2015 Presidency: Tinubu finally dumps Buhari for Tambuwal?

According to a report by Vanguard, APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his supporters are in the process of dumping General Muhammadu Buhari for Speaker Aminu Tambuwal. But how true?

Team Tinubu was said to have been compelled by some former leaders and Northern Islamic leaders to drop its support for the 2015 presidential aspiration of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

Reflective of the pressure which also came from some close associates of Asiwaju Tinubu, the political group has switched support towards the presidential aspiration of Speaker Aminu Tambuwal who with his entry this week, immediately turned into a major contender for the ticket. Continue after the cut...

              

Tambuwal has Buhari and Atiku Abubakar as the main challengers for the party’s presidential ticket.

Several other factors were taken into consideration by the Tinubu camp in switching support...

Close associates of the political leader disclosed to Vanguard that among the other factors was the alleged overbearing influence of some close associates of Gen. Buhari, who they claimed were likely to fence out other political stakeholders in a possible Buhari presidency.

Three former heads of state, two from the north and one from the south and a very influential retired army chief from the northeast who has also held political appointments in the present dispensation were among those cited by sources as having prevailed on the Tinubu to drop support for Buhari.

The decision of the Tinubu camp to drop support for Buhari, it was learnt, also followed reservations from some sections of the north notably, some Islamic leaders.

“It is not that we dumped Buhari, the Islamic clerics, the imams and the political leaders in the north particularly three former heads of state said that they don’t want the man,” the source said.

President Olusegun Obasanjo and a former military president Gen. Ibrahim Babangida met last Tuesday behind closed doors following the latter’s return from a medical trip abroad. 

Babangida had in the past been publicly quoted as urging Speaker Tambuwal to aspire for a higher office. Speaking at the presentation of the Vanguard Personality of the Year award to Governor Chibuke Amaechi of Rivers State in Lagos on April 6, 2013, the former military president said:

“When leaders like Tambuwal delivered on their electoral promise, we advise them to try something higher. For Tambuwal, your guess is as good as mine. Well done.” 

Another said said: “When Buhari  was head of state most of the power was delegated to Idiagbon and when he was at PTF, it was another person, that took charge... If APC says they are looking for change. Tambuwal represents that change.”