2023: Nigerians Express Shock As Tinubu, Jonathan Meet

Reactions have continued to trail the visit of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The APC flagbearer and former governor of Lagos state visited the former Nigerian leader in his Abuja home on Tuesday as part of his efforts to gain his support for his presidential bid next year.

Tinubu who is currently facing a serious backlash over his decision to pick Kashim Shettima, a fellow Muslim as his running mate has recently paid a similar visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun state.

Even though sources informed the magazine that Tinubu was well received by Jonathan, keen observers of political events in the country have expressed shock over the development considering that the former Lagos helmsman led the coalition that ousted the PDP government of Jonathan from power in 2015.

The opposition APC had during the runup to the keenly contested election labeled Jonathan’s government clueless, apart from other verbal attacks against the former leader from key APC leaders.

“Politicians are shameless. Could anyone have thought that the same Tinubu who rubbished Jonathan and called him all manner of names will go to the former president to ask for his support? It only points to one thing, that Nigerian politicians are without principle,” a PDP chieftain who spoke in confidence said.

He said he was not surprised at the recent turn of events. “Honestly, I’m one of the people who are not shocked by what happened.  After all, the same Jonathan had recently rumoured to have joined the APC in order to contest the 2023 presidency. They are all the same,” he said.

Former President Jonathan before the APC presidential primary in June was said to have joined the ruling party to contest next year’s presidential election, which Tinubu later won after defeating close rivals Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

The dalliance between the two politicians, many say will continue to surprise not a few Nigerians considering their political antecedents, particularly after the role played by Tinubu to stop Jonathan’s re-election in 2015.

The former Lagos governor had recalled recently how he played a critical role in Jonathan’s ouster from office, by ensuring that Buhari became president after failing three times.

Speaking on how Buhari became president, Tinubu said, “If not for me talking to you today, Buhari would not have been president. It is over 25 years that I have been serving them. This one sitting behind me, Dapo Abiodun, he could not become the governor without me.

………..“If not for me that stood behind Buhari, he wouldn’t have become the president. He tried the first time, he failed, the second time, he failed, the third time, he failed.

“He even wept on national television and vowed never to contest again but I went to meet him in Kaduna and told him he will run again; I will stand by you and you will win, but you must not joke with Yorubas and he agreed,” Tinubu said in June ahead the APC presidential primary.

Meanwhile, analysts insist that the meeting between the two leaders is a normal thing that happens among politicians particularly when election is getting close. “Nothing is personal in politics. What is permanent is interest, and so long politicians share a particular interest they will always have reasons to meet,” an analyst said on Wednesday.