While ex-Lagos governor Bola Tinubu scored 1,271 votes to win the presidential primary of the ruling party, APC, four other aspirants scored zero votes.
Mr Tinubu was one of the 23 aspirants cleared to take part in the primary held in Abuja from Tuesday to Wednesday. Each of the 23 aspirants paid N100 million for the forms.
At the venue of the primary, seven of the 23 aspirants stepped down for Mr Tinubu while one stepped down for Mr Osinbajo. Another withdrew from the race but did not declare support for anyone.
Only 14 aspirants, therefore, took part in the primary proper.
While Mr Tinubu won with 1,271 votes, ex-transport minister Rotimi Amaechi came second with 316 votes. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo came third with 235 votes while Senate President Ahmad Lawan came fourth with 152 votes.
The delegates who voted were APC members elected from each of the 774 local governments in Nigeria: three par local government.
Below are four aspirants who could not get a single delegate to vote for them despite paying N100 million each and refusing to step down for other aspirants.Pastor Tunde Bakare [Photo: Punch Newspaper]
Pastor Bakare, the man of God
Mr Bakare is the senior pastor of the Citadel Global Community Church, Lagos.
When he addressed delegates at the Eagle Square on Tuesday night, Mr Bakare was very upbeat about his ‘victory.’
“I am not here to step down for anyone. I am here to step up as the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
Unfortunately for Mr Bakare, however, his ‘step up’ was not enough to convince even one delegate.
Mr Bakare had famously described himself as the 16th president after President Muhammadu Buhari, the 15th president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He was Mr Buhari’s running mate in 2011 under the now-defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). Mr Buhari lost that election.
His entry into the race was a surprise to many as he was not known to be a card-carrying member of the APC.Rochas Okorocha [PHOTO CREDIT: @realRochas]
Rochas Okorocha, the Polyglot
When Rochas Okorocha, the senator representing Imo West Senatorial District at the National Assembly, mounted the podium to address delegates, he spoke in three languages: English, Hausa and Igbo.
“Northern Nigeria, listen to me,” he said in Hausa. “I want you to know that you don’t have a better lover than Rochas. Ask other candidates seeking the position of the presidency. By God, they don’t know the problems and worth of the North. I, Rochas, know the problem of the North.”
Not only was he unable to convince any Northern delegate, but he was not also able to convince even one of the 81 delegates from Imo State.
Mr Okorocha, the former governor of Imo State, was recently granted N500 million bail from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to attend the APC screening exercise of the presidential aspirants. He is being prosecuted for allegedly stealing public funds while he was governor.Jack-Rich Tien
Jack Rich, the storyteller
Another aspirant who got no votes at the APC primaries is 47 years old Jack Rich.
Mr Rich, who never hesitated to narrate his story of a young boy who lost both parents in the city of Port Harcourt, is one of the youngest aspirants in the primaries.
When he made his formal declaration for president last month, Mr Rich told his life story. On Tuesday, when he was asked to address delegates, he repeated the same story.
Unfortunately, his story did not convince any delegates to vote for him.Ikeobasi Mokelu
Ikeobasi Mokelu
When Ikeobasi Mokelu was asked to address delegates Tuesday night, he virtually spent all his time praising President Muhammadu Buhari.
Many observers would think Mr Mokelu was campaigning for a third term for the outgoing president.
Unfortunately for Mr Mokelu, a former information minister under late dictator Sani Abacha, Mr Buhari was not a delegate and could not vote for him.
Also, no delegate appeared to have been convinced by Mr Mokelu’s eulogy for the president.
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