By Ishaya Ibrahim
Acting News Editor
Yahaya Bello and James Faleke are the known protagonists in the fight to replace the late Abubakar Audu as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in yesterday’s rerun vote in Kogi State.
Behind the scenes, however, President Muhammadu Buhari is battling former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, to prevent him from extending his power grab to Kogi in the Middle Belt, according to our source.
Tinubu, who has the unofficial title of the APC national leader, is believed to be eyeing the Presidency in 2019, the year Buhari will be 76 and may be too old for Nigerians to entrust him with a second term, the source said.
Building bridges for 2019
Tinubu is reportedly courting friends among governors, lawmakers, and top APC chieftains, preparatory to his grand plan for 2019.
This has alerted former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, another APC chieftain with presidential ambition.
In June, during the election of presiding officers in the National Assembly (NASS), Atiku allegedly foiled Tinubu’s attempt to instal Ahmed Lawan as Senate president, and Femi Gbajabiamila, House of Representatives speaker.
“If Tinubu had succeeded in planting his men in the National Assembly, the APC would have been to him what Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) was to him – a personal possession,” the source said.
TheNiche reported on November 1 Tinubu’s move to draft Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, into the APC, which Umahi’s aide, Emma Anya, neither confirmed nor denied.
This newspaper reported that “…Tinubu is trying to position Umahi as instrument for power struggle in the South East in 2019 against former Governor of old Abia State, Ogbonnaya Onu, now minister of science and technology.
“Tinubu is allegedly uncomfortable with Onu, who happens to be an independent minded politician like Chris Ngige, among other ministers from the South East.
“When Onu was being positioned for the post of secretary to the government of the federation, Tinubu allegedly blocked it and instead backed Babachir David, who got the job.
“Tinubu is also said to be in the middle of the leadership squabble in the Senate and is making a deft political move to ensure he would not have any obstacle for whatever ambition he may nurse for 2019.”
Though the APC has not taken a decision as to where the Presidency will go in 2019, there are strong indications that events in the coming year will define all secret permutations.
Former military President, Ibrahim Babangida, recently made a case for the Presidency to move to the South East.
Death came at wrong time
Audu’s death, the source said, robs Tinubu of the chance of cornering up Kogi for himself in the 2019 presidential contest.
Audu had been his political ally since 2011 when he dumped the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and contested the governorship under the platform of ACN.
In the governorship ballot in Kogi on November 21, Tinubu recommended Faleke, a House of Representatives member representing Ikeja Federal Constituency of Lagos State to Audu as his running mate.
Audu died while the results were trickling in. But election had not taken place or were cancelled in 91 polling units with 49,953 registered voters.
Audu had got 240,867 votes and was leading with 41,353. His opponent, Governor Idris Wada (Peoples Democratic Party, PDP), scored 199,514.
Those with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for the rerun ballot are far below 40,000. That puts the election in the bag of the APC.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the election on November 21 inconclusive. The APC opted for Bello as substitute for Audu. Faleke protested.
“In law and logic, no new candidate can inherit or be a beneficiary of the votes already cast, counted and declared by the INEC before that candidate was nominated and purportedly sponsored,” Faleke wrote through his counsel, Wole Olanipekun.
AGF clips Faleke’s wings
But the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami, insisted that the APC would substitute its candidate.
“The issue is very straightforward. Fundamentally, Section 33 of the Electoral Act is very clear in case of death. The right for substitution by a political party is sustained by the provisions of Section 33 of the Electoral Act.”
Our source countered that Malami is preparing the ground to avoid any claim to power by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the run up to 2019 if Buhari is not able to contest.
The source reiterated that Buhari’s silence in what was brewering in Kogi is pregnant with meaning, noting that “2019 is the reason for all the risky decisions the APC decided to take on the Kogi governorship matter.”