Politics

2023: Tinubu’s Camp Worries Over Lukewarm Attitude Of Presidency [ANALYSIS]

Published

3 years ago

January 30, 2023

In less than one month to the 2023 presidential election, there are still indications that all may not be well between the presidency and the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu.

Despite being members of the APC, President Muhammadu Buhari, his Vice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and other members of his cabinet appear to be showing lackadaisical attitudes towards the presidential ambition of the former Lagos State Governor.

Since he started his campaign a few months ago, the presidency has not shown a serious level of commitment towards ensuring the victory of Tinubu and the APC. While Buhari has attended very few campaign rallies, Osinbajo has totally abstained.

Many are yet to understand why those at the Aso Rock Villa, including some leaders of the APC, are not really interested in whether Tinubu wins or not. In fact, there are rumours that some governors are surreptitiously hobnobbing with the opposition ahead of the general election.

As the Jagaban could no longer pretend about the unfavourable development, he was compelled to let the cat out of the bag during his recent visit to Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, exposing the level of infighting tearing the party apart underneath.

Tinubu had tackled the Buhari-led government over the new naira notes redesign and the lingering fuel scarcity, alleging that some individuals were sabotaging his presidential ambition through the two developments.

According to Tinubu, they were deliberately hoarding petrol and naira notes, a situation he speculated was to affect his chances negatively.

“With our PVC, we will wrest power from them. Even if they said there is no fuel, we will trek. They are full of hanky panky. They are cleverly creating fuel scarcity. Let the fuel continue to be scarce, they know where they hoard it.

“You hoard the naira, you hoard fuel, but we will vote and we will win. You can even change the ink on the naira notes, we will win. They sabotage fuel supply. Whether they supply fuel or not, we will go and vote. This is a superior revolution. You know me. We are going to win,” Tinubu said in Yoruba.

After making the statement, the media space was awash with comments from the opposition, who saw Tinubu’s words as an attack on President Buhari and his party, the APC.

The moment he realised the statement could breed chaos within the party, Tinubu and his campaign team immediately embarked on damage control, saying the presidential candidate was actually attacking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and not the APC-led Federal Government.

But, many are seeking to know if the PDP is in charge of the Ministry of Petroleum or President Buhari. They also want to know if the Central Bank of Nigeria is under the control of the PDP or the Federal Government. The answer to this is clear enough to know who Tinubu was referring to during his campaign in Abeokuta.

The question on the lips of some Nigerians is, why is the presidency less concerned about Tinubu’s presidential race?

Buhari’s anointed candidate

Before the APC primary, there were indications that President Buhari had an anointing candidate among those eyeing the presidential ticket. Apart from Osinbajo, a sizable number of Buhari’s kitchen cabinet members, his allies and others, were in the race for the ticket.

Before the primary, Buhari had met with governors of the party, telling them to allow him choose his successor the same way they choose theirs.

Buhari told the governors: “In keeping with the established internal policies of the party and as we approach the convention in a few days, I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the Governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor, who would fly the flag of our party for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023.

“We gave governors re-election tickets or an opportunity to pick their successors; allow me to pick my successor.”

Though Buhari did not name his choice, but as Tinubu realised that he was not likely to be the anointed candidate of Buhari, he began to talk tough.

The Abeokuta comment

In the buildup to the June 2022 APC presidential primary, Tinubu was in Abeokuta to seek the support of party delegates. At the Presidential Lodge in Ibara Housing Estate, where he met party leaders, Tinubu went back memory lane to recount how he helped Buhari to power after the former Army General had cried on live television.

He also said he was the one who nominated Osinbajo to be Buhari’s running mate after Bukola Saraki kicked against the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Osinbajo, at that time, was also contesting the APC ticket with Tinubu, the main reason he was being described as a “betrayer” in the Tinubu camp.

“He tried the first time and failed. He tried a second time and failed. He tried a third time and failed. He even cried on television that he will never run for president again. I went to meet him and told him this is not a crying matter: ‘we will support you and you will be president’. If not for me, he wouldn’t have become the president,” Tinubu said in Yoruba.

His comment was said to have angered the President and his appointees, who replied Tinubu, telling him not to claim he was the one who single-handedly made Buhari president.

A statement by a presidential media aide, Garba Shehu, partly read: “There are those who advised the president to run again; those who decided to build a political party – the APC – that could finally be the political vehicle capable of delivering victory where all other opposition parties and alliances before it had failed.

“Those decisions may have been agreed upon by a few. But they were delivered by thousands and voted for by tens of millions. No one can or should claim to have made this possible.”

It was believed that Tinubu’s angry comment in Abeokuta in June helped him in getting the APC ticket, as it caused the president to steer clear of whatever happened at the APC convention.

However, it is left to be seen if the latest Abeokuta comment from Tinubu would also earn him a positive action from the presidency.
DAILY POST

Related Topics:#Presidency #Tinubu Buhari

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Politics

APC Senatorial Primaries: National Organising Secretary Clears Oden Ewa For Cross River Central, Others

Published

3 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Editor

Ahead of the ongoing scheduled All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial Primaries holding across the country today, Oden Ewa and seven others have been cleared by the National Organising Secretary (NOS) of the party at the just concluded screening exercise, to contest the primaries.

