With less than two years to Nigeria’s next presidential election, debate has begun over who take over the office currently occupied by Muhammadu Buhari, whose second tenure ends on May 29, 2023. The political slugfest has started in earnest among the stakeholders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) about which zone to produce the the party candidate for the election.
South-West has been tipped as the potential zone to produce the party candidate. The zone politically is one of the stronghold of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and under it, the top contenders based on what supporters are championing are; former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi. Although neither of the names have publicly declared intention to contest for the presidential ticket of their party, their supporters are already saying it is one of them or no other.
But among the suggested contenders, there is one name that has been on the lips of many people, it is the name of the former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. As days turn into weeks, the aspirations of former governor of Lagos State is on the rise. His enviable connections across the country – access to funds and strong influence over the party has majorly resulted in many endorsement from stakeholders, who are publicly mobilising support for him in his running for president in 2023, despite the fact that him (Tinubu) is yet to make known of his intention to run for the post.
However, political observers who have been following the development in the party believe that the rising profile of Tinubu is just a diversionary tactics by the party in order to opposition propaganda machine into throwing their political bazookas on the person of Tinubu. This the Observers note as a way by the party to protect the personality of the eventual candidate from been soiled by the opposition. If the APC as a party decided to lift the lid on the eventual candidate, it will give PDP enough time to dig up dirt that can be detrimental to the success of the party in 2023.
Let’s go the memory lane from the inception of this republic in 1999. First, it was Olusegun Obasanjo, a Christian from the south to Yar’dua, a Muslim from the north in 2007; sudden death of Yar’dua in 2009 ushered in Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian from the southern minority, while in 2015, Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim took the reign of affairs up to this moment. Though, Tinubu is a political behemoth in the actual sense of the word, with structure spread across the country; with goodwill and also sympathy of many power brokers. Following the pattern of succession from 1999, Tinubu being a Muslim will defy the existing socio-political firmament. The successor has always come from the alternate religion of the outgoing occupier of the office. This factor APC knows as someone can know his or her child can thwart its chances in the coming election.
The other issues is that Tinubu being the kingmaker that he is, knows that kingmaker can become king. He knows what is expected of him as kingmaker, and he always sees the game way ahead of others and the permutations does not suit his presidential ambition. He knows the deciding factor for electoral victory. While he has built political alliances in the north, he still knows the region’s fear that he can shut them out if power goes to him.
It is only logical for him to drop his ambition to accommodate a more suitable candidate that is generally acceptable, who fit in into all indices of Religion, ethnicity and other factors.
