform of the APC, have all been invited to the meeting which will take place at the Lagos State government House in Marina.

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Leaders from the Southwest geo-political zone, such as traditional rulers, politicians both members and non-members of the APC, have expressed worries over what they described as a ‘crowded field of aspirants’ from the Southwest APC.
A credible source hinted that Chief Akande, who is well respected across the political divides in the region and other conveners of the meeting, are eager to see the list of those aspirants from Southwest pruned down to guard against the region losing out of the presidential ticket of APC.

“The Southwest is the biggest investor in the APC. The political marriage between the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Congress for Progressive Changes (CPC) gave birth to the APC. The ACN came to the merger with six governors against 1 governor from the CPC. The Southwest sacrificed most for the APC. It is only natural that the region should produce the successor to President Muhammadu Buhari from the Northwest.

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“The Leaders are worried that if the Southwest does not get its acts together, we may lose the APC presidential ticket to another region. It is even more worrisome that the 4 aspirants from APC are from the same political family. The Southeast is making a legitimate claim to the Presidency. Even the South that just had the presidency with President Jonathan wants a shot at it again with aspirants coming out of the region,” said the source.
The conveners of the meeting are said to be concerned about the possible outcome because of the bad blood the ambition of the leading contenders for the APC ticket has already generated, especially among the supporters of Vice President Osinbajo and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Osinbajo has been accused of betrayal for coming out to contest against Tinubu, his political benefactor.

Ekiti State governor, Dr. Fayemi, who has been going round the country in the last two weeks for consultations, will make a formal declaration for the presidency today in Abuja, just as compatriot, Senator Amosun is prepared to make his own tomorrow in Abuja Amosun had earlier made his intention known in a letter he addressed to the Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan just before the Ramadan break.

Political observers, however, said under an unwritten agreement in the party, the South is supposed to produce the next president after eight years of being in the North with the Buhari presidency. The reported anticipated entrance of Northern aspirants such as Senate President, Dr. Lawan may, however, scuttle the arrangement if he clinches the ticket.