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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