- Why Emefiele, Abdullahi, Lawan may be against Tinubu’s presidency – Stakeholders
- Our principal is the candidate to beat – Dele Alake
- Tinubu will win, says Adeseye Ogunlewe
BY AUGUSTINE AVWODE, TIMOTHY AGBOR, BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, MAYOWA SAMUEL, BRIGHT JACOB
Some political pundits have said that there are indications that President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, might be among forces working against the victory of the All Progressives Congress and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu in this month’s election.
They said their manipulations and antics might have given birth to the crises of redesigning of naira notes and fuel scarcity currently rocking the country.
The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, has alleged that some elements in Aso Rock Presidential Villa are working against the victory of APC and Tinubu.
el-Rufai stated this on Wednesday while featuring on Sunrise Programme on Channels TV monitored by The Point.
The governor stressed that ‘those elements’ had their candidate in the presidential primary, but their candidate didn’t win the primary.
He said against this background, they were working against the ruling party and Tinubu in the forthcoming election.
The governor explained that those elements in the presidency were trying to hide behind the president’s desire to do what is right to scuttle the party’s chances.
el-Rufai also noted that the Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele was not to blame for the Naira redesign.
He recalled that the President did the same as a military Head of State with the aim of catching those that were stashing illicit funds.
But, in an exclusive interview with The Point, a legal practitioner and political analyst, Adebisi Kayode, said el-Rufai’s comments were statements of facts, adding that the body language of Buhari had shown that the President is not supporting Tinubu.
He also noted that the absence of Osinbajo, Amaechi in the campaign list of the former Governor of Lagos State was an indication that they might be working against the APC candidate’s victory.
Commenting on the remarks of Tinubu recently where he claimed that the fuel scarcity and new naira notes not in circulation were parts of ways of truncating the forthcoming polls, Kayode said, “when Asiwaju Bola Tinubu made the declaration during his presidential rally in Ogun State, during his campaign tour, he said whether they change the ink of the naira or they make petroleum not to be available, we are going to vote, we are going to win. And he said further, that you this PDP, we are going to send you away. That’s why people are now asking that are you not the one in government? So, the man (Tinubu) was not talking in a literal or ordinary sense, it’s what we call in Yoruba “eba”, that is, circumloquacious speaking, which is not going directly to the issue. He was referring to some forces both within the ruling party and outside, who believe that having won the primary that they would not allow him to win the general elections.
“Secondly, there are other interpretations to the policy of Godwin Emefiele, the CBN Governor. If you can remember during the Nigerian Civil War between the Nigerian government and the Biafra people in the South East, it was the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo that said if you change the naira and also not supply food to the Biafran people. You know, that was a masterstroke. It led to the death of millions of children. Perhaps, people are insinuating that looking from that area and Emefiele and those in his camp, not being in good terms with Asiwaju, he might have advised Mr. President that they should change the money and also make petrol unavailable so that people can revolt and be angry against the APC as a party, not minding the presidential candidate’s chances of winning or losing. That’s another angle.
“But, to me, I believe that even though the policy is laudable, the timing is wrong because during the election period, people need to get at least, minimum level of comfort. Even the INEC has to hire transporters to move their materials and they need the private sector to move their materials for them from one way or the other. If the transporters cannot get fuel, how will they make the INEC materials available on time at the polling booths? So, that’s why people are insinuating that if you know what election entails, especially during general elections, you wouldn’t have insisted on making this policy at this period of time. It was only when the House of Representatives was issuing threats of arrest that he had to succumb and extend the deadline which he ought to have done before he purportedly traveled out of the country just to escape.”
Reacting to the Kaduna State Governor’s disclosure of ‘some elements’ not in support of Tinubu’s presidency, he said, “el-Rufai’s comments were political statements of facts and not sentiments because if one recollects the trajectory of how the APC presidential primary election was won and lost, one will remember vividly that there were forces within the APC, like the aspirant that came third during the primary (Prof Yemi Osinbajo) in the race, Rotimi Amaechi came second. So, those people, you can’t see them in the campaign train of Asiwaju. As you can see, their names were not on Tinubu’s campaign council list. Osinbajo’s name is not there, Amaechi’s name is not there and other contestants that lost. That’s why these forces are saying that if their candidates lose, they are more satisfied even if another person wins the election. So, that’s a political statement of facts from the insider because El-Rufai is an insider. He has more facts that we don’t have.”
