•How He Plans To Get APC Pres. Ticket
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday, April 11, 2022, made the much-awaited declaration for the presidency on national television. After months of intense consultation, a long spell of delay and uncertainty, he announced his plans to succeed his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, come 2023.
His declaration has been greeted with mixed reactions from various groups and spectators; some sees him as a two-faced betrayer of trust for a proverbial pot of porridge, other see his ambition as a welcome development for the good of Nigeria. Osinabjo’s declaration has also further exposed the division of the party after the party chairmanship primaries have been conducted.
Aside from other candidates that have come out from the south, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been tipped by the majority of Nigerians as the most favoured presidential hopeful, based on his financial strength, political acumen and network of loyalists across the 36 states. In fact, it is on record that Vice President Osinbajo’s political journey cannot be written without mentioning the influence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu the major pilot propeller who took him from the classroom to the statehouse. His emergence as Vice President cannot also be complete without the acceptance and recommendation tendered to President Mohammadu Buhari by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Therefore when one places the cards on the table and observes who holds the Ace, Asiwaju has more advantage to emerge above Osinbajo at the primaries.
However, the Vice President, who delayed his declaration until after the chairmanship convention has got so many tips up under his sleeves. His presidential aspiration declaration comes with a vest of confidence and trust in forces that he believes will work for him against his one-time political benefactor. While there are unconfirmed insinuations that the Presidency was never part of VP Osinbajo’s plan, but was a plan hatched by the cabal to field a southern figure to occupy the seat of the presidency while they sit in the background to consolidate themselves in power and run the affairs of the state indirectly, there are indications that the vice president has built a strong structure of support for himself in many areas that can work for him at the presidential primaries, if all things fall in expected places for him.
The first thing to note is that Osinbajo’s declaration comes with a measure of presidential outlook. Of all the aspirants who have declared, only the VP was given the luxury of deploying the state apparatus in his declaration. Aside from the fact that the declaration was broadcasted on national television, most of the presidential aides in Aso Rock were posting suggestive tweets to inform Nigeria about VP Osinbajo’s declaration. The Special Adviser to the President on digital media, Bashir Ahmad particular posted, “Tomorrow’s Declaration” on his handle. Which was the day of VP Osinbajo’s declaration.
There are also indications that the majority of the cabals in Aso Rock who holds executive office and those who operate indirectly are rooting for Osinbajo at the primaries. A reliable source in Aso Rock reveals to city people that those who see President Buhari every day and have the opportunity to talk to him are behind Osinbajo and are speaking on his behalf before the President. It has also been revealed that 12 APC Governors out of the 23 are behind Osinbajo in his quest to become Nigeria’s president and 9 of them are from the north.
Some of the governors present include Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi, Muhammad Abubakar of Jigawa, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Simon Lalong of Plateau, Hope Uzodinma of Imo. One other key game plan that the northern cabals hold to the heart is the office of the Vice President.
They believe that the emergence of the Christian south is a plus for them as they have a pool of strong candidates to fill the space of the Muslim north to balance the equation. Muslim south may mean that the running mate from the north should be a Christian, but the northern political bigwigs who can influence decisions are mostly Muslims and as a result, force them to present a weak vice presidential candidate.
A source within the APC also hinted to City People that the vice president is not working alone in the south. He has a network of one-time beneficiaries of Asiwaju’s benevolence whose relationship with him has gone sour. The anonymous source revealed that the group comprises of past and current political office holders whose common goal is to decapitate the sovereign authority of Asiwaju in the southwest. He mentioned that the names on the list is shocking.
For more than 7 years, the Vice President has played the loyal servant to President Buhari and his core cabinet of the cabal. He has proven to be true and committed to matters of interest to the president and his boys. He has managed to gain the trust of the cabals amidst the view of Nigerians that underscore the Buhari-led administration which he (Osinbajo) has been part. He further restated his loyalty in his declaration speech as he extolled President Buhari as a true Nigerian patriot, and vowed to continue where the president left off. He stated:
“If by the grace of God and the will of the people, I am given the opportunity, then I believe that first, we must complete what we have started, radically transforming our security and intelligence architecture, completing the reforms of our justice system”.
One of VP Osinbajo’s strengths that cannot be undermined is the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG influence. Despite the fact that the wife of Asiwaju, Senator Remi Tinubu is also a pastor in the church, VP Osinbajo has raised more members and pastors than anyone has ever done in RCCG. There were also reports that the VP has recruited no fewer than 80 members to hold key positions in the affairs of the nation such as politics, finance, security, and other areas within the ambit of his power as the Vice President.
Recall that the church had to create an Office of the Directorate of Politics and Governance ahead of the 2023 general elections, to coordinate the affairs and activities of members interested in seeking political offices in 2023.
The directorate, it was learnt, would also compel members of the church to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the 2023 general elections.
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