As the race for 2023 Presidency hots up, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu the APC National Leader, has remained the man to beat in the race. Also in the South-West, he has remained the aspirant to beat as there is no other aspirant who is able to match his profile.
He has many things going for him also. One, is his intimidating profile. Two, his formidable political machinery that spans many geographical zones. Three, a deep pocket and four, a brilliance that is unparalleled by his contemporaries. That is why he has remained the leading Strategist in the political landscape. The way things are right now: you are either for him or against him.
Because of his ambition, he has come under severe attack on social media and many of his investments have been the subject of attacks.
Recall that during the recent ENDSARS protest he lost a lot to massive destruction, all believed to have been sponsored by his haters.
His opponents and some of his loyalists have all ganged up to tackle him because of their continuous belief that he is running for Presidency in 2023.
Those against him are in 3 categories. There is a Cabal made up of some powerful Hausa/Fulani politicians who don’t like him at all. They feel he is to brilliant and independent-minded for them to handle. There is also another group of Yoruba politicians who are interested in benefitting from the aftermath of stopping Tinubu. There is yet a 3rd group made up some of his core loyalists who are nursing individual ambitions to step out once Asiwaju has been “caged”.
There are also some APC chieftains who favour other aspirants who are likely to come out from other zones.
Tinubu is aware of all these. He is also not sleeping. He has been on the road over the last few weeks meeting with APC leaders across the South-West to restrategise.
He has been to Oyo State. He has also been to Osun State. Asiwaju is not leaving any stone unturned, revealed his aides.
There are other ways in which his opponents are plotting his downfall. All they want is for him to come out and say he is not running for Presidency come 2023.
City People gathered that the recent decision to review the membership base of the APC through fresh registration cum re-validation exercise is the latest plot to tackle Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, party sources have revealed.
The move is aimed at curtailing what they say is the advantage that was conferred on Tinubu following his leading role in the merger of the 3 parties that formed the APC in 2013.
They believe the 2014 membership registration exercise puts Tinubu in the advantage in the sense that the membership data was put in the hands of his associates which in effect puts him at an advantage whenever membership issues are required.
Whosoever has the membership register or data base can easily determine whatsoever happens or which candidate emerges.
They cited Hope Uzodinma as an example. He became candidate against all expectations by obtaining the membership register through his contacts.
This same scheme directed at Tinubu on the party base was the same method adopted a few years ago by President Olusegun Obasanjo to underact Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
At that time in the PDP under the same re-registration and re-validation exercise uprooted perceived and ‘disloyal’ members.
The APC according to sources is also adopting the PDP strategy of using Committees for the registration. Just as the PDP did, the APC plans to use committees involving persons known not to be inclined towards Tinubu to conduct the exercise.
In the case of the PDP then, party men who were pro-Obasanjo members and at the same time enemies of Atiku were given the task.
A legendary foe of Atiku was handed the role of linkman in the former Vice President’s state of Adamawa, leading to the deregistration of Atiku at that time.
Those against the registration exercise are also mounting their own challenges to the move. Rumours of a court action to stop the exercise is being rumoured but the party last week firmly denied any court action against it on the exercise.
Some Tinubu loyalists are not directly opposed to the registration exercise but are afraid that the exercise would be used to prolong the tenure of the Governor Mai Buni led national caretaker committee.
They argue that what the committee was empowered to do was to organize the party for a National Convention and that, fresh party registration is not part of the mandate.
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