A chieftain of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, SKC Ogbonnia, has alleged that some people loyal to
President Muhammadu Buhari, have focused there energies on “strategies to
decimate the Tinubu-led brain trust that brought Buhari to power.”
Ogbonnia claimed that despite
mapping out the strategy that brought Buhari into power, Tinubu was sidelined
by the President and his loyalists.
In a statement he signed, the APC
chieftain said Buhari made the former Lagos State Governor a “mockery in all
pepper soup joints” after declaring that he is not the national leader of the
party.
Ogbonnia also said the failure of
the Buhari-led Federal Government has made Nigerians to mock Tinubu who was the
architect of the party’s assumption to power.
The statement reads, “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu means different things to different
people. But if dynamic opposition is the life-wire of a democracy, it is very
fitting then to name him the saviour of Nigeria’s current democratic journey.
“Tinubu, more than any other
Nigerian, nurtured and sustained the opposition movement that removed the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from power. Before Tinubu’s party, All
Progressive Congress (APC), there appeared to be no consequences for bad
behaviour in Nigeria whatsoever. Despite mounting corruption and gross
mismanagement of national resources, the PDP was boasting to rule Nigeria
forever. And one cannot blame them. It was unfathomable, as at then, for an
incumbent president to lose election in Nigeria. But not anymore!
“APC recognized the Tinubu
genius, and had no problem conferring him with the title of the “National
Leader”. But the honour would become queer in the course of 2015 election
campaigns, because Bola Tinubu was neither the party’s national chairman nor
the presidential candidate.
“Seasoned pundits had reasoned
that Muhammadu Buhari, having been elected president, would assume the title of
the National Leader while the Asiwaju would be anointed the chairman of the
party’s Board of Trustees. Glaringly, that was not meant to be.
“Tinubu’s political sagacity was
seen as a threat by the Buhari’s post-election inner caucus, a clique of
primitive loyalists, whose visions appear concocted from the philosophies of
Stone Age native doctors. Instead of the change agenda of the ruling party, the
clique focused its energy on strategies to decimate the Tinubu-led brain trust
that brought Buhari to power.
“The president had no reason to
look back. Buhari was still gloating with precipitate pride having been greeted
with a worldwide goodwill after declaring that he “belonged to no one”. Many
took the memorable line as a quaint exit from the military arm of Nigeria’s
corrupt oligarchy that needed to be carried along to dislodge PDP from power.
Well, events since have shown that “I belong to no one” might have been
referring to an imaginary freedom from Tinubu. The rest, they say, is history.
“This history is that party
indiscipline, which had been a cancer of past regimes, became full grown as
soon as Tinubu was sidelined. The opposition took advantage to wangle its men
to critical leadership positions in both arms of the Legislature. The paradox
is that a corrupt opposition party dictates the content and character of the
much-anticipated change under the APC government. Even boards of vital
government agencies, including strategic foreign posts, remained in the hands
of the opposition over two years after Buhari assumed office.
“The president remained
indifferent. To his advisers, the post-Tinubu Tsunami would eventually subside
in time for the next election. This false hope prompted Buhari to openly
admonish that Bola Tinubu was not the National Leader but merely one of the
leaders of the party.
“The mockery of Tinubu became an
appetizing ingredient in every pepper soup joint. But the man kept calm. And he
had to. What could he possibly tell the political gods about his predicament?
How could he face his long-standing left-leaning NADECO allies and the powerful
Southwest media that he coopted to produce a Buhari presidency? How could he
possibly reconcile his new fate in APC after enduring the worst political fire
ever directed to a non-candidate in the history of Nigeria? How could Bola
Tinubu reconcile the fact that, instead of Buhari, the Nigerian masses are
mocking the Asiwaju himself for the failures of APC government?
“One can now relate to why I pity
Tinubu; and I truly do. But what has followed is even more intriguing.
“The Asiwaju is now re-baptized
“the National Leader”. With APC in crisis, combined with his waning popularity,
President Buhari did an abrupt U-turn, turning to the same virally discredited
Tinubu. The goal is to salvage the party and create a favorable image in time
for 2019 elections.
“Buhari deserves commendation for
the peace move. Tinubu, on his part, has embraced the assignment as a Christmas
in June, and he has what it takes to weave the innocent opinions of party
members as well as the Nigerian people towards common purpose. However, how
that common purpose aligns with the president’s 2019 individual agenda is
another aching dilemma.
“Nevertheless, as a fervent fan
of Buhari from ages and a sapient adherent of Tinubu’s visions, and now a
presidential aspirant under APC, let it not be misconstrued that I openly state
as follows: The president can make the assignment less herculean by recognizing
that Muhammadu Buhari has become the problem. Yes, there comes a time nonsense
paves way to commonsense.
“The commonsense dictates that
the Nigerians are dire need of a new breed president—regardless tribe or
religion—who is roundly equipped to lead the country to greatness. The Nigerian
people also yearn for a party that can earn their trust. APC can become that
party once again, if Asiwaju Tinubu is seen as an agent of the truth. The truth
is that the history already celebrates President Buhari for his sacrifice in
rescuing Nigeria from the ruins under PDP, but the same history will commit him
to its darkest side, if he ignores the warning signs and furthers any
individual ambition that can propel PDP back to power.”
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