It is shaping to be a seriously entertaining political season in Nigeria and we recommend interested persons to load up as much popcorn as possible, as developments leading to next year's presidential election continue to unfold.
In a quite bizarre turn of events, a report by Sahara Reporters, claims that contrary to widespread speculation and claims that the man who helped Buhari win both the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections, and who is believed to have done all that on the condition his efforts would be reciprocated at the end of Buhari's 8 years term in office, is somehow, not Buhari's annoited candidate.
According to the report, former President Goodluck Jonathan's closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari last Thursday, could cause a major political crisis in the ruling APC, as Buhari is believed to favor a Jonathan presidency after his departure, over a Tinubu or even an Osinbajo presidency come 2023.
The report which cited 'a reliable source', claimed that the decision to favor a Jonathan presidency is based on the premise that the former president has only one term to complete, after which power will return back to the North for another 8 years by 2027.
“Pressure came from two Northern governors for President Buhari to allow Jonathan to complete his term and return power to the North for another eight years beginning from 2027,” the source revealed.
“It is for this reason that Buhari had requested Jonathan to see him last Thursday following conclusion of discussion with the two governors, one of which is Mai Mala Buni of Yobe and APC Caretaker Committee Chairman.
“This same Buni worked against Tinubu's interest in the electoral act to ensure Buhari did not sign it.
“Tinubu had hoped to ward off challenge from Osinbajo, Rotimi Amaechi and others to get the APC presidential ticket through direct primaries.
“Buni is also working to organise national convention to create substantive national executives, all a ploy to ensure a Jonathan candidate.
“He's masterminding a likely micro-zoning to the South-South to ensure Jonathan is the sole aspirant during the primary.
“Following the successful meeting on Thursday with Buhari, Jonathan has also moved swiftly to hold a strategic meeting with South-South ministers and will hold a national ministers' meeting under his government afterwards as a prequel to formal declaration.
“The meeting which held under the South-South 2023 Presidency group headed by Jonathan's associate, Mr Dikivie Ikiogha, took place at Mrs Patience Jonathan's Aridolf Hotels and Spars.
“If the plan goes well, Jonathan will choose a serving Northern governor as running mate. The most likely candidate for that will be Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State,” the source revealed.
Should these arrangements come true which would also require Jonathan to drop the umbrella for the broom, it would undoubtedly spell doom for Tinubu's presidential ambition, and ultimately send the former Lagos state governor into retirement.
Prior to this latest development, Tinubu is believed to be the next in line to succeed President Buhari, regardless whether or not votes are cast, according to a disclosure by a founder and pioneer national chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Senator Rufai Hanga.
Hanga who spoke to Daily Trust, said there is an existing agreement that the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, would take over from Buhari in 2023, irrespective who Nigerians chose to vote for, in the next election.
“This is an open secret. There was an implied agreement. Even in law, there is implied and expressed act. If something is expressed, there are no two ways about it. There was an implied agreement that he would take over. That is why he didn’t back out after the first tenure. If Tinubu knew that he would not benefit, he would have backed out during Buhari’s first tenure. But he knows there was an agreement,” he said.
Hanga however, said the only way to deny Tinubu the Presidency, is for the APC to deny him the party's ticket, a situation he said will not end well for the party.