Tinubu vs Osinbajo: End of the road for godfatherism?

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s decision to join the 2023 presidential election, alongside his erstwhile political godfather, has drawn criticisms from some quarters with some people accusing him of betrayal. In this report, KEHINDE OSASONA writes on intrigues that are thrilling the campaigns.

These are interesting times as politicians gear up for the primary elections heralding the 2023 general elections with friends and foes rolling out their arsenal in readiness for the big fight ahead.

Debates on the ambition of some political heavy weights and paper weights has taken the centre stage across party lines.

Apart from new lexicon like ‘Judas’ ‘Betrayal’ ‘RCCGnation’ ‘Kingmaker’ ‘Life ambitionist’ being introduced in the political parlance, the quest to clinch the presidential tickets and other available positions has pitched the politicians against one another.

As at the last count, top contenders on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former Senate President, Ken Namani, Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Senator Rochas Okorocha and the Chairman of the Governors Forum and Ekiti state Governor, Kayode Fayemi; who is still being rumoured to be nursing ambition too.

In the same vein, the main opposition parties, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, a popular Journalist and publisher of Ovation Magazine, Chief Dele Momodu, Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed and a business man, Alhaji Muhammed Hayatudeen among others.

Other contenders from other parties are Pastor Tunde Bakare, Rabiu Kwankwanso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP),Mr Kola Abiola, Prof Moghalu, Omoyele Sowore among others.

Kingmaker vs godson

In what political pundits have described as a masterstroke, one of the aspirants eyeing President Muhammadu Buhari’s seat in the ruling party APC, Tinubu, took the bull by the horn some months back when he announced his intention to consolidate on its party’s feat by succeeding Buhari.

He equally informed the President officially, during a meeting at the State House, Abuja, of what he described as ‘My long life ambition to rule my father’s land’.

To demonstrate his readiness for the top job, The two=time governor of Lagos state has also informed the APC governors of his ambition stating: “My mission here is to seek collaboration, support and encouragement of my party, the APC, for my ambition to become the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a replacement for President Muhammadu Buhari after his tenure.”

On the cap of the kingmaker, Tinubu said, “I’ve never seen the cap of a kingmaker before. That is the truth. And I’ve never seen where it is written in the rule book anywhere in any country that a kingmaker cannot be a king unless you commit murder.

“So, whatever is your attribute is your own opinion. I want to pursue my ambition without the title of a kingmaker. You can write your literature and your story based upon your own perception.”

Although the coast is getting clearer that the APC would be ceding its ticket to the Southern part of the country, Tinubu and other aspirants have Osinbajo, the current Vice President to contend with.

Osinbajo, who served as Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice for eight years during the reign of Tinubu as governor, has also declared his intention to succeed President Buhari in 2023, a situation which has now pitched the two powerful men from the South-west bloc against each other.

Although a registered voter in Lagos state, Osinbajo, who hails for Ogun state, is married to Dolapo, one of the granddaughter of the first Premier of the Western Region, Obafemi Awolowo.

Declaring formally declaration to succeed President Buhari via a video posted to his social media handles, the vice president said he wanted to use his experiences, insights and opportunities in the last seven years for the country and its great people.

Osinbajo said he had, alongside the president whom he described as a “True Nigerian patriot, a servant of the nation in war and peace, and a man of integrity,” spent the last seven years working through some of the most difficult times in the history of the country, focusing on securing the country, providing infrastructure and growing its economy.

“In this period of seven years, I have served the government in several capacities and I have, at the direction of Mr. President, represented our country in sensitive high-level international engagements.

I have been to practically all local governments in Nigeria. I have been to markets, factories, schools and farms. I have been in agricultural, mining and oil-producing communities in the Delta, in Kebbi, Enugu, Borno; Rivers, Plateau and Ondo; and in all other states of the federation, listening to the diverse experiences and yearnings of our people.

“This is why I am today, with utmost humility, formally declaring my intention to run for the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on the platform of our great party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.”

However, a few days after the declaration, the Tinubu and Osinbajo camps started hurling missiles at each other.

While the Tinubu’s camp was questioning Osinbajo’s loyalty and calling him a ‘Betrayal’, the vice president’s camp said their principal’s declaration was a call to service, adding that he did not betray anybody.

Before one could say Jack, both camps had shifted the war to the social media where ‘caricature’ of their principals with all manners of unprintable names and adjectives reigned supreme.

In one of the comments trending in the public space, Tinubu obviously felt betrayed by Osinbajo’s declaration and said, “I don’t have any son grown up enough to make such a declaration.”

South-west divides?

After meeting with APC governors as part of the continuation of his consultation, a public affairs analyst in Abuja, Ator Davies, said although Osinbajo has the constitutional right to contest has ambition has now pitched him against his erstwhile boss.

According to him, “Tinubu has made the whole thing cloudy, dirty and now brewing sentiment. His entrance is suppose to change the game but rather than do that, it has now pitched Osinbajo and his former boss against each other.

“For me it is a political debacle to watch out for as emotions are now being brought into the whole games.”

Scramble for delegates

The scramble for delegates by presidential aspirants has intensified and may have divided the progressives’ governors’ forum.

Informed sources told Blueprint Weekend that five governors out of the six states in the South-west geopolitical zone supporting Tinubu are led by Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his counterpart in Osun, Isiaka Oyetola, while Fayemi, Akeredolu and Abiodun of Ogun state were yet to decide.

However, the vice president appears to be extending his scot for APC governors to the North. Some of the governor, who met Osinbajo recently were Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Babagana Umara Zulum (Borno) and Babajide Sanwoolu (Lagos) fuelling speculations that the last may not have been heard about the intrigues and high wired politics that would eventually decide their fate.

While some analysts and even governors of the APC have ruled out the consensus option, keen followers of political happenings insist the tension would automatically be doused after the primaries.