OSINBAJO, TINUBU, OTHERS: S'WEST MONARCHS MOVE TO BROKER CONSENSUS IN PRESIDENTIAL RACE

We don't want to go into the primaries as a divided house - Source

Saturday Telegraph has gathered exclusively that plans are afoot by prominent traditional rulers in South West to meet with aspirants from the zone jostling for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Our correspondent gathered exclusively during the week that the meeting which is being convened by a prominent traditional ruler in Osun State is expected to throw up a consensus candidate from the zone for the forthcoming presidential primaries of the APC scheduled for the end of May.

So far four aspirants have shown their desire to fly the flag of the party from the zone with observers arguing that the tension generated by their individual ambitions is causing some ripples which might jeopardise the desire of the region to produce a successor to incumbent presdent, Muhammadu Buhari next year.

Those who have shown interest for the ticket include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, National Leader of the APC and former Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, immediate past governor of Ogun State, Senator lbikunle Amosun and current Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. A source within the Lagos State chapter of the APC who pleaded not to be named confirmed the development in a chat with our correspondent during the week.

"I can tell you that prominent traditional rulers in the South West have decided to wade into the rumpus within our party (APC) and I also know that the monarch (name withheld) has been mobilising his colleagues to be part of the meeting where a consensus candidate of our party will emerge," the source said.

The source added that the meeting would have taken place before now but was later postponed due to the absence of Tinubu who had been away to Saudi Arabia (as at the time of filing this report) for lesser Hajj. He said: "I am aware that the meeting would have taken place but the absence of our Leader who is away on pilgrimage to Mecca prevented it from holding."