Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the Nigeria’s leading opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, had revealed that President Goodluck Jonathan offered him a Vice Presidency slot under an Interim National Government arrangement, an offer he claimed to have rejected. Femi Fani-Kayode, the head of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization, refuted the story, saying that it is the illusionary imaginations from Tinubu. However, I was personally intimated of the ING offer to Tinubu by an equally top PDP chieftain who boasted jokingly that my "Tinubu and Buhari" alliance will soon crumble.
This his allusion to 'my Tinubu and Buhari' is based on the fact that he knew that I publicly led some Bishops who opposed the distribution of money to some of my pastor-colleagues on an anti-Buhari sentiment and that I was among the people who ensured that some that collected that money did not sell Jesus to PDP. I believe that the Gospel of Jesus is greater than PDP and APC and this party chieftain subscribes to this and my belief that the good, the bad and the ugly are found in both parties.
Mid February, I was at a sort of meeting bordering on security in the North of Nigeria and afterwards another meeting ensued where some PDP faithful were touting how Jonathan will defeat Buhari during the March 28 polls. I mentioned to the August members present who claim direct links with President Jonathan that their principal had already offered a Vice Presidency slot to Tinubu under an Interim Government arrangement. I was literally shouted down by those who claim (and I know that some of their claims are true) that they are personally close to Jonathan and he never mentioned it to them. They called it opposition gimmicks. The same persons, a week later, having confirmed the details I gave, contacted me again and this time around, believing that I must be close to either Buhari or Tinubu, asked me about the latest move of the opposition.
Close to four weeks ago, I was informed by a privileged member of the ruling PDP that Tinubu has been offered a VP slot in order to get him to break away from the presidential candidate of the APC, Muhammadu Buhari. This highly placed PDP facilitator, stakeholder and observer intimated that he is in the thick of the discussion and that soon Tinubu will abandon Buhari for Jonathan. Those allegedly in the thick of the discussions included a retired Military President, select PDP leaders, especially from the South West and South South, some past civilian governors and somebody they believe is working for Dasuki Sambo, the National Security Adviser. Mentioning the names, I was told, is not necessary because my sources will be thoroughly embarrassed.
I was later told that Tinubu rejected the Vice Presidency slot almost instantly. According to my sources, he instead requested that the ruling party defray his campaign expenses, which he put at ₦200 billion ($2 billion). He also allegedly demanded that the PDP will allow him produce all the senators from all the APC states in the South West and also those of Kwara and Edo States, the Niger Delta and North Central. When I inquired what they will decide on the Tinubu project, I was told that though Jonathan did not mind fulfilling Tinubu’s alternative request, the PDP leaders in the South West rejected the idea of allowing him produce 18 senators all by himself, viewing it as politically dangerous. This money is still chicken change to a party that had stacked nothing less that ₦3 trillion through shady oil deals in readiness for the elections.
Tinubu, under pressure to give a green light, abandoned the discussion on the pretext of giving the entire idea a second thought. PDP leaders were still waiting for his second thought when he was seen at Chatham House with Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential flag bearer of the opposition APC. The Chatham House speech of Buhari did an irreparable damage to Jonathan’s image among the international community and the PDP had seen Tinubu as giving the impression that negotiations are ongoing and then he went on to sponsor a Chatham House embarrassment on the President. According to sources, it was Femi Fani-Kayode who decoded that Tinubu had abandoned the plot and warned the party that the best thing to do is to cage the Lion (Tinubu) before it was too late.
The current plot by the PDP is to stop Tinubu at all cost since he failed to deliver the South West vote to Jonathan even when the PDP was ready to give him his demand of ₦200 billion. I learnt that Tinubu’s image is to be terribly damaged, then series of harassment, trumped up charges and outright elimination might follow. This elimination plot, though canvassed by a former presidential spokesman, has been rejected even within many PDP circles, including Jonathan himself.
A top APC chieftain whom I met to follow up the political transactions, initially said he was ignorant of the contents of the negotiations but after some days confirmed that though an offer of ₦200 billion was made, it was the PDP that made the offer to defray Tinubu’s campaign expenses. I was informed that though Tinubu was averse to the ING arrangement, for President Olusegun Obasanjo’s caution to the former governor reinforced his stance.
My take on all these is that PDP approached Tinubu to help sell the Yoruba people to Jonathan and abandon Buhari the manner he sold former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu, in 2011 for a couple of billions of Naira. This time around, the stakes were higher and Tinubu played a fast one on them. Tinubu rejected the ING offer, made his own offer, which the PDP accepted in part (monetary aspect) and rejected the issue of being allowed to manipulate and produce the Senators and House of Reps members from APC States in the South West in an election that will hold on the same day. Tinubu probably got another advice and decided to stick to Buhari and PDP got enraged.
Those denying that there was no ING offer are also lying because even NSA Dasuki and former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, have been discreetly campaigning to Northern Emirs and leaders to accept an ING option to be headed by a northerner. Even former President Shehu Shagari, according to reports, favours the idea. The news is all over Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi and creating division among their political elites with the Interim National Government option getting gradual sympathy.
The loser in all these heist is the masses. Why must an offer and acceptance of a probable ₦200 billion must be given when such amount can build two second Niger Bridges or four brand new Enugu-Port Harcourt and Enugu-Onitsha expressway? This means that if Tinubu had agreed, ₦200 billion that could build five Federal Universities would have left PDP for Tinubu’s pocket. Tinubu, Babangida, Dasuki, Femi Fani-Kayode, Bode George, Buruji Kashamu and all the people involved in this ING cum ₦200 billion betrayal deal should stop denying the truth. Spending such billions on a political expedition is wrong and those buying, selling and making merchandise of the impoverished 160 million Nigerians, half of whom live below $1 daily, should realise it is monumental wickedness in the sight of God and those involved must repent now before God Almighty allows that self-inflicted crisis that will bring in a bloody military revolution already brooding in the atmosphere. A word is enough for the thieves.
Obinna Akukwe writes from profetobinna2@yahoo.com, www.facebook.com/pages/ObinnaAkukwe, @ObinnaAkukwe
Culled from: The Eagle Online
Post a Comment Blogger Facebook Disqus