Exclusive: 2019: APC may drop Osinbajo, dangles Ekweramadu with VP position

The crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), may not be far from over as plans to dump the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo ahead of the 2019 general elections across the country has been revealed.

According to a reliable source who confirmed to Daily Dispatch Newspaper stated that Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweramadu, who is aggrieved and felt cheated since Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and many others principal officers defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been dangled with the position of the Vice President by APC.

Ekweremadu, however is said to have been involved in secret high-level negotiations with the top echelon of the ruling party just after the PDP Presidential primary held in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, which produced Atiku as the party flag bearer in 2019.

This is coming barely weeks after the opposition party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar picked the former governor of Anambra, Peter Obi as his running mate, a situation that seemed not augur well with some of the party leaders in the South Eastern part of the country.

It was also confirmed that the embittered Ekweramadu is said to be having meeting with the APC party leaders such as Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Party National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and many chieftains from the region to table the offer before the Enugu born Senator.

It is discovered that with this development, the ruling party is making frantic efforts to penetrate the South East region which have been difficult for the party, being the stronghold of the PDP over the years.
A source said Ekweremadu’s defection “is just in a matter of days.”

This will be another major defection after Saraki and former minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, defected from the APC and PDP, respectively.

It was also gathered that “Ekweremadu was not happy with the way he was used and dumped by the PDP.”

A chieftain of the APC from the South East had earlier said: “Look at the way they treated Ekweramadu. When all of them left, Ekweramadu remained to fight for the survival of this party. How many of them would have resisted the temptation not to defect in the face of the intimidation, harassment, prosecution and persecution meted out on him.’

“As a person, he had nothing to lose if he had defected then. In fact, he had everything to gain. He probably would have been the senate president because he was offered the slot. Then, when you people now return, you feel that people who had helped this party to survive, did not matter, again, simply because you got a presidential ticket. Also, even Saraki knows that if the DSP had not been loyal, they would have gotten at him (Saraki), long ago.

“All the trials Ekweramadu was put through were all because of Saraki. But, when it was the turn of Saraki to be there for him, he failed him and as we speak, how many days is this after the primary. Atiku is yet to call DSP. You don’t treat a man who has been taking bullets on you people’s behalf like that. Well, I wish them and PDP well, but, they should know that action begets reaction and they will pay the price for this mistreatment of people, who laboured for the party during the toughest time. And, if Ekweramadu leaves, we will hold these people responsible,” he stated.