The recent event at the All Progressive Congress [APC] presidential rally in Bauchi State which witnessed the abrupt exit of the President of the federal republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari from the political rally on the 23rd of January 2023 may have occurred following internal dealings and wrangling that led up to the day of the rally.
Information available to 247ureports.com obtained from a consortium of competent sources indicates that President Buhari had no intentions of attending the APC political rally in Bauchi State but was pressured into attending owing from intense pressure from the wife of the APC gubernatorial candidate who also doubles as the Federal minister of humanitarian affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq.
Loading ...As a caveat, it is noteworthy to mention that President Buhari who is the national leader of the APC had expressed to close associates and through his body language that he is not in support of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu presidential candidacy or the Sadique Abubakar gubernatorial candidacy. “They are both not his preferred candidates”.
In the many weeks leading up to the January 23, 2023 rally debacle, published reports revealed the divide within the APC that had resulted in the dwindled support for the APC gubernatorial candidate in Bauchi State. According to one of the reports published by 247ureports.com APC In More Trouble As Tinubu, Presidency Rejects APC Guber Candidate In Bauchi – it revealed that the APC machinery both locally and nationally had dropped their support for the APC gubernatorial candidate – including the APC national chairman, Malam Adamu and the APC presidential candidate, Tinubu. To the extent, the name of the APC gubernatorial candidate was removed as the State coordinator of the APC presidential campaign council – and replaced with another name [Nura Soro] – a move considered abnormal since it’s customary to have the gubernatorial candidate as the State coordinator of the presidential campaign in the State.
So, as the campaign event in Bauchi State approached, sources from the presidency intimated 247ureports.com that the President had no intentions of attending the Bauchi State rally. According to the source, President Buhari did not want to present himself on the stage at the rally to support the gubernatorial candidacy of Sadique Abubakar. However, the federal minister Sadiya Umar Farouq’s intense pressure through her pleas to the president changed the president’s mind.
But with a caveat.
President Muhammadu Buhari who enjoyed a healthy relationship with the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala A. Mohammed – and believes the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] governor has performed satisfactorily as the governor of Bauchi State – is reported to have told close associates that Governor Bala Mohammed has performed well for the people of Bauchi State – and that Bala Mohammed has always should him “very good respect”. So, as the President agreed to attend the rally of January 23, 2023, he assured his close associates that he will not speak – that he will not address the crowd. In essence, he will not endorse the gubernatorial candidate of the APC while on the podium.
Interestingly, in a related development, the Tinubu campaign team exhibited similar sentiments towards the APC gubernatorial candidate during the buildup to the said rally. They kept the APC gubernatorial candidate in the dark. The state coordinator for the Tinubu presidential campaign council was given the financial resources for the event. The state coordinator approached the State APC chairman and demanded the requirements for what it will entail to organize and set the rally. The APC chairman provided the requirements – and the funds were provided.
When the APC gubernatorial candidate then convened a meeting to begin the planning of the event, the State APC chairman was not present neither was the State coordinator present. The APC gubernatorial candidate – while seated at the meeting – placed a call to the State Coordinator informing that he is expected to be at the meeting to discuss modalities for the upcoming rally. The State Coordinator who was placed on “Speaker” told the gubernatorial candidate that he already concluded all discussions with the State chairman – that he should contact the state chairman for more details.
Sadique Abubakar switched off the phone and walked out of the meeting.
