2023: Why Omisore’s purported candidacy as APC National Secretary is bad news for Tinubu’s ambition

As the battle for the office of the president intensifies across the nation, all does not appear to be well with the Southwest chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to a report by LEGIT NG, the rumored candidacy of former Osun State Deputy Governor, Iyiola Omisore, as APC National Secretary ahead of the party’s March 26th national convention, is causing serious ripples among party leaders in the southwest.

Sources have been quoted saying that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is at war with APC Southwest governors over their plot to have Omisore emerge as the party’s National Secretary ahead of the convention.

You may recall that the APC has reportedly ceded its national secretary ticket to the Southwest after it was agreed that the Chairmanship seat would go to the North.

It is this zoning arrangement that is believed to be causing divisions between party leaders in the southwest.

Tinubu is said to be against Omisore’s candidacy, much to the chagrin of the governors in the region.

Sources have also revealed that vice-president Yemi Osinbajo has taken sides with the APC governors against his political godfather.

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“In the south-west, where the post of national secretary had been zoned, national leader of APC and former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, was said to be at odds with the vice president, Professor Yemib Osinbajo, as well as Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun over the choice of Senator Iyiola Omisore from Osun State for the position.

APC governors in the zone were said to have settled for Omisore for national secretary, ‘political strategy’, but Tinubu and former national chairman of the party, Chief Bisis Ajande, were said to be opposed to the choice,” a source revealed.

For those who know Omisore’s history with Tinubu, it will be easy to understand why the former Lagos governor is vehemently fighting against the former Lawmaker’s emergence as national secretary.

Prior to Omisore’s defection to the APC from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2021, Tinubu was responsible for his loss at the polls during the 2014 gubernatorial elections in Osun State. Asiwaju’s anointed candidate, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola emerged as governor back then.

Both men were once again at war in 2018, when the Omisore vowed to deal with the self-styled APC national leader by supporting an opposition candidate at the gubernatorial elections back then. A move that backfired once again, as Asiwaju’s candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, emerged victorious.

This is perhaps the reason why the former Lagos Governor is fighting tooth and nail to ensure that the plot to have Omisore emerge as the southwest’s candidate for the position of national secretary is thwarted by all means.

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Jagaban knows full well that the former Lawmaker will use the highly coveted position to pay Asiwaju back in his coin by ensuring that he (Tinubu) does not clinch the APC’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Quite interestingly, this may be the sole reason why the southwest governors are backing Omisore’s candidacy as it will be used to further their agenda to have one of their own emerge as the APC’s presidential flag bearer.