By James Orji
Presidential hopeful and National Leader of the All Progressives’ Congress, APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has warned those trying to stop him from becoming the President and Commander-in-Chief next year.
Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor said he is prepared to confront his detractors with all he has, and if possible, get dirty with his detractors to ensure that he succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari whose tenure is expected to end by May 29 next year.
“I am out to become President of Nigeria. No intimidation, no blackmail can stop me. I have read about a Greek philosopher that if you want to fight a pig, you must be ready to be smeared and I’m ready to be dirty,” Tinubu said when he visited the Olubadan-designate, Lekan Balogun, in Ibadan, Oyo State on Sunday.
The APC stalwart who had earlier paid a visit to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III in his quest to gather support for his presidential ambition, said the country is at a cross road presently and required a politician like him to turn thing around as president.
But watchers of political development in the country insist that Tinubu may have spoken regarding suggestion that some powerful Nigerians, including some stalwarts in his party APC, are not supporting his quest to be president.
For instance, the magazine learnt that the incumbent, President Buhari is not well disposed to Tinubu succeeding him. Buhari, who in an interview last year said he’s interested in who take over from him, is said to be interested in another aspirant who he has yet to mention, because he believed that such person could be ‘eliminated’.
The president, some say is prepared to jettison an unwritten agreement with Tinubu that he will be president after him, by supporting another candidate next year.
The president’s interest, others say may have aligned with some big hats in the ruling party who believe that Tinubu must not be president. For instance, some elements in the party led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state and Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee are believed to working to draft former President Goodluck Jonathan to the presidential race, even though those close to Jonathan said he’s not disposed to the arrangement.
The former president has recently endorsed Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state and Pius Anyim Pius, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF for the highest office in the country.
Tinubu’s presidential ambition is also not enjoying support from some Nigerians who believe that he’s to old for the office. The politician will be 70 next year, and those in this line of thought have insisted that Buhari must be succeeded by a young person. His other critics have also demanded that he stepped down on health grounds. The former governor spent over three months last year in the United Kingdom, UK taking care of an undisclosed health problem.
Meanwhile, those close to the presidency said Tinubu’s relationship with ‘Aso Rock cabal’, an anecdote used to describe Buhari’s kitchen cabinet may further be worsened by his comment. Tinubu should be careful in making distasteful statement that can jeopardise his presidential ambition, Chris Kehinde Nwandu, a public analyst said.
