During the 2019 Presidential Campaign for President Muhammadu Buhari by the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party made many promises as regards the presidency in 2023.
The party including the politicians made promises to handover power to South-South, South-East, even South-West for the 2023 race but it looks like these promises has motivated some APC bigwigs to make things work their way, even before the appointed time.
Silent whispers have began to make the airwaves that the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, was considering replacing Buhari at the Presidential Villa, come 2023.
These whispers have also made it louder that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, will also be making his big entry in 2023 as Tinubu’s running mate.
In a normal twist of politics within Nigeria, SAHARA REPORTERS reported that Mustapha was already battling intrigues weaved together to end his political career for daring to cross paths with pro-Muhammadu Buhari interest groups within the Adamawa political sphere in order to boost his prospects of becoming Tinubu’s running mate for the 2023 presidential election.
SAHARA REPORTERS mentioned that the former Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako, former SGF Babachir Lawal, Former EFCC Chairman Nuhu Ribadu, erstwhile Lagos and Borno Military Governor Mohammed Buba Marwa, Dr. Mahmood Halilu Modi, Senators Aziz Nyako and Mohammed Mo-Allahyidi are some of the notable names behind a strong synergy that sent Jibrilla Bindow packing as Governor in the March 9 polls.
This was at a time when Mustapha, played a prominent role in helping Bindow pocket the APC structure in the state and subsequently snatch the governorship ticket to the dismay of many chieftains.
According to SAHARA REPORTERS, these chieftains are now working hard to limit the SGF’s political influence within and outside the state.
In reaction to the story on behalf of some prominent Adamawa politicans, a pioneer Northeast National Vice Chairman of the APC, Umar Duhu, said the SGF, being the Chairman of Presidential Inauguration committee, is currently engrossed with coordinating activities that would lead to a successful transition on May 29 — although he did little to quell talks about Mustapha’s 2023 ambition.
“Mustapha’s focus at this material time is to coordinate the winding up of President Buhari’s first tenure and to set the tone for a second term,” Duhu said.
“But he is “well-qualified to seek the highest office in the land; he is at liberty if he wishes to run with Bola Tinubu in 2023. As a matter of fact, both Tinubu and Boss can aspire to any office.”
He, however, decried the attempt to malign Mustapha, warning that the plot would fail given that the man is “too busy to even notice such distractions”.
To the “Adamawa APC bigwigs’ working to restrict Mustapha’s marketability, he said:”APC as it is today is a conglomeration of ideas and interest groups; it is, therefore, dangerous for someone to think some people are not entitled to its power.
“Therefore, the people that are accusing Boss Mustapha of plans to forge a joint ticket in 2023 should know they are only jumping the gun for now, and are wasting their time, given that he is “too busy with stabilising national affairs, and because Tinubu and Boss have the rights to association, vote and be voted for, as guaranteed by our laws.”
Speaking further, he said Mustapha is eminently qualified to vie for the highest office in the land, having been presented to run along with late MKO Abiola by the Babagana Kingibe group in 1993.
“Mustapha’s intimidating credentials are there,” he said.
“Thirty years ago, the Kingibe group within the Social Democratic Party (SDP), actually presented him initially to Abiola for consideration as presidential running mate. It is therefore ridiculous for some spent-force politicians to think they can cow such a formidable democratic icon into silence. While some of us would ordinarily not want to join issues with anybody, we’ll like to warn that we know everybody; let them not mistake Boss’s simplicity for cowardice.”
