Tambuwal’s ambition splits APC

9 years ago

Tambuwal’s ambition splits APC

The presidential ambition of the Speaker of House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, has created confusion in the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Some members of the House of Representatives, led by Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Zakari Mohammed, yesterday stormed the APC national secretariat to pick the expression of interest and nomination forms for Tambuwal.

Checks by loadedpals.com revealed that the party chieftains were confused over the development, which had also created disaffection in the camp of a leading aspirant for the party’s ticket, General Muhammadu Buhari.

A source revealed that the national leadership of the APC, led by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun was worried over Tambuwal’s sudden interest in the race, a month to the party’s presidential convention, when efforts were being intensified to ensure a consensus candidate among the four presidential aspirants: Buhari, former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso and the Publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah.

A party source revealed that loyalists of General Buhari were jolted over Tambuwal’s presidential ambition and already former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, was being fingered for allegedly dragging the speaker into the race.
The source said: “It is no longer hidden news that Tinubu had, over the years, wanted the speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Tambuwal, a young politician from the North-West, as a fresh hand for the presidency. But the late defection of the speaker halted Asiwaju’s initial plan.
[ads4]
“The decision of General Buhari to join the mega-alliance from the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) was predicated on handing him the presidential ticket as a consensus candidate. That is why the Buhari camp opposes any idea of direct or indirect primaries that have now become the order of the day, since both the National Working Committee (NWC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC) had voted out the principle of consensus for the emergence of a presidential candidate.”

The APC chieftain expressed concern that the possibility of the party winning the presidential election was under threat because the speaker joined the race very late.

He alleged that Tinubu’s change of heart over his initial support for Buhari was deliberate, saying: “He may be working out a subtle script to aid the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan, to victory, albeit in disguise.

“Aside, as an experienced politician, Tinubu himself knows that there is no way he can transform Tambuwal overnight, in less than three months, into a credible and electable presidential candidate that the entire country will buy into.

“The thinking of some, is that he may be walking his party to a doomed day..
“This is the same script he used to hand over the Presidency to Jonathan in 2011, at the expense of the Action Congress (AC) party standard-bearer, Nuhu Ribadu.”

When contacted about his boss’ interest in the Presidency, Mallam Imam Imam, media aide to the speaker said: “Earlier today, some friends and political associates of the speaker notified him that they have bought presidential nomination forms for him.”
[ads4]
In his reaction, Atiku Abubakar welcomed Tambuwal’s into APC presidential race.
His media aide, Garba Shehu, told Daily Sun on phone: “The more, the merrier. Today’s development will broaden the democratic space and the choices available to Nigerians in our party.”