Team Tinubu, the camp of the national leader of
the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu, was compelled by some former Nigerian
leaders and Northern Islamic leaders to drop its
support for the 2015 presidential aspiration of
Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.
Reflective of the pressure which also came from
some close associates of Asiwaju Tinubu, the
political group has switched support towards the
presidential aspiration of Speaker Aminu
Tambuwal who with his entry this week,
immediately turned into a major contender for the
ticket.
He has Buhari and former Vice-President Atiku
Abubakar as the main challengers for the party’s
presidential ticket with Governor Rabiu
Kwankwanso of Kano State and newspaper
publisher, Sam Nda-Isaiah also contending.
Several other factors were taken into
consideration by the Tinubu camp in switching
support, close associates of the political leader
disclosed to Saturday Vanguard. Among the other
factors was the alleged overbearing influence of
some close associates of Gen.
Buhari, who they
claimed were likely to fence out other political
stakeholders in a possible Buhari presidency.
Three former heads of state, two from the north
and one from the south and a very influential
retired army chief from the northeast who has
also held political appointments in the present
dispensation were among those cited by sources
as having prevailed on the Tinubu camp to drop
support for Buhari.
The decision of the Tinubu camp to drop support
for Buhari, it was learnt, also followed
reservations from some sections of the north
notably, some Islamic leaders.
“It is not that we dumped Buhari, the Islamic
clerics, the imams and the political leaders in the
north particularly three former heads of state
said that they don’t want the man,” the source
said.
President Olusegun Obasanjo and a former
military president Gen. Ibrahim Babangida met
penultimate Tuesday following the latter’s return
from a medical trip abroad. The two men met for
30 minutes behind closed doors.
However, Gen Baban-gida had in the past been
publicly quoted as urging Speaker Tambuwal to
aspire for a higher office. Speaking at the
presentation of the Vanguard Personality of the
Year award to Governor Chibuke Amaechi of
Rivers State in Lagos on April 6, 2013, the former
military president said:
“When leaders like Tambuwal delivered on their
electoral promise, we advise them to try
something higher. For Tambuwal, your guess is
as good as mine. Well done.” Babangida’s remark
was applauded. .
The influence of some present and past minders
of Gen. Buhari was also another reason taken
into consideration, a source disclosed.
“There is this perception about Buhari that he is
surrounding himself with some people like Nasir
El-Rufai, Buba Galadima, Sule Hamman” the
source said, reawakening complaints about the
overbearing attitude of Buhari’s now dissolved
political machine, The Buhari Organisation, TBO
which had in the past been accused of selectively
fencing out people.
The Tinubu associates also feared that the
perceptions of religious extremism which the
ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP had
sought to tag on Buhari could deny the party
votes in the South were he to emerge as
candidate.
Though many of the Tinubu associates do not
regard him as an extremist, but the perception
already created, it was learned, could be injurious
to their political outing. There were also concerns
that Buhari could be detached from responsibility
and reference was made to his past roles as head
of state and chairman of the Petroleum (Special)
Task Force, PTF where his subordinates usurped
authority in his name.
“When he was head of state most of the power
was delegated to Idiagbon and when he was at
PTF, it was another person, that took charge and
that if APC says they are looking for change that
Tambuwal represents that change,” an associate
of Tinubu revealed.
Another factor that was taken into consideration
which was projected by some associates of the
APC national leader, Saturday Vanguard learned
was the prospect of Buhari turning on Tinubu and
others once he is invested with power.
“There are also fears in Asuwaju’s camp that the
man may destroy Asiwaju and may come back to
hurt him and some of Asiwaju’s loyalists warned
him,” the source revealed.
The matter of General Buhari’s age also came
into consideration in the final consideration to
drop support for the former head of state as it
was reasoned that 70 to 80% of voters fall
between the age of 18 to 40+ and most of them
don’t know Buhari.
Political associates were also disturbed that
inputs made by party leaders into the general’s
speech at his declaration at the Eagle Square last
month were discarded raising apprehension that
the general in office could reject advice. Some
were also understood to have raised the fact that
the former head of state also did not have
enough money for the race ahead.
The factors inevitably helped to shift attention
towards Tambuwal who was earlier aligning
himself towards the Sokoto State governorship
contest.
Support for Tambuwal’s aspiration is also being
boosted by permutations that his sterling
leadership of the House of Representatives where
he has the committed support of more than half
of the members had put him in pole position in
more than half of the federal constituencies in the
country.
The decision of the Tinubu camp to change
attention from Buhari and Tambuwal’s entry into
the contest was welcomed by associates of Atiku
Abubakar who see it as an opportunity for them
to move in to harvest support from the influential
Southwest caucus that is firmly controlled by
Tinubu.
The Buhari camp was yesterday adjusting itself
not to be in panic mood as it welcomed
Tambuwal into the race. Osita Okechukwu, a
strong loyalist of Buhari in a statement made
available to Saturday Vanguard said the
development would not cut off the celestial bond
between Buhari and the more than 12 million
followers behind him around the country.
He said: “The entry of Rt.Hon. Aminu Tambuwal
is a welcome development, the more the
presidential aspirants or any aspirant to governor,
Senate, national or state assemblies the merrier.”
“Our great party, the All Progressives Congress
(APC) will be the greatest beneficiary, as the
mobilization of the electorate will be wider,
penetrating and robust.”
“Therefore, Hon Tambuwal is highly welcome into
the presidential race. This is why the constitution
of our party was amended penultimate week, to
accommodate in less than one hour, any person
who joins APC.”
“On his chances, one cannot hazard a guess, as
Tambuwal unlike Buhari or Atiku had never
contested nationwide election. He only contested
in a federal constituency and had never tested his
popularity in Kano, Akure or Enugu.”
All one knows is that his entry will neither
diminish nor cut-off the celestial bond between
GMB and the masses and the middle class of our
dear country. The masses and middle class had
renewed at every election GMB’s 12million Vote
Bank, therefore the contest at the end of the day
is between President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
and GMB.”
- Vanguard.
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