The lingering effects resulting from the failed agreement reached between the then All Progressive Congress [APC] presidential aspirant, Mohammadu Buhari and the then godfather of APC, Bola Tinubu during the buildup to the 2015 Presidential elections threatens to be the undoing of the ruling party, if the information available to 247ureports.com is correct.
According to the information, the relationship between the godfather of modern politics in the south west, Tinubu and the President of the federation, Buhari has continued on a steady nose dive since the swearing-in of the president as the President of the federation.
The recent refusal of the President to make joint political appearances with Bola Tinubu at the various gubernatorial campaigns across the country is reported by our source as symptomatic of the deep divide between the two gentlemen. The recent rejection of Tinubu’s candidate in Ondo State is considered by the Tinubu group to be the direct workings of the President to truncate the powers and influence of Bola Tinubu in the south west region.
In Ondo State gubernatorial race, two of APC senators from the south west region jointly worked against the appointed aspirant of the Tinubu group – to defeat him in an embarrassing manner. Another aspirant emerged against the wishes of the ‘jagaban of south west politics’.
The incident comes on the heels of the Kogi State debacle for the Tinubu group who had expected for their candidate to become the governor of Kogi State following the death of Audu – who was the gubernatorial candidate under APC. Tinubu had expected for his ‘boy’ [James Abiodun Faleke] to have taken over after the death of Audu. Tinubu’s boy was the running mate to Audu. The events turned out to not favor Tinubu as he had anticipated. Our source indicated that he ran to the President for assistance with the situation in Kogi – but the President was clear in his wanting not to influence the outcome of the Kogi elections and decisions of the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC]. Tinubu was not pleased.
The President’s refusal to come to the aide of Tinubu did not come as surprising to the Tinubu folks who already saw the President make an about-turn over agreements reached before the APC presidential primaries – which Tinubu ensured was skewed favorable for a Buhari victory.
According to our source, Buhari reneged on the agreements reached with Tinubu as the precondition to victory at the presidential primaries. Buhari was to allocate six [6] ministerial positions to Tinubu, the senate president and speaker of the house of representatives, and the vice presidential slot. Buhari accented to the vice presidential slot. But the President turned away from the remainder items. Our source indicates that Tinubu believes that Buhari utilized Atiku to ensure the agreement was breached at the Senate and at the House of representatives. On the ministerial slots, the President was reported to select for Tinubu to fill the six slots reserved for him. He made the choice for Tinubu. When Tinubu discovered that Buhari had virtually picked his ache enemies, he protested vehemently but Buhari indicated it was too late.
The relationship continued to nosedive. Already Buhari had opted for former President Obasanjo as his thorough breed horse in the south west to replace Tinubu. Our source states that “he is more at home with Obasanjo than with Tinubu. He defers to Obasanjo on matters relating to the south west political block“. Obasanjo, reportedly, has been glad to step in the shoes of south west leader.
Tinubu on his part has begun to face the reality of what may become of 2019 – as per the continued relevance of the south west in national politics. To this, according to our source, the Jagaban has initiated many closed door and/or midnight meetings with special stakeholders across party lines in the south west block. 247ureports.com is not certain as to the aims and objective of the ongoing gatherings and meetings but a usually credible source revealed that the meetings were largely gatherings of political financiers, monarchs and outright politicians who are aggrieved with the current treatment of the south west in the present administration.
The source while explaining that the south west had been neglected – pointed out the open disparity in the manner some APC campaign had been handled. In the Kogi State gubernatorial exercise, he stated that President Buhari did not make a campaign stop but Tinubu did. In Bayesla State gubernatorial exercise, President Buhari did not campaign stop but Tinubu did. But in the ongoing gubernatorial exercise in Edo State, President Buhari made a campaign stop but Tinubu did not. The source pointed to the pattern as symptomatic of a great problem within the party.
“They have divided the APC and they know which part belongs to who and who. In a short time we may find out“.
