... As Buhari, Aso Rock cabals working against Tinubu, APC candidate but supporting PDP's Atiku
There are strong indications that the 2023 presidential election will be a straight fight between the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi and his Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, counterpart, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the core north have reportedly jettisoned Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for the PDP candidate, Atiku.
Sources told Southeast Post that Northern Christians, and the people of the Middle Belt have pledged their support for Peter Obi.
The people of the Middle Belt or the North Central part of the country, have reportedly pitched camp with the LP candidate, Mr Obi, whom they see as more energetic and younger than Atiku. Apart from being younger, most northern youths especially, non- Fulani are said to be routing for Obi, noting that it would be suicidal to vote for Atiku, a Fulani, when the outgoing president is a fellow Fulani.
Northern leaders who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that most eligible northern voters were against the APC because of the hardship they went through in the last seven years and five months of the administration.
"We see Senator Bola Tinubu as too sick and weak to be Nigeria's President after Buhari. We can not see a weak Tinubu addressing the UN or other international organisation and be proud of him as our leader and president.
"APC under Buhari underperformed and we cannot thank the party for it's poor performance by voting for his successor or Bola Tinubu. Everything about Tinubu is foggy; his age, education, source of wealth or place of origin.
"Apart from the APC's Muslim- Muslim ticket, the core Muslim North don't see Southern Muslims as true believers. Already, the cabals in the north, including some members of Buhari’s extended family are plotting to retain power in the Northern region in 2023, and they want Atiku, instead of the candidate of APC."
Speaking on Peter Obi, the sources said that both the northern Christians, especially the people of the Middle Belt or North Central including their Muslims were also mobilising for him.
According to them, "Peter Obi is the darling of most northerners, especially those in the Middle Belt, including Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Adamawa and Nasarawa and Kogi among others. Obi will win election in Nasarawa and Kogi States. We're not sure of 100 percent votes for him in Kogi, Kwara and Nasarawa but he will do well, especially in Kogi and Nasarawa.
"We, however, want Obi to improve in the way he dishes out figures or statistics. Obi is very simple, sharp and did well as governor of Anambra State. We're sorry for Igbo like Orji Uzor Kalu and his other colleagues, because they are miles away from the reality in the country today.
"Peter Obi is better than Atiku both in age and being fluent. Nigerians will hear a lot of stories when the campaigns kick off properly."
A former soldier and journalist, Mordecai Sunday Ibrahim, who is the candidate of the New Nigeria People's Party, NNPP, for Kachia State Constituency in Kaduna State, said he would vote for Peter Obi in the presidential election, saying that the people of the Middle Belt preferred the Labour Party candidate than another Fulani to continue from where stopped.
Ibrahim, said that voting for Obi, an Igbo would stabilize Nigeria more than voting for the APC or Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.
Meanwhile, the SaharaReporters has quoted the cabals including some members of Buhari’s extended family and friends and the powers behind the throne are also, said to be working for Atiku.
The group, led by Buhari’s nephew, Mamman Daura, is said to have the ears of the President, influence policies and determine those who get major appointments.
The source added that Buhari before the May 28, PDP’s presidential primary approved the payment of billions of naira to settle debts that the government owed some companies linked to Atiku.
“Do you know why Atiku doesn’t really care about (Rivers State Governor, Nyesom) Wike and others? It’s because President Buhari and the cabals are supporting him.
“Buhari gave him monies that were owed him to enable him win the PDP primary. He asked the richest man in Katsina, Dahiru Mangal, to defect to PDP and support Atiku; the reason Atiku is calling Wike’s bluff.
“With Atiku from the North, as a presidential candidate, they have asked top northerners to work for him irrespective of party affiliation.”
Governor Wike, had hinted recently that Atiku was arrogant because someone in the presidency was backing him.
According to Wike, the same forces at the presidency promised someone the APC presidential ticket but failed to deliver it.
“Why are they being so arrogant? They are arrogant because they believe somebody in the presidency is backing them. But what they don’t understand is the same person in the presidency backed somebody as APC presidential aspirant, and the person failed.
“I will tell Nigerians at the appropriate time who is that person in the presidency that is backing them that they are being arrogant,” he said.
SaharaReporters in 2021 reported how some members of the Aso Rock cabal asked President Buhari to place Tinubu on the watch list.
They had accused Tinubu of sabotaging the war against insecurity in the country and instigating Nigerians, especially those from his South-West region, against the Buhari-led government.The group urged the President to order security agencies to investigate the activities of the APC stalwart.
“They accused him (Tinubu) of instigating Nigerians against Buhari. He was also accused of sponsoring different groups to cause unrest across the country.
“I think they (cabals) think this is another method to tame Tinubu ahead of the 2023 elections after a lot of noise in the APC in which his allies lost out. They are doing everything within their power to stop the President from supporting Tinubu’s ambition come 2023,” a presidential source had told SaharaReporters.
Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, played a key role in the political merger of parties in 2013 which created the APC.
