News Editor
By News Editor
More hurdles enmeshed in the presidential ambition of the presidential candidate of the ruling APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the cold war, intra-party distrust, disharmony and the politics of exclusion rages.
TMSnews gathered at the weekend that some of those who contested the presidential ticket of the All Progressive Congress, APC last May and lost have tactically withdrawn their support for Tinubu.
A party source in the campaign team said that prominent politicians like Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, among others, have been kept in the dark about the presidential campaign team’s plans.
The source said that the APC flag bearer sidelined the aforementioned key players and preferred to work with APC governors, especially those from northern states who advised him to choose a northern Muslim running mate.
According to the source, Osinbajo and Amaechi may not support the Tinubu because of their apparent disdain for Tinubu’s decision to settle for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
While the duo have irreconcilable differences with Tinubu over his choice of running mate, Tinubu on his part is said to have avoided them by keeping them in the dark about the presidential campaign.
Shortly after picking his fellow Muslim, Sen. Kashim Shettima as running mate, a Amaechi’s loyalist, Tonye Cole, immediately resigned his membership of the party, citing the exclusion of Christians as reason.
Also, it would be recalled that Amaechi in 2014 opposed the pairing of President Muhammadu Buhari with another Muslim, Tinubu as his running mate, a protest that culminated in the jettisoning of Tinubu for Osinbajo, hence his decision to sit on the fence in the current dispensation.
A coalition of Northern Christians led by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal and ex Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara announced the withdrawal of their support for Tinubu over the controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket, which they described as “ungodly and dead on arrival.”
Another stalwart of the APC and former Minister of Sports, Hon. Solomon Dalung, has openly kicked against the Muslim-muslim ticket of Tinubu.
Apart from Vice President Osinbajo, who seems to have developed a cold feet towards Tinubu’s presidential campaign, other APC stalwarts like Adamawa Sen Elisha Abbo, Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola and many more, may not support the campaign.
The Labour Party claimed that there were fifth columnists within the ruling APC and boasted that no fewer than five APC governors were working for Mr Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 presidential election.
