Nigeria: How Tinubu’s ‘Zero Dedication’ At London Assembly Pressured Wike Again to Atiku

Minna, Kano — Final week’s London assembly between the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the aggrieved Peoples Democratic Social gathering (PDP) governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike, although shrouded in secrecy, was truly not a profitable engagement, THISDAY has learnt. Tinubu was alleged to have declined committing to all of Wike’s situations precedent to working collectively throughout subsequent yr’s presidential election.

By implication, the following engagement between the Rivers State governor, his colleague governors, and the presidential candidate of PDP, Atiku Abubakar, additionally in London, was timeous and face-saving for embittered Wike and buddies.

In the meantime, contemporary info have emerged on the covert involvement of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was equally in London on the time and met with Wike and the remainder of them, in among the ongoing discussions forward of the 2023 polls.

Though Obasanjo denied backing any candidate forward of the presidential ballot, he was believed to be rooting for the presidential candidate of the Labour Social gathering (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, for causes of stability of energy amongst Nigeria’s main ethnic nationalities, within the curiosity of justice, fairness and equity.

Relatedly, Obasanjo mentioned yesterday in Minna that he would unveil his personal agenda for the 2023 common election quickly. He acknowledged this after visiting two former Heads of State, Common Abdulsalami Abubakar and Common Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, at their residences.

In one other improvement, former governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, was billed to formally be a part of PDP at this time at an elaborate ceremony, believed to have compelled Atiku to chop brief his Paris journey with a view to formally obtain the ex-governor and his individuals into the opposition get together.

Wike and his buddies – Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) – had met in London with Tinubu to contemplate the potential for working collectively. This was after Wike misplaced out on the PDP presidential major held Could 28, and was additionally unable to clinch the working mate slot.

The Rivers State governor, who was bitter over his loss, had been overtly participating in what might move for anti-party actions. He blamed his loss on faith, betrayal by the get together management, particularly, the nationwide chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, and the Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, whose sudden resolution to face down for Atiku, he claimed, allegedly tilted the presidential major outcome in opposition to him.

Ever since, Wike had been working in opposition to the curiosity of PDP, holding conferences with leaders of different political events in a deliberate effort to undermine his get together in subsequent yr’s presidential election. Moreover APC leaders, Wike had met with leaders of LP and New Nigeria Peoples Social gathering (NNPP), ostensibly, mulling his choices.

The governor had been assembly with completely different individuals in quest of a greater deal, and he had hoped for a fruitful engagement with Tinubu, a transfer he believed would undo his get together’s candidate on the presidential election.

Nonetheless, after he allegedly tabled his calls for earlier than Tinubu, quickly after their discussions, the previous Lagos State governor was mentioned to have did not decide to any of his calls for and defined why he couldn’t accede to his phrases. In line with sources on the assembly, Tinubu believed Wike’s calls for had been largely unrealistic and means above what he might realistically carry to the desk.

As an example, Wike was mentioned to have demanded that the APC candidate “ensures if he wins the presidential election, which comes first, he’ll guarantee he doesn’t affect the end result of the governorship and Home of Meeting polls in Rivers, Benue, Oyo and Abia states, in order that candidates in his camp and people of the opposite governors might win keep management of the states”.

The sources mentioned of Wike, “He additionally needed assurances that their males must be allowed to win Senate and Home of Representatives seats, together with the governors contesting senatorial elections. There was no headway on this demand both, for the reason that presidential and Nationwide Meeting elections would happen identical day.

“Tinubu, nonetheless, did not make any dedication and that was a crimson flag for Wike. The APC candidate solely mentioned, sure, he might look into the calls for for Rivers, however he can not do identical for Oyo, Benue and Abia; that it will be very tough and won’t need to come throughout as misleading.”

The sources mentioned Wike needed Tinubu to pressure the APC candidate in Rivers State, in addition to these of Oyo, Abia and, particularly, Benue, the place the APC candidate, a cleric, is believed to be extremely popular, to drop their ambitions.

However Tinubu did not decide to the calls for, apart from Rivers, which he promised to look into, although a distinguished member of the APC, former governor of the state and speedy previous Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, is from the identical state as Wike.

In line with THISDAY sources, Wike and the others left the assembly with Tinubu dissatisfied. Nonetheless, they had been excited to be taught that Atiku was on his strategy to meet with them in London and as such, used the window offered to avoid wasting face and re-align with the get together.

Though additionally they tried to grandstand with the PDP candidate by giving situations, which a few of Atiku’s males dismissed as untenable, nonetheless, it was not a tough scenario for the previous vp to handle, being members of the identical get together, as he merely instructed them he would look into their calls for. The calls for bordered primarily on the removing of Ayu as nationwide chairman to permit for a southerner to be produced by the Wike group.

Sources believed that Atiku was not unaware that the choices earlier than Wike and allies had been restricted however he refused to rub it of their faces. He performed alongside, particularly, as he didn’t need to seem insensitive to their plight because the chief of the get together de facto.

