The End For Tinubu As APC Says He Will Be Sanctioned For Insulting President Buhari

By Gideon Njoku

Under the All Progressives Congress, APC, perhaps, the end of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s Presidential bid has come, even before the Presidential Primaries.

If what the National Chairman of the Party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu said is anything to go by, then Tinubu might as well kiss his Presidential aspiration under the Party goodbye.

Abdullahi told Reporters at the APC Headquarters in Abuja that the Party would sanction Tinubu for insulting President Muhammadu Buhari.

Tinubu’s problems began in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during his visit to woo delegates to vote for him at the APC’s Presidential Primaries in Abuja scheduled for June 6 and June 7.

In a bid to market his capabilities, he told them that without him, Buhari wouldn’t have become President in 2015. He reminded them that Buhari had contested three times and failed, and even said on National Television that he would never contest again until he convinced him to contest in 2015, promised him victory, and delivered on his promise.

Tinubu’s utterances outraged a number of Buhari supporters, including  Tinubu’s bosom friend and staunch supporter, Babachir Lawal, a former Secretary to  the Government, who accused Tinubu, in a statement on Friday, of denigrating President Buhari. Lawal dismissed Tinubu’s claim of installing Buhari as “bullshit”. He said Buhari’s victory was a collective effort, and chided Tinubu for bragging about it. “Why are the others not bragging?, he asked.

Seeing the damage his utterances were already doing to his aspiration, Tinubu’s Campaign Organisation, in a statement  signed by its spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said that what Tinubu said has been deliberately misinterpreted for mischief purposes. The statement said that Tinubu never denigraded the President.

Within a few hours, Tinubu, in a statement he personally  signed, pledged his loyalty to the President, and emphasised that  he would never denigrade him or disrespect his office, the same office he is aspiring to occupy.

Apparently, the conciliatory statements were not enough, and has cut no ice with the leadership of the APC.

According to Adamu, Tinubu insulted the President, and will be sanctioned. He described what Tinubu said as “unbecoming.”

Adamu did not, however, say the type of sanction that would be meted out on Tinubu.

Already, he has been cleared to take part in the Primaries on June 6 and 7.

Strong speculations are that  he might lose in the Primaries, or be prevented from taking part. Either way, the opinion is that Tinubu has two options  – go to Court if he is stopped from taking part in the Primaries, or defect to another party.

Only President Muhammadu Buhari can intervene to prevent the looming crisis. He has a meeting/dinner with all the aspirants before the Primaries. Will Tinubu be stopped from attending?

Either way, both the Party and Tinubu are in trouble.