By Dansu Peter
Few days after the exit of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Presidency has started wooing former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who had been relegated to the background after helping the party to secure victory at the 2015 presidential election.
President Muhammadu Buhari, according to sources was advised to quickly reach out to Tinubu who was one of the five major pillars that secured victory for APC in 2015.
The five pillars are former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Asiwaju Tinubu, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso and President Buhari.
Out of the four men that supported Buhari, only Tinubu and Saraki still have their loyal men in all strategic positions in the party at local government, state and federal levels. Both Atiku and Kwankwaso are practically not in the party again as the duo have set up presidential campaign organizations.
Saraki has also promised to announce his next political step in February 2018. However, sources close to the Senate President said he might consider running for presidency now that he is close to the seat. Saraki currently occupies number three seat in the country by the virtue of being the Senate President.
Sources close to the Presidency revealed to Nigerian NewsDirect that while there might be a replacement for Kwankwaso in Northwest, where Buhari also hails from and in North East for Atiku where Speaker of House of Representatives, Aminu Dogara hails from, there is no powerful politician that can pull the crowd in the Southwest like Tinubu.
“The Presidency has seen that all the governors and Ministers working against Tinubu in the Southwest cannot deliver for the President without the support of Tinubu in 2019, that’s why the President is retracing his steps before it is too late,” said the source said.
The two leaders jet out to Ivory Coast last week. On their return, Buhari said, “Our leader, Asiwaju Tinubu has revealed many vital information to me”.
Some of the terms of return of Tinubu to the inner caucus of APC “power centre” is control of the party in the Southwest and also to determine who gets what in the party from the zone.
Our sources also revealed that Buhari will also carry him along on all issues that concern the party especially on appointments and national issues.
In the meantime, the apex Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere said Tinubu is not a child in politics who should be told this is left and right.
The spokesman of the group. Yinka Odumakin told our correspondent in Lagos yesterday.
Odumakin said Tinubu was in a position to weigh his options very well.
Many Yoruba elders have frowned at the manner the Presidency treated Tinubu after being sworn in but Odumakin insisted that Tinubu was a master of the game who knows what is good for him.
“He can always act on his conviction” Odumakin said.
Source: Nigeria News Direct
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