2023: Tinubu in secret deal with   Gov. Makinde, S/West leaders

Olusesan Laoye

Despite all attempts to undermine the presidential ambition of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu,  the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), his visit to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital and the  the centre  of politics in the South West,  was  aimed at concluding the arrangements to win the votes of the people in the region, as the most  popular candidate from that part of the country.

Although the visit was tagged to be a normal rally to end his presidential  campaign  in the region, it achieved more than just an ordinary  rally; it marked the final talk that sealed his earlier  endorsement  by various groups  and organizations including the Afenifere  and Yoruba council of elders among others.

Tinubu on arrival at the ancient city as arranged, went straight to business to convince the leaders in the South West his major base, on the need to accept and ensure  that the region stands by him as their son.

His  Ibadan visit also confirmed the speculations  about where the governor of  Oyo state, Engineer  Seyi Makinde stands, out of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) G5 governors, who have  been having a running battle with the party, the Chairman, Iyorcha  Ayu and its Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, over  the presidency coming to the southern  part of Nigeria.

Before Tinubu’s  visit to  Ibadan last Thursday, it was not clear where Makinde stood and who to support  for the presidency, but Tinubu’s  meeting with him,  though it was a closed  door, with both parties refusing to disclosed  what  actually  transpired,  sources at the meeting,  informed Business Hallmark that their discussions, which lasted over two hours,  was based on how the governor would work for him  and to convince the people of the state  to vote for him, since he had disowned  the flag bearer  of his political party, Atiku Abubakar, who is in contention with the APC flag bearer, Tinubu.

Tinubu’s  meeting  with Makinde was said to have been very explosive because it centred  on two fundamental  issues as it affects the duo.

Sources hinted that both Makinde and Tinubu had to agree  on the principle  of, “if you rub my back, I will rub yours”, as Makinde was said to have told Tinubu point blank that he was ready to mobilise votes for him based on the fact that he too, would  back him, an indication that  he would have to sacrifice the candidate of his party in return.

This arrangement  was said to have Informed the delay in coming to Mapo hall, venue of the rally, where Tinubu reluctantly  raised the hand of Senator Teslim Folarin as the flag bearer of the APC in Oyo State.

The APC in Oyo has been divided,  as some  members are  still aggrieved over Folarin grabbing  the governorship ticket.

Tinubu’s action at Mapo, where thousands of supporters waited for him and the manner he  raised up the hand of Folarin, without handing over the flag of the party to him and not even altering a word, speaks volumes.

As a member  of the party said, “it was glaring that Tinubu reluctantly  raised the hands of Folarin up without even saying a word or hand over the flag  and  the broom, the symbols  of the party, to Folarin; it showed that he is not his preferred  candidate as Tinubu would have preferred Adebayo Adelabu, who out of annoyance left the APC for the  Accord Party, where he is now contesting the governorship.”

The meeting with  Governor Makinde was only  a prelude to Tinubu’s  mission in the former political  headquarters of the South west. As part of his mission, he  met with traditional rulers in all the South West, at the international conference centre,  University of Ibadan, where it was said they discussed  how they would all go back to their respective domains to mobilize for Tinubu, who is the only candidate  from the region.

It was  agreed that Tinubu should not be let down by the people  of the South West and that  a strong platform  should be provided  for him to win massively in the zone.

The APC’S  presidential  flag bearer also met various groups and notable Yoruba leaders, who are  influential and who could mobilize  votes for him, across the South West. From all indications, it was clear that the  various meetings held in Ibadan, may have   sealed  the earlier endorsement  of Tinubu and  to  ensure that he  is not left out and  put to  shame in the entire  South West.

What, however,  baffled the crowd that waited for Tinubu from 10am  till 6:30pm, when he surfaced  at Mapo hall venue of the Oyo State rally, the last in the region before the Saturday  election, was how he kept mute.

The crowd, which waited patiently for his arrival  and expected to hear what he would say concerning his plan for the country, especially  in  view  of what is happening  in Nigeria, however,  dispersed disappointed when  Tinubu mounted the podium  without  altering  a word.

Some of the  people at the rally were not happy,  saying,  that it was bad of him not to have acknowledged  the presence of the crowd that waited for him without food in the hot sun.

They argued that they expected Tinubu to even apologize  for keeping  them waiting  for such a long time and to tell them what he planned for the masses,  who have  not had it so easy with the present  APC government at the Federal level.

But some of his associates and  APC leaders in the state defended  his action, saying that he  was late in coming to the venue of the rally  and waiting to address the crowd  would keep them till dark, and also that  they wanted to avoid what  could cause chaos, when it was dark, which would be a security risk, with  agitations  here and there  over  the scarcity  of new currencies  and petroleum  products.
Show original message

One of the  candidates  of the party for the senatorial seat of Oyo  South  Senatorial District,  Barrister  Sarafadeen Ali, said that  the visit of Tinubu to Ibadan to meet the leaders  and traditional rulers in the South West was historic and it would go a long way to help during the election.

He said it was normal for Tinubu to call for his support since he is the  only notable contestant for the presidency  in the South West.

Also a member of the planning committee  for the presidential campaign  of Tinubu in Oyo State and former Press Secretary  to  Alhaji Lam Adesina, the late  former governor of Oyo State,  Alhaji Kehinde  Olaosebikan, said that  Tinubu was wise to have come  to the rally after the support  of the leaders in the South  West for his presidency, saying that with what is going on in Nigeria today, it would be unfair if people of the region failed to back Tinubu.

He was, however, optimistic  that with the bulk votes of the South west  and votes from other parts, Tinubu would emerge as the next president of Nigeria.

Meanwhile  no one within the APC and the PDP is ready to discuss the  agreement Makinde had with Tinubu during  their over  two hours  meeting.
Zzzzzzzzzzzz