Atiku’s aide, Olarewaju says Bianca won’t get Tinubu South-East votes, insists she has zero electoral value

Olarewaju also argued that Tinubu doesn’t do any favour unless there is “political leverage or advantage to be gained”.

By Kehinde Okeowo

Demola Olarewaju, the Special Assistant to ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar on Digital Media Strategy has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of Bianca Ojukwu as a minister. 

TheNiche had earlier reported that Tinubu through his media aide, Bayo Onanuga announced the creation, merger and scrapping of some ministries.

He followed it up with the removal of five ministers while appointing seven and reassigning 10 others to new portfolios

The eagerly anticipated cabinet reshuffle saw the appointment of Bianca Ojukwu as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Reacting to the development via a post shared on his X page, Olarenwaju told Tinubu that Bianca won’t help him get votes from the South-East in 2027 because she has zero electoral value.

He went on to describe the ministerial appointment as a political gambit to soften the ground amidst other moves to be made by Tinubu ahead of elections.

He further noted that the incumbent president doesn’t do any favour unless there is “political leverage or advantage to be gained”.

ALSO READ: Abaribe says Tinubu showed South-East ‘Renewed Shege’ with cabinet reshuffle

Speaking via his verified social media handle, Olarewaju tweeted,  “Bianca Ojukwu has zero electoral value and not one sane Obidient voter in the SE will switch to BAT for her sake – not one.”

He added,  “Understand first of all that Tinubu is nothing, if not political. Everything he does is about power. If he opposes subsidy in 2012 – it is power. If he upholds it in 2024, it is for power.

“He can say “Yoruba Ronu” to woo Yoruba ethnocentrists, but can also say “One Nigeria” when necessary. I’m not sure that man has had even one genuine friendship in the past three decades, unless there is some political leverage or advantage to be gained.

“Bianca is a ‘nobody’ in the political configuration of the SE. But remember, APC currently has governors in two states of the SE all three senators from Ebonyi, two from Imo and one from Abia, where Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu is from and where a Bola Tinubu University of Nigerian Languages may soon be sited.

“Recall also that Bola Tinubu/APC scored more votes in the SE than Atiku Abubakar/PDP – based on “it is the turn of the South/let Tinubu have it if not Obi, but not a Fulani.

“So Bianca is not at all likely to move any voter but she won’t need to – she is only one piece of a larger plan to provide an excuse for APCNEC (APC/INEC) rigging.”