Muhammadu Buhari, Bola Tinubu and Dapo Abiodun
By Our Reporter
A frontline presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, while addressing APC delegates in Ogun state on Thursday, had said without him, Buhari wouldn’t have won the presidential election in 2015. ‘O se ikini..olule..o se keji..olule..otun wa se keta, o tun lu ile..o de sun ekun lori television, meaning “If not for me that led the battlefront, Buhari wouldn’t have won. He contested first, second and third time, but lost. He was crying on National television and even said that he won’t contest again,” Tinubu had said.
“But I went to his home in Katsina. I told him ‘you would contest and win, but you won’t joke with the matter of the Yoruba’. Since he has been elected, I did not request to be appointed minister. I didn’t ask for a contract. This time, it’s Yoruba turn and in Yorubaland, it’s my turn.”
The former governor, who spoke in Yoruba on Thursday, had also said without him Dapo Abiodun would have never won the Ogun governorship election in 2019, he also addressed the governor as ‘eleyi’ meaning ‘this one’
The comments have generated varied reactions from Nigerians especially from Tinubu’s opponents and traducers who perceived it as insulting Buhari.
NATIONAL WAVES gathered that Tinubu’s outburst is as a result of a privileged information at his disposal which indicates that there are intense lobbying by some northern governors to ensure that the APC gives its presidential ticket to a northerner. A move endorsed by some Northern APC leaders. This according to sources unsettled Tinubu.
Sources informed NATIONAL WAVES that this was why Tinubu insisted that the APC must give its ticket to a Yoruba man and that he must be the favoured candidate.
On account of this, All APC presidential aspirants from the South-West have been invited to brainstorm on how to ensure that the party presidential ticket is given to a South West aspirant. They are expected to hold a meeting today in Abuja to decide on the way forward.
The seven presidential aspirants from the South-West are Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; APC stalwart, Bola Tinubu; Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State; former Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun; Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate, Ajayi Boroffice; a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole; and fiery Lagos cleric, Pastor Tunde Bakare.
Also expected at the meeting are governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun) and Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo). Some ministers of South-West extraction are also expected to attend the parley.
The meeting is expected to hold at the Abuja home of Chief Olusegun Osoba, around 8pm. The South West leaders are expected to discuss issues bordering on South-West unity and reach a possible consensus.
