•Party’s victory hinges on him, supporters insist
By Oguwike Nwachuku, and Ishaya Ibrahim
Supporters of Muhammadu Buhari are adamant that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will not win the presidential vote in May 2015 unless it fields him against the man from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who is likely to be President Goodluck Jonathan.
Their position comes after rumours on the internet that the APC has settled for Buhari and a national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, as presidential and vice presidential flag bearers, notwithstanding the fact that both are Muslims.
Former Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) National Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fashakin, now Buhari’s spokesman, told TheNiche in an interview that his candidature is the decision of the majority of the party members.
“The truth of the matter is that in the CPC days, he had said he wasn’t going to run again.
“But we have told him pointedly that he is now the topic of the party and we will determine whether he will still run or not and the overwhelming majority of our supporters want him still in the race. That is that,” Fashakin stated.
He, however, clarified that the APC leadership has not taken a decision on the Buhari/Tinubu ticket.
Fashakin noted that the story was reported in the newspapers “and since then people have been going about carrying rumours and entertaining themselves.”
He said election candidates will be decided at the APC convention in May.
“It’s not anything to worry about for us. We are going about our normal businesses. It is after the convention that the presidential primaries would take place. It’s still a long way out and we don’t want to dissipate energy unnecessarily at this time.”
Another supporter of Buhari, former Petroleum Minister, Tam David-West, had earlier told TheNiche: “I know Buhari very well. If my father is contesting against Buhari for the presidency, I will tell my father I will not vote for you, you are a banker, you have no business in politics.”
When asked whether Buhari’s ambition would not unsettle other party members, David-West said: “When the time comes, the APC will meet and throw up a candidate that will fly its flag. And that is what Buhari has said. That is a great statement from a great man.”
Regardless, it was learnt that the possibility of Buhari’s candidature is causing disquiet among the APC top brass, particularly its governors.
“The governors want one of them to be APC’s presidential candidate in the 2015 election. They are already scheming to whittle down Buhari’s influence in the party,” said a source in the APC, who pleaded anonymity.
Another source disclosed that Buhari has complained that the governors are biting more than they can chew.
He is reportedly unhappy with the way the governors have taken over control of the APC in their states and sidelined those who built the party from scratch.
However, APC Interim National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, quashed as “absolutely untrue” the talk of a crack in the leadership over Buhari’s ambition.
He stressed: “In our party anyone is free to aspire for any office in the land. Our nomination process will be transparent, free, fair and will be in accordance with the party’s constitution and guidelines.”
Despite the denial, however, TheNiche learnt that the APC seems stuck on Buhari’s desire to rule Nigeria again, after his stint as military Head of State between December 31, 1983 and August 27, 1984.
Other APC members, including governors, are said to be going about their own presidential ambitions in a clandestine manner for fear of a backlash from the party’s top shots.
PDP governors wield a lot of power and can determine where the pendulum swings in matters of this nature, but it is a different ball game in the APC.
A member said: “The elders of the APC allow the governors to meet on any issue concerning the party and after weighing the pros and cons, take the final decision which the governors and every other members are bound to obey.”
TheNiche learnt that at a recent meeting where Buhari and Tinubu almost differed on party matters, the bone of contention was the allegation that APC governors were trying to remove the limit on their powers.
Buhari and Tinubu are not ready to tolerate that.
An inside source disclosed that the APC leadership is afraid that if Buhari’s interest is not handled carefully it may cause the party its entire followership in the North, which “would pose a big blow to our party.”
Although it is not clear whether Buhari and Tinubu have the same mindset on a joint ticket, the governors are looking up to the committee headed by Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, on the best way to avoid upsetting the two men.
Part of the mandate of the committee, TheNcihe learnt, may not include strategies that would cost Buhari the presidential primaries.