With the recent perforated comments of HE the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and his enduring hatred for HE, former Governor of Lagos State and the political lord of South West, Senator Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Jagaban of Nigeria politics, one can confidently says that the President has made his minds known about the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It’s no longer a hear-say talk but an affirmative of Mr President, Muhammad Buhari commitment to compensate HE Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Honourable Minister for Transportation as the next President instead of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has been for years, scheming on how to become the President of Nigeria after Muhammad Buhari.
Of course, there is no formal agreement in public domain that President Muhammad Buhari will hand over power to Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu who spearheaded the merger of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), faction of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) & that also faction of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which ousted the Peoples Democratic Party’s government of Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) in 2015. The party formed in 2014 became the national coins on the basis of insecurity ravaging the North East and North West, the wide range of corruption and the economy downturn which made an average Nigerian tired of PDP and began yearning for change in government. It is a fact that Bola Ahmed Tinubu built a cult of political followership in the South West with his political boys as Vice President of Nigeria, governors of South West States, Senators, Members House of Representatives, and also bank rolled major election activities prior to the emergency of APC government in 2015.
With the twist of fate, BAT has lost out and Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo is no longer in a picture. The Aso Rock anointed candidate is a well versed grassroot politicians who could give any one a run for the presidency. You will recalled how HE Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi scuttle the plan of HE Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s third term ambition and that robbed him of his governorship mandate until Supreme Court made him the governor. He ruled for 8 years and you remembered how he fiercely fought HE Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to stand still. It will not be an easy win for any one trying to block his chance especially now that he’s the Aso Rock anointed candidate armed with the chief election rigger in Nigeria, HE Mallam Nasir El-Rufai who postulated that “Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is interested in running for the office of the President. But am not going to be on his ticket because am tired of public office. But if the President insist I run with him, then I will reluctantly accept. Don’t forget I didn’t want to be Governor but Mr President forced me and I accepted reluctantly”.
You may argue with me but the next chairman of APC is HE Senator Abdullahi Adamu, former governor of Nasarawa State and this will pave way for smooth emergency of CRA & Mallam Nasir El-Rufai as APC Presidential Aspirant/running mate, what a brighter chance for PDP!
Yes, it’s a brighter chance for PDP if well managed because it involved sacrifice and commitment. All PDP leaders and stakeholders need to do at the national level is to go back to drawing board, work in synergy with various organs of the party especially the board of trustees, the founding fathers and the formidable PDP Governors Forum to put their house in order. The first sacrifice is to microzone their presidential slot to South and the vice president to North West. HE Alh Atiku Abubakar, HE Senator Bala Muhammad, HE Aminu Tambuwal and HE Peter Obi should shed off their presidential ambitions if really they love the party. I believe in the capacity of HE Senator Ayu Iyorchia to coordinate the negotiation, dialogue and reconciliation in PDP folds. The likes of HE Emeka Anyaokwu, Chief Edward Clark, Peter Obi, Ayo Fayose, Aliyu Gusau, and General T. Y Danjuma should be consulted to negotiate with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to support the PDP candidate from South South, preferably HE Nyeson Wike in order to give CRA & El Rufai a good fight. Tinubu should be given a chance to nominate his friend, HE Abdullahi Ganduje, Governor of Kano State as PDP presidential running mate in order to decimate the APC votes in the entire North West region. Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto States will be a walk over states for PDP. With this arrangement, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu should also be given a privilege of nominating any of his boys as the secretary to the Government of the Federation, in that case, South West has been sealed for PDP, North West for PDP, South South for PDP, South East for PDP and North East and North Central States will be a battle ground for both APC and PDP.
Interestingly, with the passage of new electoral reform into law, the rigging will be minimal and the masses will express their frustration through ballot in favour of PDP. I wish the National Chairman of our party, the NGF and other critical stakeholders get hold of this.
Ene’Ojo Onuche
is a content creator and political Analyst writes from Abeokuta, Ogun State