On Tinubu’s chances, he said, “the electorates who have the sovereign power will determine the fate of any candidate. Although he (Tinubu) is getting more popular, there will be surprises and no one can predict how the election will pan out.
“Some people are saying that Buhari is using this policy (new naira) to retain another Fulani man in governance. So, people that did not intend to vote for APC before will now vote for him because of the plan for another Fulani man to rule Nigeria. There are permutations that President Buhari could be among these forces against Tinubu. If you look at his body language, you will discover that he doesn’t speak directly and as President, you don’t use body language in all cases, there are instances where you don’t need to talk but at certain critical periods, you will make people know your position. You cannot say I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody. You have to belong to somebody in a particular situation. You can’t be neutral all the time. So, for me, it’s not unlikely that the president might not be supporting Tinubu. When his son Yusuf was getting wedded, it was Atiku that acted as the father of the groom at that occasion and Buhari was present physically. So, political colouration and interpretation has been put in that scenario and it’s not impossible, at least for deep-rooted politicians who know more than any other person.”
He said the election would hold notwithstanding the crises and insecurity challenges across the country.
Ensure APC remains in power
A chieftain of the APC from Delta State, who pleaded not to be named, told one of our correspondents that El-Rufai’s claim sounds very convincing and that many people might have the same feeling but nobody has the courage, perhaps, to state it as bluntly as the Kaduna State Governor has done on Wednesday morning.
He advised the party to look beyond Aso Rock and focus on ex-ministers, and National Assembly members.
He revealed that what transpired in the run up to the primary and after it would lend credence to the governor’s claim.
He said from what people are reading and observing, it would seem that indeed “some people don’t want to be involved.”
He argued that before and after the primary, people have their camps and the national leadership of the party didn’t do much to ensure thorough reconciliation of former ministers, lawmakers and others.
“What El-Rufai said can be from mere observation, but it looks credible. Merely observing developments before the primary, it is not possible to have everybody support you. Even the candidate knows. But like a master tactician, he takes all the ill-winds in his stride.But let me say here that attention should rather be on those outside Aso Rock.
“How did the claim that President Buhari endorsed Ahmad Lawan came about? Was it just a name dropping tactic? What of ex-ministers who lost and went to court, to do what? What of those who lost and withdrew into their shells as if the world had ended, for what? What of those in the National Assembly? Everybody was just playing games and dropping President Buhari’s name.
“Asiwaju knew and when it was obvious that they were ganging up against his emergence, he had to speak out in Abeokuta, Ogun State. It was deliberate, I guess. To tell the world that those who are against me have not done a quarter of what I have done for the party to be where it is today. And it paid off. People were making jest of him but it was a turning point for his aspiration. That speech covered them with shame. While they couldn’t go against him, they couldn’t abandon him.
The party chieftain advised President Buhari and Professor Osinbajo to use the opportunity of the moment to write their names in gold.
He warned that if they fail and allow the People’s Democratic Party or the Labour Party to take over, whatever they had achieved in the eight years of APC rule would be obliterated in seconds by fiat.
“The happy thing is that Tinubu and all these people alleged to be working clandestinely against the party and her candidate know that in the event that another party wins and comes on board, all the modest achievements of the party will be wiped off the record in a matter of seconds. It will take just a fiat pronouncement to undo, erase and completely wipe off our legacy achievements in eight years. It is in this regard that I will advise President Buhari and Professor Osinbajo to ensure that the party remains in power.”
Our principal is the candidate to beat – Dele Alake
On his part, the Special Adviser, Media and Communication to Tinubu/Shettima presidency, Dele Alake has described the revelation of Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El Rufai on those plotting against his principal, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a non-issue.
Reacting to the Television comment of El Rufai on Wednesday morning, Alake said, “As a campaign council, it is very simple. There’s really nothing spectacular about what El Rufai has said. And it’s even self-explanatory. He did say that some people but he never said the president. In any organisation including your own individual media houses, you have editorial policies, and there are elements within your organization’s that won’t agree with those policies. Yet, they still work there.
“It is therefore not a spectacular thing. It is merely a natural phenomenon. In all organisations and institutions, you cannot have 100 per cent of the operatives see issues exactly the same way. However, it is the preponderance of views that matter. Now in terms of the presidency, who is the power base? Of course, it is the Commander-in-Chief. He holds all the aces. We do not expect that he would actually see all his staff eye-to-eye. But they’re still there.
