Why North-West Governors May Work Against Tinubu – Source

Facts have emerged as to why North West governors may develop cold feet in their support for the actualisation of the presidential bid of Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

A top source in the Presidency disclosed to our Correspondent that Tinubu reneged on the agreement reached before the June presidential primary election that one of the governors would emerge as his running mate.

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THE WHISTLER had reported that the governors of Kaduna, Jigawa, and Kebbi States, Nasir El-Rufai, Abubakar Badaru, and Atiku Bagudu respectively were the forerunners to be his running mate.

It was gathered that the agreement led to the unalloyed support for Tinubu as against other aspirants who refused to commit to such an agreement.

The source said the North West governors felt Tinubu did not honour the agreement they had with him thus their indifference to his presidential bid.

He pointed out that some of the governors are prepared to support the presidential bid of Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

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“North West Governors are not in support of Tinubu,” he disclosed during a one-on-one session in his office.

He justified the governors’ stance on the fact that, apart from feeling cheated, the governors are not happy a minority from the Kanuri stock was chosen, a development he said has reignited the age-long rivalry between the Hausa-Fulani and the Kanuri since the Usman Dan Fodio jihad in the 19th century.

The Kanuri under the Kanem-Borno Empire led by Muhammad Al-Kanemi had successfully repelled the forceful conquest led by Usman Dan Fodio.

It was the only area Dan Fodio’s jihad failed, thus setting a long history of rivalry between the Kanuri and the Hausa-Fulani.

The source explained that the rivalry, even though unpronounced, is in their subconscious especially when a big prize like the vice president is in the contest.

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He further explained that there is no peace in the party contrary to what is being shown to members of the public, noting that, “The National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, is a PDP man. The National Secretary, Iyiola Omisere is a PDP man. They are not happy with Tinubu. You can see Adamu has been boycotting critical meetings of the campaign council.”

In the lead-up to the APC presidential primary election, majority of the northern governors queued behind Tinubu and endorsed his candidacy after a prolonged negotiation.

It was reported that a deal was struck to ensure that once he emerged, he would choose one of them as his running mate.

This paper reports that it was that agreement that made all efforts to foist a candidate said to have been anointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to fail.

Recall in the week to the primary election, Adamu had announced Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, as Buhari’s anointed after a meeting with the president at the presidential villa.

It was Tinubu who was the frontrunner, leading to a war of words. Various sources said the president had wanted all other aspirants to step down for Lawan but that was unsuccessful.

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Tinubu, although wounded, fought to win the election. However, Adamu remained non-committed to the cause to the extent of revealing behind the scene disagreement in a letter he intended to deliver to the candidate but failed to as it was leaked while he was on his way out of the country.

In the past weeks, the national chairman and the candidate have appeared in a few events together.

But Tinubu has worked hard to pacify Adamu by appointing him Deputy Chairman of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, PCC.

This however appears to be plaster over cracks as the presidential aide said “all is not well between the APC leadership and the presidential candidate.”

THE WHISTLER contacted both Felix Morka and Festus Keyamo, spokesmen of the party and PCC for their comments but no response was given.

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