If the dictates of the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) timetable and schedule of actions had been correctly located, they’d clearly shut the doorways of any practical choices in opposition to Wike and co. For one, all of the actions within the electoral course of are tied to time, with authorized implications for any contraventions. This makes it tough for Wike and others to depart the PDP.

Conversely, Wike’s candidates for the senate election, for instance, are three as with different states, however he additionally has eight candidates for the Home of Representatives, 32 candidates for the state meeting, a governorship and deputy governorship candidates, all of which come all the way down to 45 candidates for the 2023 elections.

This identical calculation is relevant to different PDP governors, together with Makinde of Oyo State, who’s itching to return to workplace for a second time period, in addition to Ortom of Benue State and Ikpeazu of Abia State, each of whom are senatorial candidates of the PDP.

Located higher, the choices earlier than them grew to become much more not possible, given the understanding that the presidential and the Nationwide Meeting elections are holding first, the end result of which might sculpt subsequent elections in 2023.

Thus, with their careers, political future and people of their followers at stake and on the mercy of no matter possibility they in the end embraced, it grew to become evident that Wike and others couldn’t truly depart the PDP however had been solely looking for a greater deal after the end result of the presidential primaries.

Nonetheless on the pre-election permutations, indications that Obasanjo is likely to be working for Obi as his most popular presidential hopeful manifested after their London assembly, when the previous president allegedly alluded to the necessity for stability of energy in different to attain justice, equity and fairness within the polity.

One of many sources aware about the assembly and believed to be near Obasanjo, defined, “OBJ’s assist for Obi is borne out the need to safe his place within the historical past of Nigeria, as a nationalist. It’s his agency view that it’s the flip of the South-east to supply the subsequent president, since Hausa and Yoruba have had their turns. So, his assist for Obi is rooted in that want.”

Questions have been raised about Obasanjo’s assist for Obi’s presidential bid and, in the end, his victory. However the former president has additionally not hidden his disapproval of the ambition of different older candidates, whom he’s at all times fast to dismiss, albeit in veiled references, as now not able to delivering outcome.

Yesterday in Minna, Obasanjo, who spoke about unveiling his 2023 agenda quickly, didn’t, nonetheless, give particulars of the agenda to be launched.

Whereas declaring that he had no favoured candidate for the presidency of the nation, as being speculated within the media area, Obasanjo mentioned, “I do not need a particular candidate; I solely have a nationwide agenda.”

Obasanjo mentioned he was in Minna to see Abdulsalami, who had been indisposed, including that the previous chief “may be very particular to me. I got here to see my brother, who has been a little bit indisposed. When he was in London, I needed to go to him however the day I arrived in London was the day he left. So, that’s the reason I made a decision to come back and see him at dwelling

“He (Abdulsalami) may be very particular and I’m nonetheless sturdy to go to those that are particular to me.”

Obasanjo arrived at Abdulsalam’s residence about 12.30 pm and after greetings with family members, he entered right into a closed-door assembly with the previous Head of State. The assembly lasted for a little bit over half-hour.

From the residence of Abdulsalami, Obasanjo visited former army president, Common Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, the place he additionally held one other closed-door assembly.

He left the residence of Babangida about 2.30pm for the Minna airport, from the place he flew to Abuja.

On his half, Atiku, who flew into the nation final night time from Paris, alongside Ayu and different get together officers, was scheduled to current the PDP membership card to Shekarau at his Mundubawa Residence in Nasarawa Native Authorities Space of Kano State.

An official of the get together instructed THISDAY in Kano that the officers of the get together had since held a closed-door assembly with Shekarau at his residence on Sunday to completely full the association for his motion to the get together from NNPP.

A PDP official, who spoke beneath situation of anonymity, mentioned, “As I am speaking to you now, we met Shekarau at his residence and we’re busy arranging his defection alongside along with his supporters into PDP. We perfected all of the preparations.

“Our get together officers are totally engaged to make sure profitable internet hosting of our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the nationwide chairman of the get together, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu. Atiku will keep in Kano for 3 days to articulate and woo many opposition members into the PDP. I’m assured that the get together will win the 2023 common election.”

The supply acknowledged that Atiku would meet with varied teams of Islamic students, youth teams and ladies, college students, younger and previous politicians, throughout his keep in Kano.

Shekarau had in 2014 defected from APC to PDP. That yr, he protested in opposition to APC for giving the get together’s buildings in Kano to a different former governor of the state and present presidential hopeful, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who was the governor on the time, following the latter’s defection to APC, additionally from the PDP.

Shekarau rejoined APC in 2019 and contested the Kano Central Senatorial place, a place he’s nonetheless having fun with, and dumped the get together for NNPP some three months in the past. His defection adopted weeks of lobbying from each APC and PDP, every attempting to woo Shekarau to its facet.

Final week, Shekarau defined that Kwankwaso and his group betrayed the belief reposed in them by aligning with NNPP months in the past.

“All of the agreements we had with him had been betrayed by Kwankwaso and his boys and they didn’t accommodate one single particular person from my camp,” Shekarau mentioned as he left NNPP.