TINUBU Splits The North Ahead of Convention

Speculations on whether or not, the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will be contesting for the office of the president in the forthcoming general elections, ended on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.

In his authoritative affirmation of a Kingmaker who has decided to become the king, Asiwaju stated, “I’ve never seen the cap of a kingmaker before. That is the truth. And I have never seen where it is written in the rulebook anywhere in any country that a kingmaker cannot be a king unless he has committed murder. So, whatever you write is your own opinion. Me, I want to pursue my ambition without the title of a kingmaker”.

Although there have been purported plans to stop Asiwaju from grabbing the party ticket by the cabal, the kingmaker seems to always be far ahead of all his adversaries on every move. His actions and inactions suggest that Asiwaju thinks for his enemies and fashion out a defence before the thought runs through their minds.

There are suggestions that the intention of the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who also was Asiwaju’s cabinet member for 8 years, to battle his benefactor for the number one seat is a divisive mechanism fabricated by the cabal to dismember Asiwaju’s political fold and field a candidate, other than Osinbajo and consolidate themselves in power for as long as possible. Again, Asiwaju has long considered this situation and has beaten them to their game. Bola Ahmed Tinubu is unsettling the North and already dividing its leaders.

The northern youths, for instance, are already divided over who to support for the 2023 presidency.

Speaking under the aegis of the Arewa Youths Assembly last week, a collation of northern youths said it would be unjust to have another northerner or a key member of the serving government succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

Mohammed Bello Doka National Coordinator of Tinubu Media Team (TMT) and President, Arewa Youth Progressive Alliance (AYPA), called on the northern elite to ignore those agitating for retention of power in the region beyond 2023.

He appealed that his people have more to gain supporting Tinubu and the South-West thus appearing nationalists than appearing as regional champions. He said the north have a majority in the National Assembly and the FEC, so they have lots of avenues to help the north without laying so much emphasis to the presidency.

Looking at Asiwaju political framework for his 2023 project, one would agree that he has actually done the needful with his choice of team leaders. Asiwaju picked his campaign generals from the north and creates the strongest and most formidable base in the northern region. It shocked some of the northerners when a former member of the House of Representatives, from Kano, Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin volunteered to work as Director-General, Bola Ahmed Tinubu Support Group Management Council. Hon Jibrin commenced work within 24 hours after Asiwaju held the press briefing to intimate the media about his ambition.

Considering the number of states in the north and their participative advantage over the south during the election, one would only agree that it will be suicidal to undermine Asiwaju. There are 19 states in the north which are Benue State, Borno State, Bauchi State, Kano State, Katsina State, Plateau State, Taraba State, Niger State, Adamawa State, Kaduna State, Sokoto State, Gombe State, Jigawa state, Kebbi State.

Nassarawa State, Yobe State, Zamfara State, Kwara State and Kogi State. In all these states, Asiwaju has conveniently claimed 9 States and has equally divided the control of the other 10. In terms of delegates, Asiwaju has conveniently won the loyalty of a minimum of 3 to 4 lawmakers at the green and red chambers of these states, and over 70% of the lawmakers are for him, as against the APC governors who are reportedly against Asiwaju’s ambition.

Also looking at the party structure, the caretaker chairman, Amai Malam Buni whose term as an interim chairman expired in 2021, but remains in power is said to be working for the cabal who doesn’t want Tinubu around Aso Villa. The party structure at the centre had also been divided as a new chairman from North Central, Prince Mustapha Audu emerged. While the party is expected to field a substantive chairman in February, the preferred candidate has been zoned to the north-central, which means Buni’s camp will have it tough getting the structure together.

Another shocking premise is how Asiwaju was able to befriend mortal enemies and create a united front beyond their differences. The case of the Kano political crisis is a good example. Asiwaju who was known as a close ally to Abdullahi Ganduje was reported to have hosted Ganduje’s mortal enemy, Ibrahim Shekarau, who was ferried down to Lagos to congratulate Asiwaju on his safe return from the UK and to canvass for voters to support him.

Shekarau and Ganduje are the current major political force that controls Kan State, they are enemies who don’t like to see each other, but Asiwaju has decided to help them bury their differences to achieve this huge cause. he has replicated this modality of mobilization across the 19 states and shockingly, he has not stopped.