2023 Contest: No Turning Back For Tinubu As ‘Enemies’ Vow Hard Tackles

Irrespective of the excision of the compulsory direct primary option in the selection of political party candidates, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will contest the All Progressives Congress, APC presidential primaries multiple sources within and outside his camp have disclosed.

However, his efforts will sooner than later face the brusque response of his traducers within the party setting the stage for what sources say will be an eventful political year in the ruling APC. One of the remarkable unfolding developments it was gathered will be the increasing relegation of the Muhammadu Buhari factor by party chieftains as he turns into a lame duck in period preceding his exit from office. 

Meanwhile, the stage for a dirty primary campaign within the APC unfolded on New Year Day as it emerged that a senior aide of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was reported to have shared a video of a Tinubu campaign staff entangled in a fight with a commercial sex worker over unpaid services.

Maria Ude Nwachi, a Technical Assistant in the office of the vice-president and a former member of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly had shared on social media a viral video of an unidentified campaign staff of the Tinubu Campaign entangled with a prostitute.

She wrote: “Disgraceful!

“You are on duty, carry her, does not want pay and still engaged in fight with her openly.”

Mr. Laolu Akande, the vice-president’s spokesman could not be reached through his known phone number and a text message had not received any response.

However, the development was further deteriorating the bad blood between the camp of Osinbajo and that of Tinubu yesterday with one associate of Tinubu telling  GreenWhiteGreen GWG that the assertion of the Vice-President’s aide reflected the mindset of the Osinbajo camp.

Meanwhile, the Tinubu camp was at the beginning of the year taking in its stride the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to veto the Electoral Act Amendment Bill with associates saying that whatever decision taken on the bill would not dissuade Tinubu from the contest.

APC chieftains told  GreenWhiteGreen GWG that the Tinubu Camp had been hopeful of easily winning the presidential ticket under a direct primary method given the strong alliance between the APC national leader and governors in Northern States with heavy APC followership. Among the states cited are Kano, Katsina and Borno.

“You can imagine him getting two million votes in Kano, two in Borno and another two million in Lagos, and with that he would have tied up the nomination,” an APC operative told  GreenWhiteGreen GWG on Saturday.

“But with the decision to use the indirect primary method, the nomination can be more easily controlled as all that is required is for Buhari to summon the Northern governors and tell them this is who I want.

“Which northern governor can look Buhari in the face and say no to him,” the top APC operative added.

However, a Tinubu associate speaking on the condition of anonymity told  GreenWhiteGreen GWG that Tinubu would contest the election irrespective of what primary method is used.

“Direct or indirect, Asiwaju will win. One thing you should know is that Asiwaju is always thinking ahead. He had been winning with indirect system before APC used indirect in 2019, so it is not something that is strange to him and you should know that he is a master of the game,” the source said.

Tinubu’s determination to contest was also echoed by a senior strategist of one of his possible rivals who said that feelings on the ground around the country indicated that Tinubu was forging ahead to contest despite earlier suggestions that he would abandon the race.

Among the reasons being given for Tinubu’s likely participation despite possible opposition from Buhari is the feeling that the president is turning into a lame duck with his term of office certain to expire next year.

“You would see that over time, people will begin to push off the Buhari factor as he turns into a lame duck,” the source disclosed.

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