By Adesina Soyooye
A shocker may be in the offing for a number of people who think that the Presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is already in the pocket of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Or, that it could go the way of the very brilliant Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
President Muhammadu Buhari, hints suggest, might be looking elsewhere, not in the direction of the two men.
Those who think that Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi is in good stead to get President Buhari’s nod to run for the office of the President, may not be far from the truth.
There are pointers to that. There have been speculations. But they have largely been dismissed, until very recently.
Not a few people began to take note, seriously, when the Minister was given a high profile title by President Buhari’s Emir, Dr Faruk Umar. He gave him the title Dan Amanar Daura – the trusted son of Daura. Abuja literally moved to honour Amaechi. President Buhari is from Daura.
And, as if that was not enough, on Amaechi’s return from Daura, First Lady, Aisha Buhari did what she had never done before. She visited the Minister and his wife, Judith, at their residence, with her entourage, bearing gifts. She said she went to congratulate him on the title bestowed on him.
Now, Buhari’s favourite Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has indirectly let the cat a little out of the bag.
Speaking in an interview on Channels Television, Wednesday, El-Rufai, on what to expect in 2023, out of the blues, threw in Amaechi’s name, as well as that of the President.
He emphasized that he had no interest in being on the ballot in 2023. He said he was tired and needed to rest after serving for two-terms as Governor. Then, he gently dropped a strong hint on how the President’s mind may be working.
El-Rufai said it is only the President that can make him be on the ballot in 2023 as a Vice Presidential candidate. But he quickly added that the only person he could be on the ballot with in 2023, if the President insisted, is Amaechi. It was the President, he reminded Nigerians, who forced him to be on the Governorship ballot in 2015.
El-Rufai: “I’ve said over and over that I’m not a contestant for any office. I’m not aspiring for anything. If Governor Rotimi Amaechi is interested in running for any office, he has the right to do so. But I’m not running for anything and I’m not going to be on his ticket. But if President Buhari insists, that would be a different conversation. I’ll explain to him why I don’t think it’s a good idea but of course, if he insists, I will.
“I’m physically tired because I do take my work seriously. For the last eight years, I’ve worked myself flat out and I’m not young anymore.
“I’ll be 63 next year. So I prefer to look at other options to contribute to the development of my country but of course, I didn’t want to run for Governor but the President insisted so if he insists that I do something I have so much regard for him and his judgement then I’ll do it, even if reluctantly.
Before now, some young and like-minded APC stakeholders were working on a joint ticket of Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi and El-Rufai. That, it seems now, from El-Rufai’s pronouncement, is not possible.
However, a source told this magazine that Fayemi is still very hopeful. Said the source who is considerably close to Fayemi: “Fayemi has the backing of a majority of Governors, and we are sure that Tinubu and Osinbajo will cancel each other out.”
Perhaps, not a few people think, if Buhari settles for Amaechi, it is because he wants to kill two birds with one stone – endorse a rotation of the President to the South, and assuage the Igbo who have been clamouring for the Presidential seat.
Even though Amaechi is from the South-south, he is Igbo, a fact he has never denied, unlike the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who constantly denies any affiliation with the Igbo- speaking area of Nigeria.
Amaechi was a two-time Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly under his mentor, former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili. He was also, a two-time Governor of Rivers State, and a two-time Chairman of the powerful Nigeria Governors Forum.
