Tinubu’s Presidential Ambition Gathers Storm

By  James Orji

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent photographs with President Muhammadu Buhari in London has further exposed his health challenges amid his rumoured presidential ambition in 2023.

With his current state of health, not a few insist that the former governor should ditch his ambition of succeeding President Buhari, even as his teeming supporters want him to go ahead to contest the nation’s highest office.

President Buhari who just returned from an education summit in London had paid a last-minute visit to the former Lagos state governor and All Progressives Congress stalwart in his residence in London.

Tinubu was full of praise for the president as his media office said “The visit was a friendly and welcome one that underscored the considerate and caring personality of our nation’s President and Commander-in-Chief.

“By this gesture, Mr. President has, again, demonstrated his personal thoughtfulness and humility; defying the erroneous commentaries peddled by his critics.

“Once again, Asiwaju thanks President Buhari for taking the time to visit him and wishes the President nothing but the very best as his administration continues to govern and lead the nation,” Tinubu said.

Speaking on the issue, human rights activist Deji Adeyanju said the former Lagos helmsman should bother more on how to take care of his health rather than contesting the presidency.

Adeyanju said “His (Tinubu’s) fragility is apparently visible. Just like Buhari in 2015 when he was campaigning; he looked so fragile and we warned Nigerians that the country does not need someone who is sick and fragile because even developed countries need healthy Presidents not to talk of under-developed countries.

“Both of them are tired and need to be attended to by their loved ones and caregivers. Nigerians cannot afford to be the ones taking care of their medical bills. We have gone beyond the stage of Aso Rock being the retirement place of sick, old men.”

Amid this call for Tinubu to forget his ambition to become Nigeria’s Commander-in-Chief is the suggestion that the incumbent, Buhari would not back him to succeed him in office.

Earlier this year, President Buhari was believed to have referenced the former governor after he said “You cannot sit there in Lagos, for instance, and decide on the fate of APC on zoning,” in the president’s answer to a question on whether power should shift to the south. The president had since denied that he referred to Tinubu.

But Buhari’s photo ops in London with the Lagos strongman has sent shock waves among Tinubu’s supporters who did not take the action lightly, the magazine has learnt, because in their estimation, the action has shown Tinubu to be fragile and unfit to be president.

According to those who spoke with the magazine, the Tinubu camp is not happy that their leader was shown “with a walking stick” in the photograph with the president signposting his illness. “Close aides of the former governor are already complaining that the president’s action was political strategy intended to expose the fragility of their leader,” a source said.

In the photos released by presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad and posted on Facebook on Thursday captioned, “President Muhammadu Buhari this evening in London, the United Kingdom, visited Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu”, Tinubu was seen leaning on a walking stick as he posed for shots with the President.

The angst of the Tinubu’s camp comes amidst suggestions that the ruling APC and major opposition party, PDP are considering zoning the presidency to the North to frustrate the former governor’s presidential ambition.

Raymond Dokpesi, a chieftain of the PDP had few days ago urged his party to zone the presidency to the North in order to stand a chance of taking over power again.

He said “We are all Nige­rians and there is no need for us to keep deceiving ourselves at this point in time. At the age of 70 and with my experience in organising campaigns in this country, I can tell you that unless there is a candidate from the North, in my own considered opinion, the PDP will not stand a chance of winning the election.”

Ibrahim Babangida, a former military dictator has also recently made a comment which many insist cast a cloud on Tinubu’s presidential quest.

The former military strongman had in an interview to mark his 80th birthday anniversary said the nation’s next president must not be must than 60 years old. Tinubu is currently 69 years and would be 71 years by 2023, even though his real age has been widely contested.

In spite of this, not a few others also insist that President Buhari is titling towards Tinubu’s presidency. According to sources, the president appears to be succumbing to some pressure from the north on him to honour an unwritten agreement between him and Tinubu that the latter will succeed him.

“Some APC governors in the north has openly identified with Tinubu. This includes Babbagana Zulum ( Bornu), Bello Masari (Katsina), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) and others who are calling for power to shift to the south. This is a boost for the former governor who is experiencing a popularity deficit in the south, Aliyu Gafar an analyst said.

Those in this line of thought said, for instance, that what President Buhari did, when he paid the Lagos strongman a visit in London, is to dispel his rumored feud with him over the latter’s presidential ambition.

“We are really happy that President Buhari visited Asiwaju in London to show that there is no disagreement between them. It further shows that the president is not against his presidential ambition,” said a chieftain of the APC in Lagos state who said he’s not authorized to speak on the issue.