As permutations for who will succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in the next dispensation THE OBSERVERS TIMES investigation reviewed the desire of APC leader,Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu is heightened and begin to generate a lot of concern amongst the political gladiators both in the ruling APC and the main opposition PDP, it has been revealed that former governor of Kano state,Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is highly favoured to deputise the APC leader,giving credence to rumour of his plans to return to APC
In the light of these development,Senator Kwankwaso may likely sacrifice the lingering crises surrounding the last controversial governorship election in Kano, that returned incumbent governor,Abdullahi Umar Ganduje amidst crises and clear chances of PDP candidate,Abba Yusuf coarsing to victory with the strong support of Senator Kwankwaso
The strong political fight and battle for the political soul of Kano state and fight to finish brought about the strong political presence of Kwankaso movement, against the ruling All Progressives Congress has raised a serious concerns and need for political realignment towards the 2023 contest,provided Senator Ahmed Tinubu is poised to actualize his next Presidential ambition
With Muslim-Muslim ticket,been envisaged by APC leader,looking at the popularity of PDP camp of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, particularly in his desire for President in 2019, with strong hold in the Northern region consisting of West,East, Central,his foray in the South-South,South-East living the South-West already conquered by the ambitious political leader of APC,Senator Bola Tinubu
Kwankwaso is expected to break the political prowess of Governor Ahmed Nasir-El Rufai already talking tough of APC leadership to jettison zoning formula, so as to pave way for his desire to also contest the next Presidency in 2023 under the ruling APC
Governor El- Rufai looking at his political leadership particularly in kaduna state lately and by extension his roles as federal cabinet minister,may only be contained by the political influence of Kwankwasiyya movement and group,particularly as his leadership role both in Kaduna in the current dispensation and the previous experience portrayed anti people’s tendencies to the detriment of ordinary masses
He is known for political bringadage capable of setting the North against the South-West, to truncate the ambition of the APC leader,by instigating the Northern oligarchy to see to the need for continuity of a candidate from the Northern part of the country, last week in his curning way, Elrufai openly called for the truncation of zoning arrangement for competency, the move many view as targeting Jagaban of lagos, the kaduna governor desperation to take on Tinubu is without any element of pretentious earlier this year while delivering lecture in lagos,
“the governor boasted that he defeated and retired four political godfathers in Kaduna State, saying the feat could be replicated anywhere, including Lagos State.”El-Rufai added that the fact that only one million out of the six million registered voters in Lagos voted in the last general elections was an opportunity to end godfathership in the state.El-Rufai was met with a tidal wave of criticism from party members and critics after his comment at a forum on Friday about steps to curbing godfatherism in politics, which he reacted thus:
“I have no apology. I don’t apologise for my views. I don’t need to explain anything to anyone. This is a democracy,” El-Rufai said after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.
“If anyone feels offended by that; that’s his business, not my business,”
“I have no apology. I don’t apologise for my views. I don’t need to explain anything to anyone. This is a democracy,” El-Rufai said after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.
“If anyone feels offended by that; that’s his business, not my business,”
THE OBSERVERS TIMES can authoritatively confirmed that Tinubu is aware of Elrufai readiness to takes on him any moment, his contrivance is already been felt in the public domain either to approach the leadership of the country using the northern oligarchy, or deputise the current Vice President,Yemi Osinbanjo in the 2023 contest,a calculation regarded as a lay man desire
However, the political clout of the Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso led pressure and political group in PDP, was glaring in the 2019 election , particularly in the heart of the entire Northern states of Nigeria and his acceptance both in other regions of the country
Giving in to the ongoing political manoeuvre, particularly in the largely concentrated Kano politics, poised for legal interpretation of the last governorship election verdict, to either ways that might likely favour the PDP candidate and an in law of the Kano political caterpillar and storing political son of Senator Kwankwaso,it is largely believed in the Northern political development,as Kano remained the rallying point ahead of Sokoto caliphate historically and practically
The chances of Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu will be more acceptable with Kwankwaso group as he is largely acceptable as a detribalised and non religious leader,unlike the Governor El -Rufai largely believed to be a religious and sectional bigot, from his both official and personal conduct portrayed in all his doings,and the last election in kaduna state, THE OBSERVERS TIMES observed
Kwankwaso’s conquered the massive support of the Northerners as well the heart of many Nigerians from his performance as Kano governor,and the contest for Presidency in 2015, with the incumbent President in APC were he came second in a race already decided by the party echelon to field the current Nigerian President
His avowed political doggedness and self consciousness devoid of timidity across political divide,is also a plus for Senator Kwankwaso,as his second time ambition frustrated by the current leadership of APC,did not hesitate to bid farewell to the ruling party,at a shortest possible time
The Northern oligarchy are also comfortable with Senator Kwankwaso’s leadership as the current Kaduna state governor meddled so much in political controversies and crises already initiated to gag other players
El-Rufai’s undoing in his tall ambition to the leadership of the country,as his letter to President Buhari and the political manoeuvre during the sick period of the President while on medical trip, is still fresh in the memory of the Northerners,particularly his readiness to concede the leadership of the country at the altar of selfishness and self aggrandizement
If there is anything the Northern oligarchy does not trade with,is the leadership of the country that eroded them for close to two decades,recovered by the Presidency of Buhari in 2015,as it was generally believed that with Senator Kwankwaso in the Senate during the last 8th senate, while the President was on medical trip,stood a better chance to have maneuvered the leadership of the country,but reneged
Like Senator Kwankwaso,Governor El-Rufai is a fearless politician,but his sharp difference is Kaduna governor does not go beyond the core north,not even the North central were it is largely believed that the core northerners were he belongs,only needed the input of the people of the area when it comes to political struggle and not harvest,unlike Kwankwaso that has a major support base across the region’s in Nigeria
What might preclude the workability of the new political calculations; is how to comport and comfort the same Northern oligarchy with the political charade carried out by the APC led federal government in Kano and some part of the country,as well as the religious implications of the Muslim-Muslim ticket been taunted by the APC leader,Ahmed Bola Tinubu towards the South-east,South -South,whose consciousness to the practice of the two official religion of Islam and Christianity is not negotiable,therefore may not condone otherwise
But again in politics,they may be political solutions and dimensions to it,especially on a agreed political formula, of either to concentrate more juicy federal appointments and cabinet ministers in the hands of Christians and southerners who are predominantly on the other religion,to mitigate or douse the political pressure and agitation
It is workable and practicable in Nigeria having witnessed the 1993 Presidential election were MKO Abiola,and Babagana Kingibe’s SDP, of MuslimMuslim-Muslim ticket won overwhelming majority of the annulled election, even during the military transition era