Ogun as Tinubu’s Attack Base

Adedayo Akinwale writes that Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, now serves as the attack base of the Presidential flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as he recently protested against the decision of the federal government to swap the currency as well as the lingering fuel scarcity across the country

In less than a year, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu have had the opportunity of coming hard on the powers that be that he perceived were against  his ambition. Twice in one year, Tinubu had used Ogun State as a platform to send strongly worded messages to the government at the centre.

In the wake of the APC primaries early in 2022, the former Lagos State Governor had in the course of soliciting for votes to emerge as APC presidential candidate at a meeting in Abeokuta told the gathering that it was his turn (Emi Lokan) to serve as the party’s flag bearer.

Again, last Wednesday, Tinubu threw caution to the winds when he launched a series of attacks against the government of President Muhammadu Buhari over the lingering fuel crisis in the country and the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to redesign the Naira.

He didn’t stop at that, he said it  was part of the plot to scuttle the forthcoming election and his expected victory.

While it’s a known secret that the decision to redesign the Naira had the blessing of President Buhari, the lingering fuel crisis which started February 2022 appears to have defied logic which is an indication of  the crass incompetence of the Minister of Petroleum and the President of the country.

Nevertheless, the former Governor of Lagos state could not hold back his frustration during the APC presidential campaign held at the MKO Abiola stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he expressed his displeasure about the fuel Scarcity and Naira redesign.

Tinubu who spoke in Yoruba said: “They don’t want this election to hold. They want to scuttle it. Will you allow them? They have started coming up with the issue of ‘no fuel’. Don’t worry, if there is no fuel, we will trek to cast the vote.

“If you like, increase the price of fuel, hide the fuel or change the ink on the naira notes, we will win the election. We will use our PVCs (permanent voter cards) to take over the government from them; if they like, let them say there is no fuel, we will trek there (polling booths).

“They are full of mischief, they want to create a fuel crisis, they have started creating a fuel crisis, but, forget about it, put your mind at rest, I’m assuring you. I, Asiwaju will end fuel scarcity.

“Let the price of fuel continue to increase, they are the ones that know where they are hoarding it. They are hoarding naira notes, they are hoarding fuel, we will vote and we will win. If you like, change the ink in the naira note, we will win the election, the opposition will be defeated.”

Surprisingly, it appears there was a kind of oath between the APC presidential candidate and  Ogun state. Recall that a few weeks to the presidential primary of the party held in June 2022, Tinubu launched a similar attack on his party when he categorically declared that it was his turn to run for President.

“If not for me that stood behind Buhari, he wouldn’t have become the President. He tried the first time, he failed. The second time, he failed. The third, he failed. He even wept on national television and vowed never to contest again but I went to meet him in Kaduna and told him he will run again, I will stand by you and you will win, but you must not joke with Yorubas and he agreed,” he had said.

One thing is clear, Tinubu doesn’t launch attacks without reason. Whenever he does, it’s based on intelligence at his disposal. Few days after his outburst in 2022 prior to the presidential primary of the party, the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdulahi Adamu, tried to impose the Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan, as the anointed candidate of the party, allegedly on the directive of President Buhari. This was resisted by all critical stakeholders as all the aspirants eventually went to the poll at the end of which Tinubu emerged victorious.

Similarly, elder statesman, Tanko Yakassai, in a recent interview on TV, expressed doubt over Buhari’s support for the presidential candidate of the APC.

According to him: “What I realise is that I’m not sure if Buhari is happy with the candidature of Tinubu. That is the issue. He is the APC because he is the President elected on the platform of the APC but is he committed to Tinubu’s presidency? I have my doubt. I don’t know (who the president is supporting) but I have not seen the commitment from him supporting the candidature of Tinubu in the APC. I’m not sure if it’s APC or not but definitely, the personality of Tinubu doesn’t make him happy from my assessment of the situation”.

Expectedly, his bombshell did not go down well with the presidency who took the elder statesman to the cleaners in a statement issued by the Media Aide to the president, Garba Shehu.

He said: “Alhaji Tanko Yakasai is unknown to the All Progressives Congress. Everyone is entitled to their view, but what we do know is that his insight in a recent interview does not come from within the party or the President’s team. His support for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is welcome although it is difficult to see what value it will add.

“He is right to highlight his experience as a senior citizen, a leader in government and ability to reach out across divides are strong foundations for the highest office. But Yakasai’s questioning of the loyalty of President Muhammadu Buhari stands in sharp contrast to the actions of the President. Only on Monday, he was out at a rally in Bauchi supporting the flag bearer of the party.”

