Will Tunde Fowler Support Close Pal, Vice President’s Presidential Ambition?

HighLife

Friendship is an interesting concept. Most times, against even the recommendations of the conscience, one may be forced to pick a side on account of friendship. Of course, one might also be willing to go against the rest of the world because of a friend. For the former Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), this is exactly the case. Boxed in, the taxman has to choose who to support for the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria.

It is no secret that the incumbent Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, is one of the most promising aspirants for the mantle of Presidency. Osinbajo, like several other aspirants, has a queue of supporters behind him. Some of these supporters are new friends and others are old pals. However, one of the interesting aspects of this entourage is that someone, Fowler, is suspiciously missing.

From the observations of some political analysts, Fowler has not shown any public support for Osinbajo despite having the opportunity to do so many times. The argument on account of this vacillation on the part of the former FIRS man has given these analysts enough material to construct new narratives about Osinbajo’s political future.

Fowler and Osinbajo go way back. They refer (or they used to refer) to each other as fellow old boys of Igbobi College, Lagos. Fortune had it in for them: one went on to be FIRS Chairman, and the other became the Vice President. However, in recent times, neither has had any serious reason to throw a party.

For Fowler, it has been a struggle shrugging off the old weight of the FIRS, the agency out of which he was booted unceremoniously. For Osinbajo, it is a struggle of shrugging off the presidency he deputizes. But Fowler can be a lot of help to Osinbajo. However, it looks as if he is not willing. After all, one of the aspirants that Osinbajo will have to go against is someone who has been a big help to both of them.

Thus, the consensus from the keyboard-crunching cubicle of political analysts is that Fowler will not be supporting Osinbajo. Even if he does support his pal, he wouldn’t do it publicly.