Tinubu as APC flagbearer may give the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) plenty ammunition to use against the party in 2023, they say
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The opposition against the presidential ambition of former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is getting to his northern base, a critical bloc to his goal.
TheNiche has learned that some of them are urging the Lagos strongman to consider supporting former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as Buhari’s successor. They fear that Tinubu as APC flagbearer may give the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) plenty ammunition to use against the party in 2023, a situation that could cost the party the presidency. Hence, some of them are appealing to the APC leader to consider pulling his weight behind Osinbajo, a law professor who has no taint of corruption hanging around his neck.
Since January 10 when Tinubu, the Lagos kingmaker announced telling President Muhammadu Buhari of his ambition to succeed him, the parade of opponents against that move have been formidable.
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Politicians, religious leaders, columnists, and ordinary Nigerians have used the traditional and social media to warn against a Tinubu’s presidency. But Tinubu remains undeterred.
Tinubu’s game plan, TheNiche has learned, relies mainly on the North to come through with their support as payback for the role he played in Buhari becoming the President and also staying loyal to him.
The Jagaban has been parleying top politicians in the North West and North East, Buhari’s strongholds. He celebrated his 69th birthday last year in Kano and has been more visible in the North than any part of the country, especially Kano, leading to speculation that he might out of desperation nominate Governor Abdullahi Ganduje as his running mate.
Kano has in the last two elections, given President Muhammadu Buhari the largest chunk of votes. Analysts believe that Tinubu may be eyeing those votes by giving Ganduje the Vice President ticket. Others have said that the combination could prove a disaster as the two are old and are perceived as corrupt (Tinubu bullion van and Ganduje dollars).
But he is still banking on the North. He recently announced a N50million donation to victims of bandit’s attacks after visiting Zamfara and Niger States. In Katsina, he assures the governor, Bello Masari that Nigeria would win the war against bandits when he paid the governor a visit. And in most of these tours, he is always in the company of former Borno State Governor, Senator Kashim Shettima, and former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, two APC leaders in the North East.
Osinbajo, on the other hand, has not publicly declared that he wants to contest the election. His supporters, TheNiche learned, knew that he can’t match Tinubu in the game of spending to clinch the APC ticket. But the mass of opposition against the Jagaban is already helping their case. A few days ago, a special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on political affairs, Babafemi Ojudu, added his own voice to the viral momentum against Tinubu’s presidency.
Ojudu is a known mobilizer for Osinbajo and wouldn’t be involved in the campaign for the VP to succeed Buhari over the formidable Tinubu if he didn’t see the possibility of that happening.