Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday, April 11, 2022, made the much-awaited declaration for the presidency on national television. After months of intense consultation, a long spell of delay and uncertainty, he announced his plans to succeed his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, come 2023.
His
declaration has been greeted with mixed reactions from various groups and
spectators; some sees him as a two-faced betrayer of trust for a proverbial pot
of porridge, other see his ambition as a welcome development for the good of
Nigeria. Osinabjo’s declaration has also further exposed the division of the
party after the party chairmanship primaries have been conducted.
Aside
from other candidates that have come out from the south, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed
Tinubu has been tipped by the majority of Nigerians as the most favoured
presidential hopeful, based on his financial strength, political acumen and
network of loyalists across the 36 states. In fact, it is on record that Vice
President Osinbajo’s political journey cannot be written without mentioning the
influence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu the major pilot propeller who took him
from the classroom to the statehouse. His emergence as Vice President cannot
also be complete without the acceptance and recommendation tendered to
President Mohammadu Buhari by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Therefore when one places
the cards on the table and observes who holds the Ace, Asiwaju has more
advantage to emerge above Osinbajo at the primaries.
However,
the Vice President, who delayed his declaration until after the chairmanship
convention has got so many tips up under his sleeves. His presidential
aspiration declaration comes with a vest of confidence and trust in forces that
he believes will work for him against his one-time political benefactor. While
there are unconfirmed insinuations that the Presidency was never part of VP
Osinbajo’s plan, but was a plan hatched by the cabal to field a southern figure
to occupy the seat of the presidency while they sit in the background to
consolidate themselves in power and run the affairs of the state indirectly,
there are indications that the vice president has built a strong structure of
support for himself in many areas that can work for him at the presidential
primaries, if all things fall in expected places for him.
The
first thing to note is that Osinbajo’s declaration comes with a measure of
presidential outlook. Of all the aspirants who have declared, only the VP was
given the luxury of deploying the state apparatus in his declaration. Aside
from the fact that the declaration was broadcasted on national television, most
of the presidential aides in Aso Rock were posting suggestive tweets to inform
Nigeria about VP Osinbajo’s declaration. The Special Adviser to the President on
digital media, Bashir Ahmad particular posted, “Tomorrow’s Declaration” on his
handle. Which was the day of VP Osinbajo’s declaration.
There
are also indications that the majority of the cabals in Aso Rock who holds
executive office and those who operate indirectly are rooting for Osinbajo at
the primaries. A reliable source in Aso Rock reveals to city people that those
who see President Buhari every day and have the opportunity to talk to him are
behind Osinbajo and are speaking on his behalf before the President. It has also
been revealed that 12 APC Governors out of the 23 are behind Osinbajo in his
quest to become Nigeria’s president and 9 of them are from the north.
Some
of the governors present include Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Babagana Zulum
(Borno), Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi, Muhammad Abubakar of Jigawa, Abdullahi
Ganduje of Kano, Simon Lalong of Plateau, Hope Uzodinma of Imo. One other key
game plan that the northern cabals hold to the heart is the office of the Vice
President.
They
believe that the emergence of the Christian south is a plus for them as they
have a pool of strong candidates to fill the space of the Muslim north to
balance the equation. Muslim south may mean that the running mate from the
north should be a Christian, but the northern political bigwigs who can
influence decisions are mostly Muslims and as a result, force them to present a
weak vice presidential candidate.
A
source within the APC also hinted to City People that the vice president is not
working alone in the south. He has a network of one-time beneficiaries of
Asiwaju’s benevolence whose relationship with him has gone sour. The anonymous
source revealed that the group comprises of past and current political office
holders whose common goal is to decapitate the sovereign authority of Asiwaju
in the southwest. He mentioned that the names on the list is shocking.
For
more than 7 years, the Vice President has played the loyal servant to President
Buhari and his core cabinet of the cabal. He has proven to be true and
committed to matters of interest to the president and his boys. He has managed
to gain the trust of the cabals amidst the view of Nigerians that underscore
the Buhari-led administration which he (Osinbajo) has been part. He further
restated his loyalty in his declaration speech as he extolled President Buhari
as a true Nigerian patriot, and vowed to continue where the president left off.
He stated:
“If
by the grace of God and the will of the people, I am given the opportunity,
then I believe that first, we must complete what we have started, radically
transforming our security and intelligence architecture, completing the reforms
of our justice system”.
One
of VP Osinbajo’s strengths that cannot be undermined is the Redeemed Christian
Church of God, RCCG influence. Despite the fact that the wife of Asiwaju,
Senator Remi Tinubu is also a pastor in the church, VP Osinbajo has raised more
members and pastors than anyone has ever done in RCCG. There were also reports
that the VP has recruited no fewer than 80 members to hold key positions in the
affairs of the nation such as politics, finance, security, and other areas
within the ambit of his power as the Vice President.
Recall
that the church had to create an Office of the Directorate of Politics and
Governance ahead of the 2023 general elections, to coordinate the affairs and
activities of members interested in seeking political offices in 2023.
The
directorate, it was learnt, would also compel members of the church to obtain
their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the 2023 general elections.
0 Comments