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The former Commissioner for Information in Edo state, Prince Kassim Afegbua on Friday said Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will get 70 percent of total votes cast in the South-East region in the 2023 presidential election.
He however said Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will only muster 10 percent votes in the entire South East as he is completely written off in the region.
Speaking with DAILY INDEPENDENT, Afegbua a strong believer in the return of the presidency to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari’s two terms said the battle for South East votes will be a straight fight between Tinubu and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
According to him, APC will secure maximum votes in Ebonyi and Imo states based on the performance of Governors Dave Umahi and Hope Uzodimma while Tinubu and Obi will battle for votes in Enugu, Abia and Anambra.
His words “Nigeria politics is based primarily on Political Parties and their stronghold. From my understanding of the inner workings of current politics, the APC will secure maximum votes in Ebonyi state, because the Governor has done so well”.
“Asiwaju Tinubu will repeat same feat in Imo state because Governor Hope Uzodinma has proved bookmakers wrong with his performance so far. In Enugu, Abia and Anambra, it will be a neck-to-neck contest between Asiwaju and Obi”.
“Atiku Abubakar is largely written off in the South East. Those PDP Governors who could have galvanised votes for Atiku have since abandoned him because of injustice. So, it is going to be a straight contest in the South East between Asiwaju and Obi. Don’t forget that the business owners also donated one billion naira for Asiwaju campaign. That to me is an open endorsement that Asiwaju cherishes so much”.
“The overall score will be Asiwaju 70%, Obi 20% and Atiku 10% of the total voting strength of the South East. This election is going to be a straight sweep for the APC and Asiwaju”.
Also sharing Afegbua’s views, Festus Keyamo (SAN), Minister of State, Labour and Employment and Director, Public Affairs and Spokespersons, Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council said he is confident APC will do well in the South-East.
“With the infrastructural development the APC has done in the South East and with the two serving Governors we have there, coupled with the support we enjoy from the other States, we should have some reasonable figures from there”.
