How The NORTH Pitched VP OSINBAJO Against TINUBU

 +Why The South-West May Lose Out Eventually

 

There is a general belief that the Northerners are better politicians than their counterparts from the other parts of the country. Though there are those who don’t share that view, the body language and the moves of Northern politicians often show or suggest that they are better players.

The ongoing political game best suggests this. With the general understanding in APC that the presidency be zoned to the South, there are 2 candidates who many see as those who will jostle for the APC presidential ticket.

They are Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who still has not come out that he is running but has been galvanising support across Nigeria for his rumoured ambition.

The story currently making the rounds is that it is because the North does not want Tinubu to clinch the APC presidential ticket that it convinced VP Osinbajo to come out and contest for the same ticket. According to insiders, unknown to Osinbajo, the North plans to use him as a Spoiler to scuttle Tinubu’s ambition. Insiders have revealed that a major plank of Osinbajo’s support base is the Northern Emirs, who consider Osinbajo to have demonstrated uncommon loyalty to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Apart from the Emirs, 4 Northern Governors, 2 from the North-West and 2 from the North-Central are also said to be supporting the Vice President.

The way it is planned, once Osinbajo comes out to declare, the rank of APC will be sharply divided. There will be those for Tinubu and those for VP Osinbajo.

This will further create disunity among South-West politicians, who will end up frustratingly dissipating their energy.

Already, we hear that the PDP is looking forward to this move so as to enable it strengthen the candidacy of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who is being tipped as the presidential candidate of the PDP.

Atiku, we hear, has been afraid that while a Tinubu ticket might create challenges for the PDP, but once the ticket goes to Osinbajo it will be easy to defeat the APC at the polls.

According to an insider, unless the political players in the South-West restrategise and go back to the drawing board, the South-West may lose out in the forthcoming contest. That is the finding of City People, as fresh information reveals that unknown to many South-West political watchers, the ongoing battle for 2023 Presidency has been programmed by the North to scuttle Tinubu’s chances and to make sure that the South-West remains disunited, so as not to be able to agree on a unanimous candidate, as it moves towards 2023.

According to the plan, the North does not want to relinquish power so easily to another zone, come 2023. They would prefer for a Northern candidate take over from President Buhari. On the other hand, if it must relinquish power, the North must be the one to pick an acceptable South-West aspirant of its choice. And this would be a candidate that they can control and who has no intimidating political structure/machinery like Tinubu.

As it is, they see in VP, a South-West politician who will listen to them and who can scuttle Tinubu’s ambition. In the first place, he is the most senior, high-ranking of all of Tinubu’s Boys in Pres. Buhari’s cabinet. Secondly, they know that once Osinbajo joins the race for the APC presidential ticket, it will scatter the rank and file of the APC.

There are also those who feel that since President Buhari seems to favour Consensus in its choice of candidacy, that way he can get his boys to present Osinbajo, under a Consensus arrangement.

Many have wondered how the VP who had been in the bad books of the North for having been allegedly disloyal in the past, has suddenly become the darling of the North.

As it is, Osinbajo has lately become the darling of Northern leaders.

Over the last 2-months, he has been frequenting the North for events and that has afforded him the opportunity to interact with Northern leaders.

Only a few days ago, the Emir of Kano and the Sultan of Sokoto came to the tarmac at the airport to see him off when he visited Kano. This is something that hardly happens, for the 2 most powerful kings up North to leave their domain to see off Osinbajo, who is not even a Muslim.

On Saturday, 15th January 2022, some politicians gathered in Kano to declare their support for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for the 2023 presidential race.

The gathering, tagged “The Kano Declaration,” attracted support groups and politicians from across Nigeria.

The event, organised by a political organisation ‘New Tribe’, took place at Meena Event Centre, Kano.

Prominent among those who attended are Olusola Adeyeye, a former senator for Osun Central, and a member of the House of Representatives for Tarauni Federal Constituency of Kano, Hafizu Kawu.

The event followed a similar one organised by Mr Kawu to urge Mr Osinbajo to contest the presidential election in 2023. Mr Kawu said an Osinbajo presidency would consolidate the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

The National Coordinator of New Tribe, Nonso Nnamani, said Mr Osinbajo will be a detribalised president in the new Nigerian project and urged Nigerians to support him as Mr Buhari’s successor.

“We are not looking for the South East President, or North-East President or South-South President but a president for the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Mr Nnamani said.

He said the gathering was also to celebrate the achievements of President Buhari and to ensure that Nigeria continues on the path of progress.

“Nigerians cannot afford to derail from the journey already started, a situation that is very likely if we miss the chance to get someone who shares in the incredible passion and patriotism of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“With the visible impact made by the present government and the achievements recorded since 2015, we will likely end up on the wrong side of history if we allow a reversal of this assured journey to a greater Nigeria. We cannot allow that to happen.

“We are converging and coming onboard as one indivisible entity with our sense of unity and togetherness to declare our support for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to run for the office of the President in 2023,” Mr Nnamani said.

In his address, the former Osun senator, Mr Adeyeye, said “the New Tribe entails that, next year by the God Grace, Nigerians will be summoned to make an exceptional judgment, worthy of the time.

“In Nigeria, leadership with integrity shall provide the answers to the problems that have beset us for far too long.”

Mr Adeyeye said the vice president has the capacity to unite Nigerians.

“He has the rare gift exactly needed in the fearful time in which we live. He knows the language of assurance and hope, whatever he says is carefully considered whether in private life or at public fora. He has been the voice of moderation, combining common sense and compassion on issues after issues,” Mr Adeyeye said.

“History enjoins us to search carefully among us for a bold, brave and tireless leader with a resolve to take on the challenges that come our way, a leader with a strong vision for our nation’s future, one who has the courage to make sometimes unpopular decision”.

Mr Adeyeye said “the moment speaks for choosing a man who transcends all tribes and is an embodiment of a New Tribe defined not only by our dialect but by our common humanity. This moment requires a man who is able to galvanise the ideas that will unfold the beckoning glory of Nigeria.

“Mr Osinbajo is the man of the moment for Nigeria. He is well-grounded and adequately prepared and is a trusted hand with the right temperament and intellectual firepower best suited for the moment.

“Let no one deceive us, character matters in human affairs. Let no man tell lies, character is the best defining attribute of leadership. Mr Osinbajo has character,” the former senator said to the gathering.