Presidency 2023: Tinubu walking on broken bones?

The national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a frontline presidential aspirant in the APC, may have been prosecuting his presidential campaign with deepened cracks in his political structure, according to some of his loyalists. This phenomenon was said to have generated concerns that the former Lagos State governor may be walking on broken bones in his lobby and quest for the APC presidential ticket for the 2023 general elections.

Some loyalists of the former governor who spoke on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that what people consider as the Tinubu dynasty in southwest politics is in disarray. One of the Tinubu loyalists said that notable political actors that jointly built the ‘dynasty’ or the Tinubu structure from the early days of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) to Action Congress (AC) and later Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), with the national leader, melting into the APC alliance, have been tacitly eliminated from the political club of Tinubu. He said that new political hawks in the southwest have hijacked the Tinubu dynasty, using the offices they currently occupy.

Another loyalist was of the view that the relationship between Tinubu and his early political allies like former Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, now Minister of Works and Housing; former Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, now Minister of Interior; senator O. Mamora, Minister of State for Health, Barrister Muiz Banire, among others, are no longer strong as in the early years; adding that in some cases, the relationship with some old allies have been severed.

It was observed that the Minister of health, Aregbesola, has been having a running battle with Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State over the years of succeeding Aregbesola. Oyetola was identified as Tinubu’s cousin purportedly imposed on the people of Osun State at the time of the exit of the former governor.

One of the loyalists of the former Lagos governor alleged there were conspiracies against Aregbesola in Lagos State to make him irrelevant in the politics of the state. Thereafter, the battle was pushed to Osun State to cripple the Minister’s political career.

The loyalist also said that the position of the works minister is not yet clear on the presidential project of Tinubu. The source, however, said that the Works and Housing Minister has neither said anything ‘positive’ nor ‘negative’ on the presidential project.

Many others were identified to be excluded from the dynasty as Tinubu goes on nationwide consultations for his presidential ambition.

The loyalists individually and collectively expressed concerns that the leader ought to launch himself to the national space with a united and cohesive home support. Some also purported that the two ministers from Lagos State, in addition to the Interior Minister from Osun State, whose voices are perceived to be very close to President Muhammadu Buhari and have opportunities to whisper some words of support to the President in the absence, or on behalf, of Tinubu are not carried along by the presidential aspirant. The perceived fractured dynasty, they said, is a source of worry as the leader approaches stakeholders in other parts of the country.

The loyalists, however, noted that Tinubu has huge influence that can make things happen, but said that he will be stronger if going out with a united bloc. They stated the need for the “leader to consider reconciliation within the political dynasty to ensure cohesive structure and all-inclusive activities from the zone.

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