2023: Tinubu reconciles with APC stakeholders ahead of presidential bid
- Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not backing down on his ambition to be Nigeria's next president
- Tinubu is said to have commenced a dual policy of appeasement and self-restraint in a bid to sustain his 2023 presidential aspiration
- The former governor of Lagos has since commenced outreaches of making friends with former political foes
A report by Vanguard has detailed how the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commenced a dual policy of appeasement and self-restraint in a bid to sustain his 2023 presidential aspiration.
According to the report, Tinubu has commenced outreaches of making friends with former political foes.
The former Lagos state governor last month reconciled with Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state through his political ally, Honourable James Faleke.
Faleke, a long-term political foe of Governor Bello, openly pledged support for the Kogi governor’s second term aspiration.
The reconciliation between Faleke and Bello marked an end to the about four-year quarrel between the camp of Tinubu and Bello who was seen as usurping the political structure framed by Tinubu and the late Alhaji Abubakar Audu.
Tinubu according to a source quoted in the report, is desirous of making only friends at the moment.
“This is not the time to make enemies and Asiwaju would rather keep under the radar than create unnecessary enemies for himself,” the source said.
Besides Governor Bello, the APC national leader has also been trying to make peace within his Southwest base.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state who was once considered his political foe, is now hand-in-glove with Tinubu.
The reconciliation of the two men which happened months ago according to sources close to the duo, was achieved for the mutual political interests of the two men.
“Don’t forget that Tinubu did not back Akeredolu for his successful governorship run and we know the ill-feelings and acrimony that followed the Ondo APC primary,” one source said.
“Today both of them need each other and they have long reconciled,” he added.
“Akeredolu needs Tinubu to quench the fiery darts of the local opposition in his state for a second term ambition. Tinubu on his part needs the governor’s support ahead of his 2023 presidential aspiration,” he concluded.
However, there are alleged moves by some of Tinubu's former associates to instigate a competition against him in the southwest.
The competition it is said revolves around the expected bids from Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state, and former Lagos and Ogun state governors, Babatunde Fashola and Ibinkunle Amosun.
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the APC, Kunle Okunola, has said that to ensure that the power rotation system remains in the south in 2023, Tinubu should be supported by all southerners to take a shot at the presidency.
He said that it was on record that Tinubu out of the 36 state governors who emerged in 1999 had remained in one party without decamping, adding that his consistency and political stability makes him a unique politician.
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Source: Legit.ng