“Again, you also need perspectives from various angles. That is why we even say our own principal, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, one of his strengths is to accommodate dissenting views within his own milieu. I have a personal experience of this and I continue to have it. We argue a great deal when we sit down to strategize and plan policies.
“Asiwaju is one leader, from my experience, who has a very large heart, whose horizon is so wide, who is so accommodating of opposing views with a view to reaching a logical conclusion from which germane policies are made. An example of that is what we have in Lagos today.
“For Nasir El Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, to state the obvious is nothing for us to clear again. We know that mischief makers, especially from the opposition, will latch on it and twist it out of context. That has always been the way of the opposition that we are contending with in Nigeria today. I made bold to say and you can quote me. The PDP opposition that we have today has been conducting the most pernicious, divisive, abusive, ineffective and most irresponsible campaign in the history of this country.
“They have no issues, no track record, no not nothing. No record of performance to put before the Nigerian voters. What then do they do? They resort to personal abuses, issue fabricated and fake stories to denigrate our presidential candidate. That is also because they have no track record of performance to push out to the public.
“That is also because they know that our principal is the candidate to beat. He is a front runner in this race. And where I come from in this country, there is an adage that says it is only the tree that is full of fruits people throw stones at. You won’t get to see anybody throwing stones at a tree that is barren or dying.
“It is clear that Asiwaju is the only fruitful candidate and that is why all of them are throwing stones. We understand that and also know it has never won them any election. This one too will not be different. It will also not win them this election because Nigerians are discerning. They can see through their shenanigans.”
Tinubu will win – Adeseye Ogunlewe
Weighing in on the matter,a former APC National Publicity Secretary, Yakeen Nabena told The Point that no one can determine who was working against who, adding that the decision to still hold the election lies only with INEC.
“If God has directed you, there’s nothing you can do. The road can be very narrow but along the line, it goes wide. So, you as a person can’t determine who is going to work against you or anybody. What happened during the primary? Also, only the INEC Chairman can determine if the election will hold, he’s the custodian for that,”Nabena stated.
In his own opinion, former Minister of Works, Adeseye Ogunlewe asked Nigerians not to be worried about El-Rufai’s comment, as the party is working together to ensure that Tinubu wins the election.
Speaking with The Point, Ogunlewe said, “Our own prayer is to appeal to the people to vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They should not be distracted at all. Not everybody can love Tinubu but I can assure you that by the special grace of God, Tinubu is our next president.
“Everybody is working together to ensure that Bola Tinubu wins this election, we’re not going to be distracted by anybody’s comment. We’re going to appeal to people that the more, the merrier, once we win, everybody will participate, there’s nothing for anybody to fear. Tinubu will run an all-inclusive government and every part of Nigeria will be happy. We are lucky to have a candidate like that.
“I don’t have any fear, we’ll just appeal to everybody to be on board because Nigerians will come first. The future of Nigerians will be paramount in the minds of our people. What the 200 million Nigerians will benefit from the government of Bola Tinubu is more important than individual ideas. It is the masses Bola Tinubu wants to work for.
“He’s a relatively comfortable person, he’s just going there to share his ideas with Nigerians what he has been able to achieve in his life and wants to replicate it nationwide. So, Nigerians should not fear.
“Tinubu was just telling us what he’ll do to make the greatest number of Nigerians happy, that’s his concern. He has an answer to what is happening in Nigeria now. What he wants to do differently? He has the answer.
“He’s told us he’s going to remove oil subsidy, so that there will be petrol for everybody. He said he’s going to make sure the power of the Naira increases through his economic policies and that’s what he’s going to do. He’s the answer for Nigeria, he has the intelligence, knowledge, courage and that’s what goes on for him. What’s he going to be afraid of again?
“We’ll beg the cabals in government not to work against Nigerians, it’s not Tinubu that’s contesting alone, it’s the entire country. What can we do to make Nigeria better? That’s what we’re asking for? He’s just asking for the benefit of Nigerians and that’s what he has done all his life. There’s no problem, Nigeria is on the right track.
El-Rufai understands what’s going on within APC – Liborous Oshoma
Making his own submission to The Point, human rights lawyer, Liborous Oshoma stated that as an insider, El-Rufai understands what’s going on within the party.
He said the signs of this crisis had been there all along, but that Buhari being the president is the only reason the party is still together.
