2023: Infighting tearing APC apart under Tinubu

The recent outburst of Bola Tinubu, flag bearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress during a rally at Abeokuta has indeed exposed the level of infighting tearing the party apart less than a month to general elections in the country.

Tinubu had tackled the Buhari-led government over the new naira notes redesign and the lingering fuel scarcity, alleging that some individuals were sabotaging his presidential ambition through the two developments.

According to Tinubu, they were deliberately hoarding petrol and naira notes, a situation he speculated was to affect his chances negatively.

“With our PVC, we will wrest power from them. Even if they said there is no fuel, we will trek. They are full of hanky panky. They are cleverly creating fuel scarcity. Let the fuel continue to be scarce, they know where they hoard it.

“You hoard the naira, you hoard fuel, but we will vote and we will win. You can even change the ink on the naira notes, we will win. They sabotage fuel supply. Whether they supply fuel or not, we will go and vote. This is a superior revolution. You know me. We are going to win,” Tinubu said in Yoruba.

READ ALSO: Chimaroke Nnamani explains why he’s supporting Tinubu

After making the statement, the media space was awash with comments from the opposition, who saw Tinubu’s words as an attack on President Buhari and his party, the APC.

The moment he realised the statement could breed chaos within the party, Tinubu and his campaign team immediately embarked on damage control, saying the presidential candidate was actually attacking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and not the APC-led Federal Government.

Since he started his campaign a few months ago, the president Muhammadu Buhari has not shown a serious level of commitment towards ensuring the victory of Tinubu and the APC.

While Buhari has attended very few campaign rallies, his vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has totally abstained.

The question on the lips of some Nigerians is, why is the presidency less concerned about Tinubu’s presidential race?

READ ALSO: Abeokuta Outburst: Tinubu races to Daura, begs Buhari for forgiveness

Before the APC primary, there were indications that President Buhari had an anointing candidate among those eyeing the presidential ticket. Apart from Osinbajo, a sizable number of Buhari’s kitchen cabinet members, his allies and others, were in the race for the ticket.

Before the primary, Buhari had met with governors of the party, telling them to allow him choose his successor the same way they choose theirs.

Though Buhari did not name his choice, but as Tinubu realised that he was not likely to be the anointed candidate of Buhari, he began to talk tough.

In the buildup to the June 2022 APC presidential primary, Tinubu was in Abeokuta to seek the support of party delegates. At the Presidential Lodge in Ibara Housing Estate, where he met party leaders, Tinubu went back memory lane to recount how he helped Buhari to power after the former Army General had cried on live television.

He also said he was the one who nominated Osinbajo to be Buhari’s running mate after Bukola Saraki kicked against the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

His comment was said to have angered the President and his appointees, who replied Tinubu, telling him not to claim he was the one who single-handedly made Buhari president.

However, it is left to be seen if the latest Abeokuta comment from Tinubu would also earn him a positive action from the presidency.