2023: Tinubu, Adamu in cold war over campaign decision

Joel Oladele, Abuja

There are indications that all is not well between the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC national Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, as investigations have revealed.

Recall that prior to the APC Presidential primary election, there was a verbal war between the duo. Tinubu, while addressing APC delegates in Ogun state had said without him, Buhari wouldn’t have won the presidential election in 2015.

“If not for me that led the battlefront, Buhari wouldn’t have won. He contested first, second and third time, but lost. He even said on television that he won’t contest again.

“But I went to his home in Katsina. I told him ‘you would contest and win, but you won’t joke with the matter of the Yoruba.’ Since he has been elected, I have not been appointed Minister. I didn’t get a contract. This time, it’s Yoruba turn and in Yorubaland, it’s my turn,” Tinubu had said.

‘It’s my turn’ which in Yoruba language means ‘Emi lo kan’ has consequently become the campaign mantra of Tinubu.

Reacting to Tinubu’s comments, Adamu stated that the former Lagos Governor’s outburst was unbecoming of a leader of his stature, adding that the party found his  attack on the President insulting.

The Chairman said, “We are saddened by what we saw in the video and pray we don’t see such again. I, as Chairman of this party, have a duty to stand by Mr President.”

In the midst of the backlash, the primary election was held and Asiwaju, as against the wishes of President Buhari, Senator Adamu and the cabals, had a landslide victory. He contested the ticket with 13 other aspirants and polled 1,271.

The immediate past Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, came second with 316 votes, while Vice President Yemi Osinbajo came third with 235 delegate votes.

Many analysts believe that Adamu was installed as a consensus candidate of President Muhammadu Buhari as the party Chairman for the sole aim of denying Tinubu the APC presidential ticket and ensuring that his (Buhari’s) candidate emerges the winner through a consensus.

However, the result of the election was a clear indication that Tinubu has become a force difficult to combat in the contemporary politics of Nigeria.

Subsequently, a few days after the Presidential Primaries, Adamu while speaking with journalists at the Abuja residence of Tinubu where he went to congratulate him for emerging as the party’s Presidential flag bearer said Bola Tinubu  is APC’s project, a statement perceived to imply his readiness to work towards the victory of Asiwaju in the  2023 general elections.

However, as the campaign is gathering momentum, party sources have accused Tinubu of taking decisions believed to be his own best idea, not others. The sources cited his choice of Shettima as running mate as an example, adding that it has left the party with some ripple effects.

It was gathered that the party wanted another candidate but in the long run, Shettima was chosen by Asiwaju as his preferred running mate.

The other one which seems to be the straw that broke the camel’s back is the alleged appointment of the former National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, as Chairman of his Presidential campaign council while the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai was appointed as the Director-General of the campaign council.

The appointments of such importance many believed should have taken place at that party National Secretariat was held elsewhere. Not only did it not take place at the secretariat, the National Chairman, Senator Adamu was not in attendance.

This further confirmed the speculations that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not comfortable working with Senator Adamu. A suspicion which is not unconnected to the pre-presidential primary crises in the party and also lack of trust in APC national Chairman.

Findings also revealed that Tinubu camp is planning to have two campaign Chairmen. One of them is to fulfil all righteousness as he’s going to be nominal, just  to massage the ego of the party while the other is the real one the camp will be relating directly with when it comes to campaign activities.

Efforts by Nigerian NewsDirect to reach Spokesman for Tinubu campaign Team, Mr. Bayo Onanuga and SA Media, Mr. Tunde Rahman, proved abortive as they neither replied to SMS nor Whatsapp messages.

However, a member of Asiwaju campaign team who spoke on condition of anonymity told our political reporter in Abuja that the reason for  appointing Comrade Oshiomole and Malam El-rufai is simply because Asiwaju is looking for the best hands who can work with him.

“Those are the people he trusts who can campaign and strategise for him. Is it someone that cannot convince the electorates they expect him to appoint? He wants someone who can convince the electorates on his programs and policies, he couldn’t have gone for someone who doesn’t believe in him.

“If he also doesn’t believe in the capacity of the person the party is giving to him, then he’s free to go for someone he believes in and I think he has found that in the duo of Oshiomole and El-rufai. I don’t think it has anything to do with any pre presidential election crisis,” the anonymous said