Opposition groups in the All Progressives Congress (APC) are reportedly working underground to frustrate the yet to be officially announced presidential bid of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, OBSERVERS TIMES report.
The ruling APC had settled for a consensus option for the emergence of party officials at all levels.
In a statement last Wednesday, Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, said the reason for the decision is to reduce acrimony ahead of the forthcoming congresses.
He added that the party is encouraging states to adopt the consensus arrangement because it saves costs and reduces fighting between party members.
The APC scribe noted that the party was making sure it does not leave any room for the opposition, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) “to sponsor people to cause confusion in our midst”.
But new information reveals that the move was targeted at weakening Bola Tinubu’s vast structures in the ruling party.
Top sources disclosed the plot became imperative because of Tinubu’s seeming supremacy among other presidential aspirants which put him in a commanding position to emerge as the party’s candidate.
Sources, however, revealed that the main obstacle to him is his health which is outside the control of men.
According to Vanguard, pro-Tinubu forces have vehemently opposed the consensus option, especially in Ekiti where Senator Tola Adeniyi, chairman of the South West Agenda for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu 2023 (SWAGA) raised his opposition last Thursday.
According to other party sources, the consensus proposal followed the realisation that he, (Tinubu), could not be easily stopped in a free and fair contest.
Tinubu, it was gathered, has made strong inroads into North-West and North-East states with heavy delegates’ count.
Sources say that the Tinubu camp is especially strong in Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Borno states that are known to be rich in delegates.
A party source was quoted as saying, “The constitution of the APC provides that serving and former members of the National Assembly are statutory delegates and this means that all former lawmakers from 1999 are automatic delegates.
“You can see that Tinubu is very strong in Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and Borno and these are states that have a rich base of delegates for the convention and most of them are aligned towards Tinubu.”
It was gathered that the Tinubu camp is doing well in the South-South especially in Akwa Ibom and Delta states.
However, the adoption of a consensus candidate could see Bola Tinubu caged by cabal in the presidency.
These powerful forces want to influence the choice of party officials and delegates that would be automatic delegates in the national convention.