The stake is raised for the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) to re-brand its electioneering campaign promises and its “presidential product” in order to warm itself again into the hearts of Nigerians. The dateline: February 2019. The possibility of using the same party that came in a phenomenal manner to convince most Nigerians that its second coming would fare better is a story for another day.
Nigerians could be tolerant. At times, they could also be impatient. Take the case of a football national coach or a leader said to have goofed or performed below expectation, those Nigerians easily lose patience. Take the case of football match. In every international soccer match involving Nigeria and another country, most of them become emergency coaches. Where their country loses, they turn their back on the once-darling team whom they do not expect to lose. Even in leadership, some who do not have opportunity to display their leadership skills would tell you “That man should have done this or that.”
For President Muhammadu Buhari, he came to power in the blaze of glory. He was and is still held high in some quarters,by the electorate. Yet, the momentum that brought him into office in 2015 is gradually waning. His foot soldiers have re-grouped to devise new strategies to grab and still hold onto political power.
The President seemed to have shown interest to go for a second term in office. Pressures are everywhere. Run again! Don’t run again! A cacophony of voices have swallowed ‘run again and don’t run again’ in an overwhelming way. And the soldier man seems to temporarily recoil into his old war front camouflage to pull a surprise. Obasanjo, the game changer seems to be waiting on the wing of a war lord to down the “surprise pilot.”
Straightnews learnt that President Buhari met behind closed doors with the 18 state governors of the APC Governors’ Forum in Daura, Katsina State on Friday.
After the meeting, the governors said nothing transpired and their mission to Daura, Katsina State, was merely to condole with President Muhammadu Buhari over the loss of two members of his extended family.
The Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha of Imo, dismissed media reports that their mission to Daura was aimed at convincing the President to seek re-election in the 2019 presidential election.
Another golden opportunity slipped away and silence paled into rumour. The expected announcement of whether the President would re-run for a second term in the office dashed away. For President not declaring his interest or allowing another person to declare for the exalted office in the land, APC is still in cocoon. This is suspense solution.
In the eerie of silence, three political groups and other stakeholders in APC are alleged to have emerged and have started sourcing for a possible successor to President in event of him declining to seek a second term.
A source from the presidency told Straightnews that the first group is manned by some games masters in the presidency. They have started arrowing three groups without the knowledge of some chieftains in the APC ship.Though the presidency looks like a house of commotion, the political engineers are back to the drawing board to outwit their opponents in Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to the source, the group is led by Mamman Daura, cousin to Buhari and Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to the President. Their chief bride is Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, a suave diplomat and a one-time vice presidential candidate for the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). The aim of these sponsors is for them to hold onto power and tap money from Kingibe’s candidacy.
Another source recalled that the late Shehu Yar’adua (Tafidan Katsina) sponsored Kingibe as the national chairman of SDP, yet he turned round as a typical intelligence officer to undermine and betray Yar’adua. It was learnt that at the Jos Convention, Tafidan Katsina buried his political differences with and pledged support to Moshood O. Abiola to revenge Kingibe.
He was said to have pleaded with Abubakar Atiku who stepped down and he mobilised Atiku’s supporters to massively vote for Abiola. Owing to the act of betrayal, Yar’adua convinced 12 of the 14 SDP governors led by Ambassador Bamidele Isola Olumilua of Ondo State who threw their weight behind Abiola.
A reliable source hinted that another group is made up largely of family members springing from The Buhari Organisation (TBO) together with Abacha’s family. The group is said to be working hard to produce the country’s next president. The group supports Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, the Jigawa State governor, the source states. For instance, the group held a two-day meeting in Dutse, Jigawa State capital in last year.
It was revealed that the meeting was attended by Emeka Nwajiuba, Chairman of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETSFUND), a one-time member for Imo in the House of Representatives from 1999-2003 and Imo governorship aspirant in 2003. For hailing from Okigwe zone, his candidature in Imo did not fly then. He is a long standing Buharist- from the era of Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) to the days of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
“Yet, there is another angle to the political permutation. While Nwajiuba thought of aspiring to vie for Imo governorship slot in 2019, the power gladiators advised him to drop his ambition. He is advised to aspire to go to House of Representatives in 2019 with the hope of being elected Speaker. As a favoured political child, his brother, Professor Chinedum Nwajiuba is the vice-chancellor of the newly named Alex Ekwueme University in Ebonyi State,” the source pointed out.
One source argued that from all indications, Abubakar given another chance to test his popularity may not be re-elected by his people. The reason of his being drafted into the presidential race is in sync with the filial relationship. Engr. Suleiman Hussein Adamu, the Minister of Water Resources, Sen. Hadi Sirika, Minister of state for Aviation and Col. Muhammed Lawal Abubakar, ADC to the President are said to be the arrow heads in this group.
A close source in APC quarters hinted Straightnews that the third group is spiked by Nasir el-Rufai/Rotimi Amaechi project. “This is a cloak claiming to work for President Buhari for 2019 presidential re-election project. But in reality, the group is mastering the body language of Buhari not to go for re-election. Their thinking is that in case the President backs down, then they would reclaim the group and galvanize Buhari’s supporters to launch their campaign to become Presidential candidate and running mate respectively,” it stated.
As a pointer to the belief, Amaechi recently rallied some members of South South APC caucus to endorse Buhari for a second term in office. The duos have held a series of political meetings in Kaduna.
However, other gladiators who within the party and outside the party have the ears of Buhari are making waves still. “One of them is Senator Ahmad Sani Yerima (Zamfara West) who moved a motion for a vote of confidence, asking the President to run for a second term,” a political stalwart said.
A source from the presidency posited that “Incidentally, the security apparatus of Mr. President is divided on the candidate to support. The last National Executive Council (NEC) of the party. The Mamman Daura and Abba Kyari factor teamed on one side to bring out a candidate another influential security chief on the other side.”
Straightnews also gathered that “The Islamic clerics are also shopping for a malleable candidate to protect their interest and assert their relevance in the politics of North/South politics.
“In the midst of a cacophony of divided interests, there is a possibility of the party becoming fragmented akin to the hitherto Yugoslavia. Out of this, many card-carrying members will defect to other political parties while others will form alliances with other parties.
“By the time the President will finally announce his intention to drop his ambition, the party would turn to the Biblical Tower of Babel- many voices, more confusion by the party men. At the moment, Senator Ahmad Sani Yerima of Zamfara State is working like a submarine to grab power,” the source added.
