By Lateef Adegbite
Between 1999 and now, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state and the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, National Leader, had built a formidable political Power House. He has produced sons who appear to be calling the shots at the nation’s political scene at the state and Federal levels.
The roll call: Yemi Osinbajo, Nigerian Vice President, Babatunde Fashola, also a former governor of Lagos state and now minister of Works and Housing, Aregbosa Rauf, who had governed Osun state for eight years and now minister of Interior including Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti state and Chairman of Nigerian Governor’s Forum, NGF. The last but not the list of his political sons was Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo state and a sacked National Chairman of the APC.
The former Lagos state governor, popular, Jagaban, had expected that with these formidable political force, that he had built around himself, he could muster enough support to contest for the position of the President in the 2023, general elections. He got it wrong. The power brokers may have read the handwriting on wall that if he is not stopped , he could maneuver his way to beat his Co-contestants for the party Presidential ticket in the 2023 general elections using his strong political machinery. This may have informed why they had plotted to weaken him by dismantling the all- powerful Lagos council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW.
The power brokers were said to have used Tajudeen Baruwa, National president, NURTW and Kabiru Ado Ya’u, the general secretary, to dissolve the Lagos state council, under the close watch of Musiliu Akinsanya, popular, MC Oluomo, an alleged loyalist of the former Lagos state governor and who is at his ‘’beks and call’’ to mobilise the members at any time to do the biddings of the Jagaban.
He was said to have been replaced by Azeez Abiola, popular Istijabah by Babajide Sanwo –Olu, the state governor as Parks Management Committee Chairman. But Oluomo would not take it.This is because his powers have been clipped, which may affect the members support to Tinubu to actualise his Presidential ambition.
Abiodun Alabi, the Lagos state Commissioner of Police may have forseen trouble ahead between the supporters of the two factional Leaders of NURTW, that he has met the duo, Oluomo and Istijabah, ‘’,at separate meetings where he was said to have urged them ‘to caution their members against violence’.
It is on record that the APC Presidential Candidates from the south west, particular, Osinbajo, the Nigerian Vice President who had entered the race at the instances of some political forces both within and outside the country on the ticket of the ticket of the APC, had relocated to Ogun, his state to avoid playing into the hands of the political tugs. He in had made his Presidential declarations after Tinubu, the godfather had declared his Presidential ambition. This may have informed why he felt betrayed.
This is evident going by his emotional outburst: I have no son old enough to contest APC’s Presidential ticket’’. The Lagos Jababan had told those that cares to listen that the desire to rule Nigeria had been his ‘’lifelong ambition’’ and had decided to give it a shot in 2023. Hear him: I have informed the Katsina state born Nigerian President of my Presidential ambition.
While he is still nursing the grudge that Osinbajo, had declared his Presidential ambition on the ticket of the APC, Oshiomhole, a former National Chairman of the APC, who may not have been happy that the Jagaban, joined forces with the mafia in the Villa to remove him as the party National Chairman, to pave the way to actualise his Presidential ambition in 2023, had declared his Presidential ambition. He may not have consulted the retired Army General before doing so as he may have felt that there was no need for it.
The biggest blow to the Tinubu’s formidable political camp, which parades governors, ministers and equally produced the country’s number two citizen, was the entry of Fayemi, the Ekiti governor in the 2023 Presidential race on the ticket of APC.
Many people knew that the Ekiti state governor would enter the Presidential race to contest the 2023, general elections when he visited Chukwuma Soludo, a Professor of Economics, former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and now governor of the south east state of Anambra on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Professor Soludo was an elected governor of Anambra on the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA.
The Ekiti governor may have told the Anambra state governor of his plan to run for the office of the President of Nigeria in the 20223, general elections. The erudite Professor may have gotten the message that he had said that ‘’there was a need for the Progressives to form a coalition in moving the country forward with a special interest in human capital development’’. He had commended the NGF Chairman for his ‘’Leadership qualities’’ and called for ‘’effective collaboration toward nation-building’’.
Unknown to many, the Ekiti state governor’s visit to his Anambra state Counterpart was part of his nationwide consultations to declare his Presidential ambition against the 2023 general elections. On Wednesday, May 4, 2022, Fayemi,estranged Tinubu’s political ally, had declared his Presidential bid on the Platform of the APC, at the Transcorps Hilton Hotel, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, fueling speculations making the rounds that the former Lagos state governor’s political power House has finally collapsed.
In taking the decision to become Nigeria’s President after Buhari in 2023, the NGF Chairman, had said that it was duly discussed with the retired Army General at a meeting at the Presidential Villa and he gave him the approval to contest the 2023 general elections. Fayemi, who had been described by many as one of the greatest beneficiaries of Tinubu’s generousity, had said while making his Presidential declarations public that his desire to run is ‘’to make the difference.
He may have alluded to Tnubu when he said that ‘’the Presidency is not an inheritance, and not a traditional title that they are seeking’’. He was emphatic that the office of the Nigerian President that he is seeking is ‘’to make a difference in the lives of Nigerians’’, stressing that ‘’it is about Nigeria which is the commonwealth of all Nigerians’’. He may have shocked many when he said his entry into the 2023 Presidential race will offer Nigerians ‘’the opportunity to examine competing visions for national rebirth’’.
Unconfirmed reports said the APC governors may have agreed to throw up Fayemi from the south and Mohammed Badaru, the north, and incidentally the governor of Jigawa state to contest the 2023 general elections instead of supporting any other Candidate that is not within their rank.
It was learnt that the Nigerian President had thrown a challenge to the governors to produce a Candidate that would take over from him after 2023.It was not surprising why The Ekiti and the Jigawa state governors became the readily choice of the NGF. The Nigerian President had earlier endorsed all the 20 Presidential aspirants that come out on the ticket of the APC .
This may have informed why Political analysts are seeing the APC Presidential primaries as a battle between the governors and other party gladiators seeking to rule Nigeria. Buhari, who had earlier said that he had his favoured Candidate for the 2023, general elections may be watching the drama going on in the party as he had said that he will ’’hand over power to whoever Nigerians elect as their President in the 2023 general elections’’.
He may have made Nigerians to know that he is no longer particular that the Candidate must be from the ruling APC. He has made Nigerians to understand that he has an open mind now that the next Nigerian President could come from the Opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, or any other Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, under the close watch of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, registered political parties.
