A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Joe Igbokwe, has asked some presidential candidates in the party to “show respect and withdraw from the 2023 presidential race”.

Igbokwe, a former spokesperson for the APC in Lagos, in a post on his Facebook page on Sunday, advised politicians who are also members of the party who had been helped by the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, to withdraw from the race.

There are speculations that he may be speaking indirectly to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who declared to run for president on Monday morning.

It is believed in some quarters that Tinubu is the political benefactor of Osinbajo.

Tinubu has already declared his ambition to contest in the 2023 general election to be Nigeria’s president.

Igbokwe wrote last night, “Let me drop it here for history and posterity: If you are one of the people Asiwaju (Tinubu) raised and you are eyeing the presidency of the federal republic of Nigeria, show respect and withdraw from the race.”