There are indications that all may not be well with the top hierarchy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a National Leader of the party, believed to be former Lagos Governor, Bola Tinubu and several members of the National Assembly, have been placed under surveillance over alleged plot against President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to a report by Saturday Sun, Tinubu and the suspected accomplices have been placed under close watch by security agencies, as the party leader is said to be feeling hard done by Buhari’s decision to overlook several of his choices for ministerial nomination.
Asides the aforementioned, intelligence reports have revealed that some other state governors, party leaders and political godfathers are also being watched as there is said to be a plot to mend fences between the warring factions in the National Assembly so as to form a formidable front to “unleash their goons in a well coordinated media campaigns and groups’ protests against Mr President’s choice of ministerial nominees”
An anonymous source revealed that an APC leader in the South West is plotting to “jet out of the country the moment he realised that he could not push through his ministerial nominees, only to be coordinating attacks against the President from his base outside the country.”
The source further availed that: “the investigation is still at the preliminary stage” and that “a particular political godfather who has been spearheading the campaign to remove the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki has suddenly turned round to be reaching out to Senators in his (Saraki’s) camp to mend fences so as to form a joint force to launch an attack against the President.
“We are following all of these clues and leads including promises by the same person to help crush the criminal charges against a leading Senator. This brand of politics will in no way help the ruling party and the nation. One man must not have his way in all cases and in every arrangement.”
Although Tinubu was not specifically mentioned by the source, Saturday Sun reports that he “however, fits into all the descriptions.” and that “the presidency is already bracing up for the emerging development.”
As regards the ministerial nominees, it was gathered that Tinubu and the APC leadership had been upset over the President’s decision to pick former Governors Babatunde Fashola (Lagos) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), who are widely regarded as estranged political godsons of Tinubu.
Tinubu was said to have wanted renowned lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN), Professor Pat Utomi and two of his former Commissioners – Dele Alake (Information) and Wale Eden (Finance)
Falana had been tipped to be named Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Alake as Information Minister and Edun as Minister for Finance.
Asides them, Osun State Governor Aregbesola was said to have been pushing for the nomination of his predecessor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, as against Tinubu’s preference for Aregbesola’s Chief of Staff, Gboyega Oyetola, who is Tinubu’s blood relation.
The case is also the same in Ondo State as the party in the state is pushing for the nomination of Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), who lost in the state’s governorship election to the incumbent Governor Mimiko while Tinubu is gunning for the nomination of his close friend and APC National Vice Chairman, South West, Chief Pius Akinyelure.
It is not yet known if the Saraki and Senate camp would accept the deal being offered, especially as there is are recent indications that the Presidency and the legislature were settling their differences.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one of Tinubu’s close associates posited that although the APC leader was badly hurt by President Buhari snub, he would not pull down “a house he almost single-handedly built with his efforts and resources.”.
