The race for 2019 presidential election might begin sooner than anticipated as major actors are aligning their interests for the number one job ahead of the next general elections.
This is so if the rumours that have been making the rounds that President Muhammadu Buhari might not contest for two terms in office.
This has thrown open aspiration of big names within the fold of the All Progressives Congress to fill the void.
There might been some governors in his party who are nursing the ambition of succeeding him. Though, these governors have not openly made their interests known, strong indications have shown they may be discreetly conducting campaigns, melting loose wall with foes and strengthening existing relationship with friends and allies. Just the way President Buhari did in the build up to the 2015 general elections.
These are the top five APC governors that might replace Buhari in 2019
1. Aminu Tambuwal
The Usman Dan Fodio University trained lawyer who is the current governor of Sokoto state has not hidden his ambition to become the number one citizen of Nigeria.
He is a charismatic leader and rarely talk but allows his antecedent to speak for him. No sooner that he officially decamped to APC, his associates had to cough out N27million for the party presidential nomination form.
But, he could not continue his presidential ambition as elders from his state, Sokoto and other parts of the countries might have told him to exit from the race for Buhari and instead vie for the state governorship ticket.
The governor selling point for the 2019 presidential election would be his ability to maintain peace in the House during his tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives. More so, his leadership style that many associates termed ‘inclusive’ could be another advantage for Tambuwal . He was able to carry on with his duties as Speaker even when many PDP members jumped ship to APC thus making the later to have a slight majority.
Another strong point of Tambuwal is his ‘dove’ disposition as a peacemaker, when the then minority leader, Femi Gbajabiamila and his colleagues wanted to upturn the PDP leadership from majority to minority, he calmed them down through his soothing words. Tambuwal might be the man to watch out for in 2019.
Aminu Tambuwal
