Buhari’s bombshell on Tinubu divides APC

The statement by President Muhammadu Buhari during his visit to Lagos on Thursday that no one can stay in Lagos and determine what happens in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, has been deepening the gulf in the APC. This is more so as the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has gone far with his mobilization groups in seeking support across the country for the APC ticket towards his presidential ambition in 2023.

President Buhari in Lagos on Thursday stated: “you cannot stay in Lagos and determine what happens in the APC in Abuja on zoning.” The statement has been generating mixed reactions from political actors. While those in opposition to Tinubu becoming Nigeria’s president in 2023 have been celebrating that the president’s statement implied an end of the road for Tinubu, supporters of the APC leader were gathered to have been silent but strategizing on the next course of action within the party.

Though, the presidency on Friday clarified that President Buhari’s statement in Lagos was not referred to Tinubu, many are of the view that President Buhari had delivered his message clearly, maintaining that the known godfather in Lagos is Tinubu and that his 2023 project is predicated on ‘an agreement with President Buhari’ to zone power to the south after his second tenure of eight years. Accordingly, the ruling APC has been sharply divided. Earlier, a group in the APC from the southwest had been appealing that Tinubu give up his 2023 presidential ambition, then support Vice President Yemi Osinbajo so that the southwest would secure the APC presidential ticket. The southwest APC segment were pessimistic that Tinubu may not get the APC presidential ticket, noting that there is noticeable opposition to the presidential ambition of the APC national leader within the party.

Some party sources had revealed that the President does not have good notions about the national leader succeeding him. He was alleged to perceive him as domineering, ambitious, beside others.

The issue of zoning the 2023 presidential ticket of the APC has not been on the negotiation table of the ruling party. It has rather been a matter of advocacy and agitation, including insinuations of an agreement between President Buhari and Asiwaju Tinubu at the formation of the APC and thereafter, to handover to the latter after the end of the president’s second tenure.

The south has been agitating for a power shift from the north in 2023. The northeast APC stakeholders have been voicing out in support of a power shift to the south in 2023. However, the hegemonic northwest has been silent on the issue of power shift in 2023, except Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, who is, however, erratic most of the time. The southwest and the southeast have been highly vocal in the agitation for zoning of the president from the north in 2023.

It has been observed that while President Buhari and his political bloc controls the presidency, Tinubu and his bloc controls the APC structures, producing the party’s national chairman until Adams Oshiomhole’s leadership tragedy. Since the elimination of Oshiomhole as the APC national chairman, the subsequent APC leadership structure tends to indicate systemic edging of Tinubu out of the APC.

The emergent National Caretaker Committee headed by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State as national chairman, does not have adequate representation of the Tinubu bloc. The force that fought and dethroned the leadership of Oshiomhole had the backing of the President; and years after that, the APC has been slow to reconstitute substantive party leadership after the long period of consultation and reconciliation of party members by the caretaker committee.

Some APC stakeholders were of the view that it was not surprising that the president openly expressed his mind during his visit to Lagos where he commissioned certain projects including the Lagos-Ibadan railway.

However, the controversy, continues.