This was made public by NOS after the screening exercise in the State.

Ewa, the immediate past Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, was cleared alongside the incumbent Senator representing Cross River Central Senatorial District, Senator Eteng Jonah Williams, who is planning for third term.

The contest in Central Senatorial District is said to be a hot chase between Ewa and the incumbent, however, Ewa is believed to have an edge as he is seen as a fresh start with new ideas for the district.

He is popular among the party leaders and commands huge following within the party followers and the Senatorial district for his various contributions to the development of the district over the years.

His aspiration also enjoys the support of the teeming youths in the area with many youth groups in the district lining behind him. He is said to fit into the aspirational needs of the youths and others within the district who are calling for new and fresh representation.

Others cleared by NOS for the primaries include; Asuquo Ekpenyoung (South); Adans Cecilia Omoniya, Senator Jarigbe Agom, Dr Johna Onyi Agba, and Mary Ogoba Ekpere Eta (North).

Politics

APC Members In Ikole LG Condemn Attacks On Members During Reps Primary

Published

21 hours ago

May 17, 2026

Editor

….Seek safer venues for remaining primaries

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Òkè-Àkò Ekiti, Irele-Ekiti and Ijowa-Ekiti in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State have strongly condemned the violence, intimidation and attacks that characterised the House of Representatives Primary Election held in Ward 11, Ipao-Ekiti.

The APC members lamented that the exercise, which ought to have reflected the democratic ideals of the party, was unfortunately marred by violent attacks carried out by political thugs against party faithful perceived to be supporting a different aspirant from the one backed by the attackers.

Among those attacked were Hon. Samuel Adetiba and Mr. Ore Bamidele, the latter, who was beaten into a coma and is presently in critical condition at a private hospital in the locality where he is receiving medical attention.

Beyond the physical attacks on members, cmpaign banners belonging to the aspirant opposed by the attackers were also vandalised and destroyed during the incident.

The APC members expressed disappointment that the incident was orchestrated by one of the chairmanship candidates for the Among Local Community Development Authority (LCDA), in the presence of the APC leader in the Ekamefa area, Hon. Samuel Abejide, who did nothing to stop the attacks of the party faithful.

In addition to the physical assaults, properties belonging to APC members in Ipao-Ekiti were reportedly damaged, while elderly men and women from Òkè-Àkò Ekiti, Irele-Ekiti and Ijowa-Ekiti were allegedly molested, threatened and forcefully removed from voting queues simply for supporting aspirants of their choices.

Olaiya Ajibulu, who spoke on behalf of the affected party members expressed deep concern over what they described as a growing atmosphere of fear and political intolerance capable of undermining unity within the party and threatening the safety of members participating in future exercises.

Consequently, Ajibulu said that the affected APC members from the three communities appealed passionately to the leadership of the party in Ekiti State, as well as His Excellency, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, to urgently intervene in the matter.

They also requested that subsequent APC primary elections involving the three communities be moved away from Ipao-Ekiti to a neutral and safer venue where the lives and rights of party members could be adequately protected.

“Alternatively, we appeal that Òkè-Àkò Ekiti, Irele-Ekiti and Ijowa-Ekiti should be allowed to conduct their remaining primary elections at a separate venue where members can freely exercise their democratic rights without intimidation, harassment, or fear of violence.” Ajibulu reiterated.

The affected members also sympathised with all victims of the attacks and prayed for the speedy recovery of those currently receiving medical attention, particularly Mr. Ore Bamidele.

They reaffirmed their commitment to the ideals of democracy, peaceful coexistence and party unity, while urging all stakeholders to ensure that future political exercises are conducted in an atmosphere of peace, fairness and mutual respect.

News

Logistics Challenges Mars APC Reps Primaries In Abia

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2026

Editor

The House of Representatives primary elections of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Abia State has been rocked by logistics challenges and reports of intense lobbying.

The exercise, scheduled to commence on Saturday morning, is yet to start in any part of the state as at 3:00 pm.

A visit by DAILY POST to several wards where the primary elections were supposed to hold in Umuahia showed that no party official was on duty.

At Amuzukwu Secondary School, Umuwaya Amuzukwu, Methodist Primary School at Crowther Street, Umuahia North Local Government Headquarters, no official of the APC or the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, staff was seen.

Two female police officers who were deployed to provide security in Umuwaya Amuzukwu were left in confusion as they could not meet any APC official at the centre.

Source disclosed that some of the aspirants in various constituencies in Abia State refused the offer to step down before the primares, insisting that they be allowed to test their popularity in the exercise.

Meanwhile, two leaders of the City Boys Movement in Abia State, Chinedu Orji and Lucky Igbokwe, who are aspiring for the Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, have issued statements maintaining that they are firmly in the race.

Explaining the delay in the commencement of the APC primary election, Publicity Secretary of Abia State APC, Uche Aguoru, attributed the situation to logistics challenges.

Aguoru invited all House of Representatives aspirants and other party stakeholders to an “emergency mandatory meeting” to be held at APC new office by Saturday evening.