A month after the Independent National Electoral Commission announced him as winner of the February 25 presidential election, the whereabouts and health condition of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu continues to generate ripples.
The apprehension over Tinubu’s health was further heightened when his spokesperson, Tunde Rahman, announced on Monday, “that the president-elect had directed that prayers should be offered across Lagos in celebration of his 71st birthday anniversary.”
Tinubu, who is celebrating his 71st birthday anniversary on Wednesday, had hitherto earmarked lecture series under the auspices of the Bola Tinubu Colloquium in honour of his previous birthday anniversaries.
In both the ruling party and the opposition parties, there are growing concerns among political leaders on the prospects of Tinubu being inaugurated as president on May 29 when the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari is expected to handover to his successor.
Competent sources say that the development is beginning to brew a cold war between the incoming First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and the incoming Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima.
“Remi Tinubu no longer trusts Shettima because she believes that he is the one mobilizing marabouts, in the hope that he will be the beneficiary of the tragedy if anything untoward happened to the President-elect,” a source said.
The deafening silence from Tinubu’s immediate family, especially the hostile demeanor from his wife about the President-elect’s whereabouts and health condition is already causing nostalgia within the circle of political associates of the situation when former President, Umaru Yar’Adua was ill and the then First Lady, Turai Yar’Adua kept everyone out of the picture.
In fact, it was learnt that the incumbent Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, known to be a close associate of Tinubu “was barred from seeing him because of the state he (Tinubu) was in, last week, necessitating the overseas trip.”