There's no doubt that the dust of presidential primaries of major political parties in Nigeria have started settling down as the winners...
There's no doubt that the dust of presidential primaries of major political parties in Nigeria have started settling down as the winners are closing ranks with their co-contestants ahead of the major task ahead-the campaign for Aso Rock 2023 beyond party level.
Campaign for Aso Rock 2023 may likely have a different dimensions from the usual practice if there's any thing to go by with President Muhammad Buhari body's language during the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential primary. Unlike in the past, President Muhammad Buhari promised of watching the back of every aspirant that indicate interest to run for president. They all have his blessings and took snapshot with him. Many pundits thought that Mr President will favour the acclaimed Lion of Ubiama for his unalloyed support and commitment to Mr President election in 2015 against his own Niger Delta brother, HE Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, fmr president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Apart from footing the major bills, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (C. R. A) led the campaign as the Director General of PMB/Osibanjo team. He was rewarded with a juicy presidential appointment. C. R. A as a loyal party man to the core, was not only accountable to Mr President but worshipped the Northern political elites by scrapping a Maritime University in his Gbaramatu's backyard and moved it to president's country home of Daura as Transport University. That's not all, major projects in his Ministry were located in President Muhammad Buhari home State of Katsina, Kano and Kaduna and down to Maradi in Niger Republic where President Muhammad Buhari's cousins reside. C. R. A was again rewarded with a traditional chieftaincy title of Dan Amana of Daura, a titled that gave him sense of being part of the North. The power brokers in the presidency kept pushing him and assuring him that, PMB will handle the baton of leadership of Nigeria to him. Alas, he never got the expected presidential nod that would had sealed the deal for him. The North was careful of his antecedents with power; ' he who sold his brother, even the buyer will never trust him'. That became the fate of C. R. A as he was abandoned when he needed them most. He trailed behind Asiwaju with a paltry votes. Lion of Ubiama became the Lizard of Ubiama @ the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Professor Yemi Osibanjo has been a star boy from the word go for the APC struggle for power in 2014. He came from one of the largest Christian Pentecostal block which made him to benefit the Muslim/Christian ticket as it has become a tradition in Nigeria politics. He became the hope of the Southern minority Christians in the new government, a pastor and also being a reputable lawyer and lecturer who had risen to professioral cadre made him the best fit for the job. He came to the fore when his boss, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu's aspiration to be Vice President was punctured on the ground that Muslim/Muslim ticket may hit the rock. The grudges in which BAT explored to punished those that truncated his mission especially former Senate President, Bukola Saraki who never enjoyed any goodwill from his own party. Most of PMB failures in his first tenure where hinges on the rift between the legislative arm led by the tagged stubborn Saraki and the executive arm led by PMB. Pastor Yemi Osibanjo betrayed the trust of the Christian faithfuls when Christians are being killed by the Fulani militias in the Northern region and he was mute to condemned the killing of a fellow Redeemed Christian Church of God's pastor murdered in Abuja for her early morning evangelism. He angered the power that be when he removed Mamman Daura as a boss of the State Security Service without consulting his ailing principal, Mr President who was away on medication. PYO was wreck of his strength and his soaring popularity diminished as humanitarian services domiciled in his office where quickly moved away to the new birth ministry christined Ministry of Humanitarian Services and Disaster Management. He was more of a spare tyre leading Federal Government delegation on condolences to any where Fulani militias must have murdered people. At the primary, he was left to his fate as PMB declined to publicly endorsed him as a preferred candidate to his erstwhile boss, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Seeing the handwriting on the wall, the great political strategist of South South, HE Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, fmr Minister of Niger Delta quickly stepped down for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He was the first to do so and this pave way for the emergence of Asiwaju. He left the podium to grabbed the senatorial ticket of his constituency in his Akwa Ibom home State.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has a large number of political foot soldiers across the country whom he has built over the years. When he roared in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, it was a clear sign that he was going to play a spoiler should presidency do otherwise. Though he had earlier sounded this warning but the Abeokuta outburst was more tense that even the leadership of APC led by HE Senator Abdullahi Adamu had promised to punish him for his reckless statement against Mr President. BAT was undeterred and battle ready for the worse. Some of his notable allies were considering putting him on the ballot of Social Democratic Party (SDP) but that was not a good option for him. The greatest undoing of presidency was the rush in announcing the Aso Rock preferred candidate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, senate president and this made BAT to launched his arsenal against Distinguished Senator Ahmed Lawan. It was indeed the fatal outing for Ahmed Lawan as he never did his home work before appearing on the stage and the presidency lacked political wills to prosecute the election for him.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) won against the pundits and Aso Rock power brokers. BAT has been the godfather of Lagos and by extension South West States since 1999. Almost all the political office holders got to their peak due to his benevolence and he was not short of punishing any erring office holder. Beginning from his first deputy to his successor, Babatunde Fashola to Ambode and the current Governor of Lagos State, Sanwo Olu who narrowly escaped being denied of return ticket, BAT is seen as an emperor and dictator. You disobey him at your own perils.
Now, BAT has won the APC Presidential ticket. He will fly the flag of the party in the next year election, facing HE Alh Atiku Abubakar of the major opposition PDP, HE Peter Obi of Labour Party who has suddenly become the new bride among the youths, HE Alh Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwanso of New Nigeria People Party with support base in the populous Kano State and other plethora of candidates who may likely formed formidable alliances. The greatest task before BAT is the choice of his running mate. He is a Southern Muslim and it's expected of him to choose a Northern Christian. The last check shows that most of the prominent Northern Christians are in PDP except for HE Simon Bako, Governor of Plateau State, Babachir Lawal from Adamawa State and Barr Yakubu Dogara, Fmr Speaker of the House of Representatives. Non of these Northern Christians politician had what it takes to deliver for BAT in 2023 and should BAT go for the Northern Muslim as running mate, he will greatly loss the goodwill of Southern Christian population who expected Prof Yemi Osibanjo to emerged as APC candidate. BAT rhetoric of marrying a Christian woman and allowed her to rise to the Deaconship may not save the situation as the National Chairman of APC is also a Northern Muslim. PDP may cash in with this. HE Alh Atiku Abubakar is from the North East and it's expected that he picks his running mate from South South or South East, HE Peter Obi of Labour Party is from South East and may likely picks his running mate from North West and HE Senator Rabiu Kwankwanso may looks South for his running mate. How Bola Ahmed Tinubu will maneuver his way to avoid the impending danger ahead in the next year presidential election will be a subject of discourse as Mr President may continue his 'I don't care attitude' of leaving contestants on the field without government support and commitment.
Ene'Ojo Onuche
Writes from Abeokuta
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