Oshoma said, “He’s an insider, he understands the intricacies of what has played out and he’s telling you from an insider point of view. The only thing holding APC together before now has been Buhari, and it’s a marriage of strange bird fellows. So, now that Buhari is almost gone, definitely you’re going to have interest and people at loggerheads. Peoples’ interests are clearly showing conspicuously in Nigeria today.
“What El-Rufai said, I believe that the signs had been there all this while, just that they were also not too cautious to see them.
“If the man didn’t mention the aspirant’s name, I won’t be able to mention the person’s name. I’m not a member of the party but we saw the intrigues that played out just before the primary that led to Tinubu shouting in Abeokuta that’s it’s his turn. I believe there were some unwritten agreements that made him shout ‘Emi lokan.’
“We also saw how some interest groups within the party tried to smuggle in Ahmad Lawan in the dying minutes. We also saw how Rotimi Amaechi had jugged in the stadium in Port Harcourt during his declaration. One also would have expected that the relationship between Yemi Osinbajo and Tinubu, against what had been said and what we see in public, because of where they are coming from, you would have visibly seen Osinbajo within his campaigns. So, it’s not just one interest, there are so many of them who one would believe were interested in that seat.
“Like a local adage in my place says, if I no fit chop am, make we spoil am. How well they are able to manage it among themselves will lead to the success of their party at the polls, it is theirs to lose.
“What we have is a tripod in this election; this is what I call the Wazobia election. Apart from all of these crises that are happening, some persons believe firstly that a Fulani man cannot take over from another Fulani man and it’s an impossibility; others believe Tinubu is weak, aged and incoherent, while some believe Peter Obi is the man to beat and the one to take Nigeria to the next level.
“So, that statement from El-Rufai, you’ll think that it’s just trying to defend the government, it’s also to imprint in the minds of Nigerians that look, left to us, we will do better but some persons are sabotaging our efforts. A lot of people will buy into it,” he added.
Everyone not happy with a Tinubu presidency
Also reacting to the allegations, a political analyst, Reginald Anene, told one of our correspondents that the boldness with which the Senate president emerged to contest the APC presidential primary after the presidency had been zoned to the South, and the power play which took place then, were proofs that “something was going on”.
Anene also shone the spotlight on the APC chairman’s root in the PDP, and “his antics and body language” before, during and after the presidential primary of the party, as well as on the knotty question about who Buhari’s “anointed” candidate was in the primary.
In his assessment, are pointers that everyone “is not happy” with a Tinubu presidency.
“First of all, if you look at the emergence of Ahmad Lawan, the Senate President…his boldness to even contest the primary in the first place, you will understand that there is a power play, and that something is going on.
“Then, look at the chairman of the party, Adamu Abdullahi, the fact that he has roots in the PDP and there are all sorts of allegations against him that he wanted to impose Lawan on the party. And obviously, there was a statement credited to him where he said that Buhari wanted Lawan to emerge.
“And of course, you remember how the issue of who Buhari’s anointed one would be kept shifting from (Yemi) Osinbajo to Rotimi Amaechi,” he said.
Anene agreed with the Kaduna State Governor that everyone in the presidency wasn’t a member of the APC, but that some were indeed fifth columnists.
He described others as “technocrats who were neither here or there”.
Speaking further, Anene said that the reason why there was a plan to scuttle Tinubu’s presidential ambition was because the former governor of Lagos State “knows too much” and was an advocate of true federalism.
“I watched that interview El-Rufai had. The man did say clearly that it is not everybody in the presidency that is a member of the APC. So, yes, some of them are fifth columnists and they’re like that in every government.
“Some others are technocrats…they are neither here nor there. Remember that Chris Ngige came out to say that he would not campaign for any candidate. He is yet to campaign for Tinubu.
“These are some of the reasons why there could really be elements in the government trying to scuttle Tinubu’s ambition. And I’ll tell you why. It’s because Tinubu knows too much and has got the capacity to push this country towards true fiscal federalism. He showed tendencies of that when he was the governor of Lagos State,” Anene explained.
Anene also said that a Tinubu presidency would intimidate anyone who wanted Nigeria to continue the way it is “so that only certain People will keep benefitting” from it.
He berated Abdullahi for some of his actions and predicted that should Tinubu win the election, the APC chairman would be among those who would “leave”.
“What Abdullahi did…some of his utterances, his angst towards Tinubu when he made that “emi lo kan” statement….these are indications of the fact that there are indeed elements in the government who do not want a Tinubu presidency.
“I have predicted that should Tinubu win the election, one of the people who would leave is Abdullahi,” he concluded.
