With just little over 365 days to 2023 presidential election, the political landscape is being littered with intrigues which is a common feature of a penultimate year to elections. Unlike 2019, we may not see as many aspirants as we witnessed at the time due to the shrinking of political platforms to just 18 political parties. Many aspirants had made their intention to run for the highest political office of the land known to the public, one name stand out among the aspirants, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
No one can deny the political sagacity of Asiwaju, He is seen by many as a battle-tested politician who has weathered many political battles since emergence in political landscape, dating back to botched third republic to his unparalleled endurance in ongoing fourth republic as the only remaining governor of the Alliance for Democracy during the political onslaught of southwest by PDP in 2003. Tinubu, national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), though the post is unknown to the party constitution but was bestowed upon him for his role in the coalition that ganged up to end PDP 16 years reign.
However, he declared his presidential ambition after his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari, where he (Tinubu) announced that he has practically informed President Buhari of his “life-long ambition to one day become the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”. There appears crack in his political empire with plethora of his political beneficiary considering what has panned out.
Naturally, his presidential aspiration is expected to garner massive support from this retinue of protégés, but it is otherwise. Contrary to expectations, things are not as straightforward as expected due to conflict of legitimate interests among the various members of his political empire. Prior to his visit to Aso Villa, there has been rumour of rebellion led by the Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State who also desires to become the president come 2023. Now another rebellion is rumored to be brewing from the camp of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who is also touted to succeed the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari. Some groups across the country are urging the vice-president, a professor of law to contest in the coming 2023 election considering his loyalty to Buhari’s course since his emergence as Vice-President.
There seems to be a rumbling in Bourdillon because its as if some of his protégés are on course to usurp the master as there is signal that pro-Osinbajo mobilizers are getting stronger every point in time.
