Daily Advent Nigeria

Osinbajo And The 2023 Presidential Conspiracy! Meet The Man That May Become Nigeria’s Next President

Osinbajo And The 2023 Presidential Conspiracy! Meet The Man That May Become Nigeria’s Next President

The victory of President Muhammad Buhari at the recently concluded Presidential election which was held on February 23rd earlier this year has certainly thrown up a lot of questions on the future of the All Progressive Congress and that of who becomes the succeeds him as President of Africa’s most populous nation with about 200 million people.

The importance of this issue cannot be over stated and to really get a good view of the import,the strength and size of the nation must be taken into view.
According to Wikipedia, ”As of 2015, Nigeria is the world’s 20th largest economy, worth more than $500 billion and $1 trillion in terms of nominal GDP and purchasing power parity respectively. It overtook South Africa to become Africa’s largest economy in 2014. The 2013 debt-to-GDP ratio was 11 percent. Nigeria is considered to be an emerging market by the World Bank; it has been identified as a regional power on the African continent, a middle power in international affairs, and has also been identified as an emerging global power. However, it currently has a “low” Human Development Index, ranking 152nd in the world. Nigeria is a member of the MINT group of countries, which are widely seen as the globe’s next “BRIC-like” economies. It is also listed among the “Next Eleven” economies set to become among the biggest in the world. Nigeria is a founding member of the African Union and a member of many other international organizations, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations and OPEC.”
Also given the fact that this is President Byhari’s second and last tenure as President it raises the stake. For one, the influence of the man from Daura and his perceived strength of character has given him the opportunity to hold onto the seat of power for two consecutive terms and now that is is set to elapse ,the door is wide open and the struggle tense.

The Perceived Gentleman Agreement Between The Two Arrow Heads

Although this hasn’t been substantiated in any way, rumours have it that there was a gentleman’s agreement between the two arrow heads that led to the formation of the ruling party just before the mega alliance between the then CPC (north) ACN (Southwest) and a section of APGA from the South east culminated in the creation of the All Progressives Congress.
This agreement had to do with the fact that once the joint effort helped Buhari to secure power, he would rule and then subsequently lend his support to installing  Bola Ahmed Tinubu also to power.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhZZJN4t3YQ
This plan it seems has been going smoothly for a while now as Tinubu has worked assiduously to ensuring Buhari secures both his first term and now second term ticket which kicks off officially by May 29, just about a week from today.
However it doesn’t look like the plan may sail through without some hitches if it ever does at all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPxZDzRwekY

Tinubu’s Various Cards Lined Up 

To guard against any eventuality, it appears the maverick politician has several cards held close to his chest which he intends to play as the situation demands.
Apparently the idea is to take hold of the reigns of power either directly or through a proxie and this is where Vice President Yemi Osinbajo comes in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7YS7n520nc
The permutation is that should his own candidature run into a hitch then Vice President Yemi Odinbajo will be fielded to run for the APC ticket.

Why Yemi Osinbajo?

The relationship between the duo is well known to many. The Vice President was the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice  for Lagos State during Tinubu’s tenure as Governor of the state.
The Vice President also got to be Buhari’s Vice Presidency when opposition arouse which countered Tinubu’s desire to take up the Vice Presidency position.
Apparently other top guns in the APC then including the Senate President, Bukola Saraki had objected to a Muslim-Muslim ticket that would have produced Buhari and Tinubu as APC’s Presidential and Vice Presidential candidate respectively in the race for the 2015 presidential election.
Speaking on how he got to become the Lagos state’s Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Osinbajo during the Lagos at 50 celebrations in 2017 narrated thus:
https://twitter.com/MrAbuSidiq/status/1127335403621629952?s=20

“I did not and I had never met Bola Tinubu before I was appointed Commissioner and that says a lot about the kind of individual that he is. This is the kind of thinking that makes nations great; that is the kind of thinking that would make Nigeria great.

“A type of thinking that considers all of our diverse talents; a kind of thinking that does not allow parochialism; a kind of thinking that does not allow us to say anywhere belongs to only a set of people. That is when our country would be truly great.”

Possibility Of Yemi Osinbajo Becoming APC’s Next Presidential Flag Bearer

Speaking on the possibility of the Tinubu playing the Osinbajo, an elder statesman and political adviser during the second republic, Tanko Yakasai had this to say:

“The current calculation is that the vice-president is from the Southwest. Clearly, there is an unwritten understanding that when Buhari finishes, the Vice President will likely be the next presidential candidate of the APC,” he said.

“The Vice President is a Yoruba man. Even if it is not Osinbajo, somebody from there, probably Tinubu, will likely emerge as the candidate of the party.

“And with the performance of the party in the southeast, I don’t see any possibility that the party will think of giving its candidacy to the southeast as against the support it earned from the southwest.

“Apart from voting, don’t forget that there were some material support which APC enjoyed from the Southwest.”

The Power Of Incumbency

Another reason why the Yemi Osinbajo candidacy will come into play should Tinubu fail to clinch the APC ticket is the power of incumbency.

As it stands, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has given a good account if himself within the past four years of the Buhari administration.

He has proven to be a loyal deputy, a good one in the absence of the boss, spear headed the drive of the social re-investment and empowerment programmes of the Buhari administration such as the Trader-Moni and the Home Grown School Feeding Programme.

So given his sterling performance, he stands a very good chance with the power of incumbency and Bola Tinubu will be capitalizing on this to push his candidacy should he fail for whatever reason to clinch the ruling party’s ticket come 2023.

So all things being equal, as it stands, it is clear that should Bola Tinubu fail to clinch the All Progressives Congress presidential ticket, the next man for the job will be the Vice President.

Lets have your thoughts below.