The subtle political horse trading for the 2019 Presidential election, seemed to have reached its peak as President Muhammadu Buhari and two powerful chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, are in log jam, Punch Newspaper has confirmed.
Punch reports that there are strong indications that the relationship between the National Leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu and Buhari had not been rosy.
It was gathered that Tinubu was not happy with the appointments the President had been making since his inauguration on May 29 last year.
With the recent endorsement of Buhari as the 2019 APC candidate by the party, and the subtle plan by the Former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso to subvert the plan, this has made the president to seek reconciliation with Tinubu.
According to sources, Tinubu was fighting Buhari’s battle when he decided to support Senator Ahmed Lawan and move against Senator Bukola Saraki for the Senate Presidency.
The source added that Buhari was aware of the fact that Tinubu had been loyal to him since he (Buhari) joined the presidential race.
He said, “You will recall that Tinubu was initially supporting George Akume for the senate president position, but he switched over to Lawan when it became obvious that that was the man the President preferred.
Also, many APC members are aware that Tinubu lost out in ministerial and many of the appointments made by the President.”
Another prominent member of the party told Saturday PUNCH that Tinubu had been maintaining what he described as a “siddon look” attitude towards the President before now.
He said prominent members of the party were worried that the president failed to consider the APC leader’s candidates for appointments.
Buhari’s reaching out to Tinubu was borne out of the alleged subtle moves by some elements in the party, including Kwankwaso, to reposition themselves for the 2019 presidential race.
The former Kano State Governor was alleged to have launched his 2019 presidential ambition during his visit to Kano early this month.
The Kano State chapter of the APC had, at a press conference in Kano, said that it was probing the former governor’s “misconduct,” adding that there was no presidential vacancy in the party.
But Kwankwaso, in a statement signed by his Chief of Staff, Yunusa Dangwani, said the former governor did not launch any presidential campaign.
According to a report on Thursday, the APC national caucus, comprising serving and former governors, the National Assembly leadership, and selected members of the national executive of the party, at the meeting said the endorsement of Buhari for a second term would help to stabilise the polity in the face of what members described as the 16-year rot inherited from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The party chieftain stated that in boards and other appointments that would be made by the President in the months ahead, Tinubu’s loyalists would be taken care of as a way of wooing the APC leader.
Punch reports that there are strong indications that the relationship between the National Leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu and Buhari had not been rosy.
It was gathered that Tinubu was not happy with the appointments the President had been making since his inauguration on May 29 last year.
With the recent endorsement of Buhari as the 2019 APC candidate by the party, and the subtle plan by the Former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso to subvert the plan, this has made the president to seek reconciliation with Tinubu.
According to sources, Tinubu was fighting Buhari’s battle when he decided to support Senator Ahmed Lawan and move against Senator Bukola Saraki for the Senate Presidency.
The source added that Buhari was aware of the fact that Tinubu had been loyal to him since he (Buhari) joined the presidential race.
He said, “You will recall that Tinubu was initially supporting George Akume for the senate president position, but he switched over to Lawan when it became obvious that that was the man the President preferred.
Also, many APC members are aware that Tinubu lost out in ministerial and many of the appointments made by the President.”
Another prominent member of the party told Saturday PUNCH that Tinubu had been maintaining what he described as a “siddon look” attitude towards the President before now.
He said prominent members of the party were worried that the president failed to consider the APC leader’s candidates for appointments.
Buhari’s reaching out to Tinubu was borne out of the alleged subtle moves by some elements in the party, including Kwankwaso, to reposition themselves for the 2019 presidential race.
The former Kano State Governor was alleged to have launched his 2019 presidential ambition during his visit to Kano early this month.
The Kano State chapter of the APC had, at a press conference in Kano, said that it was probing the former governor’s “misconduct,” adding that there was no presidential vacancy in the party.
But Kwankwaso, in a statement signed by his Chief of Staff, Yunusa Dangwani, said the former governor did not launch any presidential campaign.
According to a report on Thursday, the APC national caucus, comprising serving and former governors, the National Assembly leadership, and selected members of the national executive of the party, at the meeting said the endorsement of Buhari for a second term would help to stabilise the polity in the face of what members described as the 16-year rot inherited from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Another top member of the APC, said, “Buhari needs the support of Tinubu to survive the onslaught of elements that want to seize the control of the party ahead of the 2019 elections.”
The party chieftain stated that in boards and other appointments that would be made by the President in the months ahead, Tinubu’s loyalists would be taken care of as a way of wooing the APC leader.
He said, “Although the President is not somebody who can be dictated to, he is not an ungrateful person. He is aware of the role played by Tinubu in his election and he will not abandon the man.”Culled: Post-Nigeria
08:54:00
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