Politics

2023: How Tinubu’s Frosty Relationship With El-Rufai Could Cost Him Ticket

Published

4 years ago

May 16, 2022

There is no love lost between Governor Nasir Elrufai and the former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu.

On Sunday, Mr El-Rufai took another salvo to the presidential ambition of Tinubu, when the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi visited Kaduna State to lobby the statutory delegates.

Three days ago, the Kaduna State delegates had endorsed Tinubu, and pledged their votes to him.

However, on Sunday, the delegates changed their minds after El-Rufai presented a convincing argument on why President Muhammadu Buhari loves Amaechi.

“He made the sacrifice to move to our party. It was a game-changer. This is part of the reason President Buhari loves Minister Amaechi till tomorrow,” El-Rufai said.

In the speech, El-Rufai poked a hole in the narrative that Buhari emerged because of the alliance with Tinubu, instead, he stated that it was the defection of Amaechi and the other four governors from the PDP that changed the game for the APC in 2015.

To give it more effect, El-Rufai used Amaechi’s traditional title bestowed on him by the Emirate of Daura, Dan Amanar.

This is the continuity of the long history of the cold war between El-Rufai and Tinubu.

In Segun Adeniyi’s book, against the run of play, Tnubu blamed El-Rufai, Bukola Saraki and others for blocking his path towards accessing the presidency.

In 2023, El-Rufai again poked Tinubu when he spoke at an event in Ikoyi, Lagos State. He detailed how to defeat a godfather.

During the question and answer session, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and three-time commissioner in Lagos State, Dr Muiz Banire, had asked El-Rufai how godfatherism could be dealt with.

“Godfatherism. This is Lagos. Let me tell you something sir; you know, Kaduna State used to be like that. There were three or four politicians in Kaduna that you could not become anything unless you had them on your side. Those were the godfathers of Kaduna politics and you had to carry them along and you know, the three words, ‘carry them along’ mean paying them regularly,” he said.

Days after, he reiterated it again, while speaking with journalists after a meeting with President Buhari at the villa.

“I don’t know if he (Tinubu) is the godfather of Lagos. What I know for sure is that we have retired godfathers….If anyone feels offended by that, that’s his business,” he said.

In 2020, El-Rufai took another salvo at Tinubu during a webinar in commemoration of the 63rd birthday of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.

“You know I’m your man any day. I’m not Asiwaju’s man and you are Asiwaju’s man, but I am your man any day. Asiwaju and I have differences but you and I have no differences,” he said.

Why Tinubu will be concerned

DAILY POST had in an analysis detailed how the north will decide who emerges as the candidate of the APC due to the number of candidates from the South.

As at the close of submission of forms on Friday, 28 persons bought the presidential forms, but 25 submitted the forms.

Twenty-one aspirants are from the south, while four; Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Sani Yerima (Zamfara), Ahmad Lawan (Yobe) and Yahaya Bello (Kogi) are from the north.

However, in the south, very few States are without aspirants. In the past couple of weeks, the attention of the aspirants have turned to the north, as they visit one State after another.

There is another worry for Tinubu, which is religion. The same factor that stopped him from becoming the Vice President in 2015, appears to be playing out again.

He is limited by the choice of Vice President he could pick from the north. Unless he decides to run a Muslim/Muslim ticket, he will have to settle for vice from either Northeast or Northcentral.

However, with Lawan in the race from Yobe, Northeast will be a battle ground, despite the work of Kassim Shettimah and Babachir Lawan.

Although, El-Rufai has stated that he will not contest for any position in the 2023 election, he, however, said if the President directs otherwise, he will join the race.

In Kano State, Governor Umar Guanduje is battling with massive defection from the APC to the NNPP, the party of former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Last week, Abdulmumin Jibrin, the DG of Tinubu Support Organisation, also jumped ship to the NNPP.

DAILY POST

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Politics

Adebayo Adedamola Wins Osun PDP Governorship Primary

Published

23 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, popularly known as FRYO, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the August 8, 2026 governorship election in Osun State.

The primary election took place in Osogbo on Tuesday amid heavy security presence.

Announcing the result, chairman of the primary election committee, Humphrey Abba, stated that Adebayo secured 919 votes out of 957 accredited ballots, giving him a clear victory in the contest.

Explaining that there were 20 void votes following the withdrawal of one of the candidates, believed to be Governor Ademola Adeleke, Abba added, “The candidate that got the remaining votes is Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes and he stands elected and returned.”

DAILY POST reports that despite announcing his resignation from the party, Adeleke’s name appeared on the ballot paper for the PDP governorship primary.

Party officials said the exercise was conducted in accordance with established guidelines, with accredited delegates participating in the voting process.

Adeleke announced his resignation in a letter dated November 4, 2025, and addressed to the PDP leadership at his ward.

On Monday, Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, had announced that the governorship primary slated for Tuesday, December 2, 2025, has been postponed due to leadership crisis at the national level.

But a faction of the party went ahead with the exercise in Osogbo on Tuesday.

Politics

Gov Adeleke Resigns From PDP

Published

1 day ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial primaries of the party.

Adeleke’s resignation letter, dated November 4, 2025, sighted by Tribune Online was addressed to the PDP ward chairman for Ward 2, Sagba Abogunde, Ede, Osun State.

According to the letter, the governor’s resignation was based on “the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).”

According to the letter, titled: “Resignation of my membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’ read, “Due to the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my Membership of the People’s Democratic Party with immediate effect.

“I thank the People’s Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as a Senator (Represented Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State under the People’s Democratic Party.”

Politics

Tinubu Sends Ex-INEC Chair, Former Oyo First Lady, 30 Additional Ambassadorial Nominees To Senate

Published

4 days ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has forwarded 32 additional ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, just days after submitting an initial batch of three names.

In two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President urged the upper chamber to consider and swiftly confirm 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees.

The list includes four women among the career nominees and six women among the non-career nominees.

Prominent names on the non-career list include Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia State; former presidential aide, Reno Omokri (Delta); former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo; and former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Others are former Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Tasiu Musa Maigari; former Plateau State Commissioner, Yakubu N. Gambo; and former Deputy Executive Secretary of UBEC, Yakubu K. Musa.

Also nominated are former Plateau senator, Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut; former Lagos Deputy Governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State.

Additional nominees include former Oyo First Lady, Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande; former Adamawa senator, Grace Bent; former Abia governor, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim of Ondo State; and former envoy to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue).

The career ambassadorial nominees are Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa), Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa), Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Ebonyi), and Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun).

Others include Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara), and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).

The new nominees are expected to be deployed to countries with which Nigeria maintains strong and strategic diplomatic relations, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as to Permanent Missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.

Their specific postings will be determined after Senate confirmation.

Recall that President Tinubu, last week, forwarded three ambassadorial nominees, Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun), who are being considered for postings to the UK, USA, or France.

President Tinubu said additional ambassadorial nominations will be announced in due course.