Credit: City People.
Before President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu travelled out of Nigeria a few days ago, he was under intense pressure from many politicians and influential Nigerians seeking one favour or the other. Almost on a minute by minute basis his Abuja home was a beehive of activity. Even his Lagos home was besieged by a lot of party loyalists when he came home for the Guber elections. Everyone wanted to seek one favour or the other from him. So at some point he had to take off abroad to take time off to put finishing touches to his plan of action, to be actualised once his inauguration takes place.
Since his emergence as President-elect he had been meeting with various groups who kept coming to see him about many key issues, to see how they can influence his decisions on things like the ministerial list, appointments into offices at the National Assembly, the issue of Senate Presidency and so on. This is in addition to all his reconciliatory moves, with key groups and personalities accross the country.
Since he emerged victorious at the polls, beating Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi & Rabiu Kwankoso he had embarked on reconcilatory moves.
Atiku is angry that he lost because going by his calculation and plans, he had expected to beat Tinubu. So also Peter Obi, who came 3rd in the race.
So, President-elect had decided to take a well deserved break, to go to the UK to rest and as you read this he is France to discuss with the French government. He is also going on lesser Hajj to pray. He had cancelled the usual activities marking his birthday. He had asked his aides to cancel plans for the usual colloquium, and birthday thanksgiving. His reason is obvious. This is the Holy month of Ramadan. It is a month when he needs to enter into serious prayers. This is not the time for such frivolities, he explained. What he needs to do now is a lot. He needs to pacify many more people who feel aggrieved, he needs to calm frayed nerves.
And that is what he has been doing for the past few weeks.
Tinubu’s aides told City People that the President-elects decision to relocate abroad for a few days ago was to simply allow him reduce the insurmountable pressure he has been under since he emerged. Because of the constant stream of politicians, traditional rulers, interest groups who came and see him, he sleeps for only 3 hours a day. Revealed an insider, Oga sleeps at 3am daily and by 7am he is up to start attending to more people who come to see him, every day. His Abuja home is usually a beehive of activity. And where ever he goes in the country it is usually meetings upon meetings.”
But as Asiwaju is doing all these, his political enemies are plotting to derail his inauguration scheduled for May 29.
They have been putting pressure on Pres. Muhammadu Buhari not to swear him in as the next President.
But Buhari has said no. They have come up with all sorts of agenda, from the possibility of setting up an interim government to the possibility of having what has been tagged a government of National Unity, all in a bid to stop Tinubu from emerging the President.
If you are wondering who the enemies of Tinubu are, lets quickly tell you about them. Number one on the list is former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who has not hidden his loyalty and preference for Peter Obi of the Labour Party. It is widely believed that he is one of the elderstatesmen who are in support of Interim Government. As far as OBJ is concerned, any other option will be acceptable other than having Tinubu sworn-in as President.
He hates Tinubu. And he has not hidden his hatred.
Another group is the one around President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida in Minna, made up of some retired generals like Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar and others. There are also some politicians who lost out at the APC primaries few months ago.
For instance, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has also not been too happy with the fact that he lost out at the APC primaries. He is still licking his wounds. Since he lost out his relationship with Asiwaju has not been smooth sailing. Beyond the occasional meetings both have had many of which was at the instance of Tinubu, not much is happening between Tinubu & Osinbajo.
Of course, Atiku has become right now the No 1 enemy of Tinubu. Atiku just can’t live down the victory of Asiwaju, because that may have put paid to his own ambition to become President. What makes him all the more angry is that once Tinubu gets sowrn-in, he will most likely do 2 terms and by the end of that 2nd term, age will not be on Atiku’s side. So, that will effectively put paid to his agelong ambition to be President.
Peter Obi is also not happy with Tinubu. There are unconfirmed reports that Tinubu engineered Peter Obi’s exit from PDP to go into Labour Party to contest with all the assurances that he will win. Of course, Peter Obi’s exit from PDP had weakened both the chances of Atiku & Peter Obi. Before now, Atiku, Peter Obi & Rabiu Kwankwaso were all in PDP together as a strong force, but the exit of Kwankwaso and Peter Obi into other parties weakened their individual chances, because it made them weak.
Chief Olabode George of the PDP is another sworn enemy of Tinubu. Before now, he had sworn to relocate abroad if Tinubu wins. Now that Tinubu as won, his critics are waiting for his relocation abroad. Chief Bode George is another person who cannot accept Tinubu’s victory. Why he hates Tinubu is because he keeps insisting that it was Tinubu who engineered his going to jail a few years back.
He once told City People that he can’t forgive Tinubu for being one of those who made him go to jail.
There is also Chief Ayo Adebanjo, the Afenifere leader who has been an age-long critic of Tinubu. He has always criticised Tinubu and has never found anything good to say about the President-elect. Several times, Tinubu has made overtures to him to make amends but Baba Adebanjo has foreclosed the possibility of reconciliation. To show his opposition to Tinubu which bothers on hatred
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