Interestingly, the  Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organization wasted no time in lashing out at Tinubu, when it said the APC presidential candidate opened the book of lamentation because  the policy has frustrated his plots to use slush funds for vote buying and manipulative schemes.

The Spokesperson of the campaign, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement said Tinubu’s attempts to blackmail the Buhari-led federal government won’t stop his defeat in the forthcoming polls.

To the main opposition party, Tinubu was  pretending to care for the pains Nigerians are passing through just because it was beginning to affect his political life ambition.

Moreso, the campaign body noted that it was unfortunate that Tinubu was trying to hoodwink Nigerians by seeking to exonerate himself and blame others in the Buhari led-APC administration from the biting fuel scarcity in the country, when in reality he was known to be behind the insensitive and anti-people policies that have brought so much calamity to our country including the current persistent fuel scarcity.

Ologbondiyan said: “Our campaign finds it pathetic that Asiwaju Tinubu is seeking a face-saving measure ahead of his shattering electoral defeat by shedding crocodile tears and claiming that the redesigning of the naira notes and the fuel crisis under the APC administration, were plots to scuttle the 2023 general elections”

“Furthermore, it is clear that Asiwaju Tinubu is lamenting over the redesigning of the naira just because the policy has frustrated his boastful plots to use slush fund, which he reportedly stashed away in secret vaults, for vote buying and manipulative schemes including alleged funding of thugs to compromise the integrity of the 2023 Presidential election through the setting up of the Jagaban Army.”

The main opposition party was of the opinion  that only politicians who have always won elections by relying on bullion vans have become troubled over the CBN monetary policy to redesign the naira. It said more reprehensible was the fact that a few months to the end of the Buhari government, Tinubu was now struggling to distance himself from an administration which he told the world that he brought into office just because he wants to beguile Nigerians and take their votes.

Similarly, Special Assistant, Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, Phrank  Shaibu, pointed out that even though the CBN policy affects all 18 political parties, Tinubu was the only one frustrated because his plan to deploy bullion vans and bribe poor voters and security agents on the day of election has failed woefully.

Shaibu recalled  that on the eve of the 2019 Presidential election, two cash laden bullion vans were pictured entering Tinubu’s premises located on 26 Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi.  He lamented that several petitions were written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but nothing was done.

He said: “Also frustrated by President Muhammadu Buhari’s unwillingness to attend some of his insipid rallies, Tinubu launched an attack against the President who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum. It is funny that Tinubu is just commenting over the fuel scarcity which started in different parts of the country as far back as February 2022. In Lagos, where Tinubu claims to be the landlord, the state has been witnessing fuel queues since last November. It is therefore dubious of Tinubu to try to extricate himself from the failures of his party because elections are 30 days away.”

However, less than 24 hours after Tinubu’s verbal attacks against the APC-led government, the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of APC beat a retreat when it clarified that its candidate did not mention, blame or accuse  Buhari for the current challenges in the country.

APC’s Director, Media and Publicity, APC PCC, Bayo Onanuga in a statement said Nigerians should no longer be in doubt about those working in cahoots with fifth columnists in the system to inflict avoidable pains on the hapless people for political ends. The campaign noted that Tinubu was only calling the government’s attention to the sabotage being carried out by some fifth Columnists in the system, possibly working in cahoots with the PDP.

He said: “For the record, Asiwaju Tinubu during APC campaign rally at Abeokuta on Wednesday, in his statement, did not mention, blame or accuse President Muhammadu Buhari for the current challenges in the country. The CBN officials, including Governor Godwin Emefiele  have said many times that enough new Naira notes have been supplied to the banks, yet our people complain that they have not been able to get the new notes.

“In recent days, many ATMs are either not working or when working they are dispensing the old notes, just a few days to the  January 31 deadline.Our presidential candidate only re-echoed what is well known and acknowledged, even by President Buhari himself at different fora: That there are Fifth Columnists  in and outside of government who often throw spanners in the works against good intentions and programmes of the government.”

Onanuga said it was in this light that the ruling party found amusing the directionless Atiku Campaign’s bagful of mischief in their hurriedly put together press statement meant to gain shameful mileage from the suffering of Nigerians.

He insisted that PDP and Atiku should remember not to get high on their own smoke, saying political blackmail and an attempt to create a conflict between Tinubu and his long-term ally, Buhari can succeed.

While the APC campaign has tried to spin and clarify what Tinubu meant when he launched those attacks, it’s doubtful that the meaning was lost on Nigerians.