Jaafar Jaafar, Kano State Editor-in-Chief of Daily Nigerian, has revealed why some cabals in the presidency are opposed to All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer Bola Tinubu’s presidential ambition.
WITHIN NIGERIA previously reported that Jaafar revealed the names of those suspected of being “Aso Rock elements” who want Tinubu to lose the election.
In an interview with PUNCH, Jaafar revealed that the cabals planned to impose Senate President Ahamed Lawal, but they were unsuccessful and became enraged when Tinubu won the APC presidential ticket.
He noted that the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, is clearly not supporting the party’s ticket due to his religious beliefs and that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has also distanced himself from Tinubu’s campaign.
The publisher also revealed that the decision to support Tinubu was a written agreement, and if he fails, the Northerners will be labeled as saboteurs for failing to follow through on an agreement.
He said:
In the initial stage, Tinubu was not their preferred candidate; they planned to impose Senator Ahmed Lawan and that plan failed. So, after the plan failed, they became aggrieved even after Tinubu emerged victorious; he didn’t get much support from them. Ahmed Lawan was their preferred candidate.
There are some that are still not with Tinubu; it is clear that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (Abubakar Malami SAN) did not involve himself in the campaign and you can also see people like Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who is clearly not supporting the ticket. He did not come out to say it publicly, but he is clearly not supporting it. Somebody very close to him was even telling me that as a devout Catholic, he cannot support the Muslim-Muslim ticket; probably, that is his reason for not supporting Tinubu.
You see, northern governors are the ones supporting Tinubu, especially the APC governors. For instance, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano and El-Rufai are all clearly coming out to support their candidate. For me, I’m not saying I’m supporting Atiku, Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso, Peter Obi or Tinubu. I’m only analysing the situation based on the reality on the ground. The major problem Tinubu’s presidency will create is that the North is treacherous. Once Tinubu fails, the North will be seen as a region that does not honour agreements because there is a written agreement that after Buhari finishes, Tinubu will take over, that power will shift to the South, particularly the South-West.
So if Tinubu fails, the North will be seen as saboteurs. Other regions will be eating with the North with long spoons; they will think that any political agreement reached with the North, at the end of the day, will betray you. As a northerner, I may not like the North to be seen in that way. Tinubu should understand that it is not the entire North that is against him. At least, the northern governors have rallied around him. If the people of the North do not want him, at least, he should not see that as a northern conspiracy against the South. It is not like that.