Tinubu Dumped Buhari For Tanbuwal On 'Safe Political' Ground

Team Tinubu, the camp of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, was reportedly compelled by some former Nigerian leaders and Northern Islamic leaders to drop its support for the 2015 presidential aspiration of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

The decision was seen as an opportunity for them to move in to gather support from the influential Southwest caucus that is firmly controlled by Tinubu.

The Buhari camp, which was thrown into confustion on Friday, November 14, 2014 tried to coordinate itself not to be in panic mood as it welcomed Tambuwal into the race. A strong loyalist of Buhari stated that the development would not cut off the synergy between Buhari and the more than 12 million followers behind him around the country.

“The entry of Rt.Hon. Aminu Tambuwal is a welcome development, the more the presidential aspirants or any aspirant to governor, Senate, national or state assemblies the merrier.”

According to reports, 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 camp to drop support for Buhari

Reflecting on the reason why Asiwaju chose to switch his support from Buhari is hinged on the premises as stated below:

1. That General Buhari, among the other factors posseses an overbearing tendency to fence out other political stakeholders in his possiblepresidency.

        2. That Speaker Tambuwal possese a more good will and effective administrative                    wherewithal to run as a Presidential candidate.

3. That Gen Buhari, with historical evident does not actually visisble in most of his administrative era as it was Idiagbon who actually run the state in 1983 and the PTF was also made popuplar by his subordinate.
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4. That Buhari sorrounds himself with the likes of Nasir El Rufai, Buba Galadima, Sule Hamman who according to reports has the record of fencing out people.
5. That Tinubu associates feared that the perceptions of religious extremism which the ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP had sought to tag on Buhari could deny the party votes in the South were he to emerge as candidate.
6. That there is the tendency of Buhari turning on Tinubu and others once he is invested with power and may come back to hurt him and some of Asiwaju’s loyalists

7. That 70 to 80% of voters fall between the age of 18 to 40+ and most of them don’t know Buhari as he seem to be the oldest aspirant.
Well, its yours to decide if these reasons are strong enough to pull back from a candidate you have given a handful support to dance ahead..