…. Set to capture NASS, decimated Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Mamman Daura others
The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Bola Ahmed Tinubu has set up a “Task Force” to realise his ambition of contesting and winning the 2023 presidential election.
The task force deliverables have been divided into achieving five broad objectives: which are gaining the control of the party, the control of Lagos State government, the control of the National Assembly, the control of the media and the political liquidation of certain individuals who can match him wits for wits, money for money to safeguard his ambition.
The control of the party fell into his hands with the emergence of Aliyu Adams Oshiomhole, the immediate past Governor of Edo State and a former leader of Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) who succeeded John Odigie Oyegun as APC National Chairman.
Oyegun was not in bed with Tinubu all through his tenure as the National Chairman of the party, a frustrated Tinubu had to resort to a bitter complaint against the former federal Permanent Secretary and also a former Governor of Edo State via open letter, accussing the Benin chief of taking bribes, an unsubstantiated allegation. All political investments of the godfather of Lagos politics came to nought when Oyegun was in saddle as the head of the party’s NWC.
However with the coming on board of Comrade Oshiomhole, Tinubu has bounced back and he is determined for this to remain as it is, especially as Oshiomhole has keyed totally into the Tinubu 2023 presidential project.
The control of Lagos State remained firmly in his control as most of the elected and virtually all appointed officers in the state came to power via his political door, the “Mandate Group” He has 90 percent control of Lagos politics. What is more important is that Lagos State is the financial golden goose that lays the financial golden eggs needed to prosecute the presidential ambition of the super rich politician who ferries his cash in bullion vans.
The control of the National Assembly is non negotiable, if the project will fly, as the heads of the two chambers have enormous powers that can aid in delivering or bursting the agenda.
Tinubu a former Senator knows the importance of how a piece of legislation can truncate a well orchestrated plan. Moreso he is desirous of an assembly led by his puppets whether in or out of power. His wife Oluremi Tinubu OON is a ranking member of the Senate on her third term.
The control of the media is germaine to the success of his ambition. Television Continental, Radio Continental, The Nation Newspaper and a host of other media outfits are beholden to him. A collection of editors, reporters, columnists are under his payroll to roll out positive narratives about him and negative reports about his adversaries. The whole gamut of Lagos State government ministries, agencies, departments by fiat patronise these outfits, that serve as Tinubu’s populace mind control units.
However top notch in the plan of the former Governor of Lagos State is the political decimation of a collection Nigerians especially northerners who can match him strategies for strategies, wiles for wile, force for force and cash for cash.
Out of the way is Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha whom Tinubu has decimated by ensuring that APC tickets were denied members his political structure in his political home base of Imo State.
Okorocha who is presently battling to get his Certificate of Return as a Senator Elect: had contended with the loss of the party’s gubernatorial ticket to a PDP returnee, his attempt to get members of his faction contest on the platform of Action Alliance (AA) did not yield expected results.
The deliberate decimation of Okorocha has sent APC parking from the South East political region, technically Okorocha is out of contention for 2023 presidential race, with him are all the eminently qualified members of the governing party from the South East geopolitical zone of the country. In Tinubu’s analysis the zone does not count politically.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar left APC to the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) emerged the presidential candidate and gave a good account of himself at the presidential poll against all expectations.
Tinubu had to step in by shopping for the legal team for the President and the party to frontal crush Atiku Abubakar’s legal challenge to President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory.
President Buhari’s legal team is led by Yusuf Alli SAN, a close ally of Tinubu others are A.B. Mahmoud SAN, Funke Adekoya SAN, Femi Atoyebi SAN, Mike Igbokwe SAN, Osaro Egbobamien SAN, Niyi Akintola SAN and Akin Osinbajo SAN, while the party’s legal team is led by Lateef Fagbemi SAN another close ally of Tinubu joined by the followings
Alex Izinyon SAN, Charles Edosomwan SAN, Prof Taiwo Ospitan SAN, Y.C. Maikyau SAN, Dr Muiz Banire SAN, Ibrahim Bawa SAN, Benbella Anachebe SAN and Festus Keyamo SAN.
He upped his conquest war against Atiku Abubakar by approving the legal angle of ileligibility of the nation’s former Vice President. This is to technically knock him out perpetually from Nigeria’s presidential race and to smoothen his road to power come 2023.
With the eligibility angle and by having the control of the National Assembly a large swath of politicians from the North East and the Cross River corridor cannot contest the presidency in the next election cycle in the very least, this works to Tinubu’s advantage.
Babatunde Raji Fashola a federal cabinet member in charge of Power, Housing and Works and Tinubu successor as Lagos State Governor; belled the cat as regards South West presidential agenda shortly before the general elections.
Elements in the north banking on their numerical strength have been boasting of not conceding to the South West, however what they failed to realise is that Tinubu has profiled all probable contestants from the north and has set plans in motion to rein them in.
Aliko Dangote though apolitical will not fly any pro north presidential flag in 2023, he cannot afford to jeopardise is massive industries in the south, especially in Lagos State where Tinubu reign supreme. He has recently being having series of meetings with Lagos State Governor Elect Babajide Olushola Sanwoolu to pledge alliance and loyalty. This goes for most banking chiefs and heads of business organizations domiciled in Lagos Nigeria’s commercial capital.
Nasir El Rufai the acclaimed brilliant accidental public servant and Governor of Kaduna State is no political weight outside his Kaduna enclave and Tinubu has set up the Shehu Sanni led task force to keep him in line on home front. El Rufai do not have the means to run for the presidency in 2023. At best he heads to the Senate.
The “Daura Mafia” the appellation given President Muhammadu Buhari kitchen cabinet are aloof to post 2023 politics, and are content to see Buhari leave in a blaze of glory and in one piece, the Mamman Daura led group that consist of Abba Kyari, Babachir Lawal, Baba Gana Kingibe, Issa Funtua, Ibrahim Dambazau, Tunde Sabiu and a few others are being courted by international business partners of Tinubu, the Chaugoris, builders of the Eko Atlantic City in Lagos State.
The Chaugoris argued that it will be better for the cabal to consolidate their hold on Nigeria, with a Tinubu presidency, while they produce the Vice President and National Assembly leads as well as the national security architecture of the nation come 2023. While some members of the cabal have bought into this arrangement.
Mamman Daura the head of the cabal and President Muhammadu Buhari’s cousin and right hand man is said to be plaid and non committal to the Chaugoris promptings, this development has warranted Tinubu to set up a task force to maul him down if need be.
Tinubu had put himself forward as President Buhari’s Vice in 2014 after the APC presidential primary that held in Lagos State. However the new PDP group that fell out of the main PDP and merged with APC, led by the current Senate President Bukola Abubakar Saraki thwarted his ambition on the fact that the party cannot present a Muslim Muslim ticket to Nigerians.
Tinubu cried bitterly back then and moan his loss by writing a public letter that religion should not be a consideration in the emergence of public officers in Nigeria’s political landscape.
The lien of President Buhari toward Tinubu’s ambition is uncertain presently. However what is certain is that the President is innured to the political challenges or aspirations of others. He has shown repeatedly that he is concerned only about his personal political agenda.
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