Those who think or who had thought that the Asiwaju of Lagos State and Jagaban of Borgu, Niger State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu had gone into oblivion or fallen from power to irrelevance, may have to do a rethink.
Those, who also believe that Tinubu had been having a running battle or rift with President Buhari, and is no more a force to be reckoned with in the All Progressives Congress, should re-jig their thoughts because the President has not only declared openly that he is not having any rift with Tinubu but had been in constant touch with the APC National leader, especially throughout the period of the Ondo guber crisis.
It would be recalled that a committee set up by the APC for the Ondo guber crisis had recommended a re-run of the primaries but the Chairman of the party was alleged to have gone through the back door to inform INEC that Akeredolu was the chosen candidate of the party. Since then, things have not augured well between Tinubu and some of the party leaders, including the chairman, Oyegun.
However, recent developments seem to have shamed the enemies of Asiwaju Tinubu, especially those whom he groomed and pushed up to high positions in Buhari’s government. Oriwu Sun gathered from authoritative sources that Buhari has promised Tinubu three ministerial slots in the new cabinet to be reshuffled as well as a juicy allocation of an oil bloc. These offers, according to political watchers, will shame Tinubu’s enemies, including those from the north said to have been working hard to scheme Asiwaju out of the party by frustrating and making him irrelevant.
The new development, according to analysts, also confirms the expressions of President Buhari’s wife (Aishat), who had alleged that those who worked hard for APC’s victory and her husband’s presidency are now being marginalized; hence, her threat that not to support her husband’s second term bid if these party faithful were not recognized and compensated.
Though she did not directly refer to Tinubu, some people think that Asiwaju is one of those the first Lady, Aishat, was referring to.
It seems that the President had realized the sidelining of Asiwaju and decided to compensate him. It is also a proof that the President and Tinubu are still working together.
This story is also seen as a reminder to those who are plotting against Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the APC come 2019, that they should desist from their plots, so that this incumbent Governor, who has excelled on many fronts and is proving that he could be the best Governor the state has ever had, could be encouraged to complete his job beyond 2019. Oriwu Sun will keep our readers posted on the Asiwaju developments.