You are here: HomeNews2021 01 31Article 411907

Politics of Sunday, 31 January 2021

Source: legit.ng

2023: Tinubu's ambition will be blocked, Buhari's ally declares

Bola Ahmed Tinubu Bola Ahmed Tinubu

An ally of President Muhammadu Buhari and pioneer national chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Rufai Hanga, has given an insight into the politicking ahead of the 2023 general election.

In an exclusive interview with Leadership, Hanga noted that he has authentic information that the presidential ambition of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023, would be truncated by some powerful members of the party.

Legit.ng gathered that he said reliable sources within the party told him that Tinubu would never be allowed to get near the presidency, adding that the former governor of Lagos state has been short-changed.

Hanga, who was a former senator, said that Tinubu had initially had more than 80% of the party under his control, stressing that some APC governors later ensured that the leadership of the party under Adams Oshiomhole was dissolved to pave way for their agenda.

He said that the governors would do everything to ensure that the leadership emerges from within themselves, lamenting that the party is disintegrating.

Hanga noted:

"I heard from a confirmed and reliable source that they will never allow him to get near the presidency and what has happened severally within the party and within the government has confirmed that to me. "He has been short-changed. Initially, Tinubu had more than 80 percent of the party under his control but to make sure he does not have his way, they dissolved the leadership of the party and created another one because they have made up their minds about Tinubu. "So the leadership will never go to him. They will make sure the leadership that emerges comes from within themselves. So politically, Tinubu is a goner as far as I am concerned. Now, I doubt whether the other people scheming from the southwest to get the mantle will have their way because Tinubu will fight them and others won’t trust them. However, what we see now is that the party is disintegrating.Speaking on the agitation for the zoning of president between the north and the south, Hanga emphasised that he had never insisted on power shifting to one zone or another, adding that the way things are going, power would most likely remain in the north.

Hanga added:

"Agitation for power rotation has happened several times in all the elections we have had and, whether you like it or not, it will still happen again. Nobody can predict that the south will produce the next president. "The only thing is that as a politician you can do some deductions based on some reasons. So I have never contemplated insisting on power shifting to one zone or another. But the way I see things, power will most likely remain in the north, not because I am a northerner.Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that ahead of the next general elections, President Muhammadu Buhari, said political aspirants would no longer be endorsed from Abuja.

It was that the president said this on Saturday, January 30, after he revalidated his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in his constituency in Daura, Katsina state.