Northerners Disappointed With President Buhari, “Tinubu Has Taken Over”

The coming of Mohammadu Buhari to the seat of presidency as the change agent and the messiah of Nigerian politics had significant impact on the political psyche of the commoner the northern region of the country. The many quarters within the northern regions of the country hailed the arrival of the All Progressive Congress [APC] presidency as the arrival of the long awaited disciplinarian and correction factor that will right the injustices meted to the northerners and the northern region.

However information available to us obtained through a consortium of sources knowleagble of the ongoings within the APC indicate that the northern block within the APC who were formally basking in the euphoria of a northern victory have begun to reach anti climax over recent developments within and around the presidency. One major player around the media aide to the President, Garba Shehu reveals that the President had ‘fallen’ to the hands of the Lagos based APC godfather – Bola Tinubu.

According to the information gathered, the President had initially promised his northern followers that he would clip the wings of the Lagos based APC godfather against an anticipated overbearing influence in the naming of ministers and other cabinet members. “He assured us he will put Tinubu in his place… that Tinubu and the southwest block would not dictate the terms of his presidency“. But the President’s actions in the manner he fielded the members of his ministerial list shows he has bowed to the southwest block and to the Tinubu led APC team.

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“He told us he would reward the north for having voted for him enmass” lamented the APC member who also serves as a strong proponent of the Arewa consultative agenda. He complained that Tinubu has successfully wrestled “Buhari down to the mat” away from the controls. “Tinubu has taken over“. The same source continued that Buhari’s body language was clear in the beginning as per his choice for the Senate President. It was clear he did not want Tinubu’s choice for the seat. He wanted Saraki for the seat in order to checkmate Tinubu’s and APC influence inside national assembly. However the body language changed midway.

Available information indicates that Buhari’s sudden change in body language was principally responsible for the long delay in submitting the ministerial list to the national assembly. It was also responsible for the sudden probe of the new Senate president by the code of conduct tribunal. It was also gathered that the submissions of the ministerial names to the national assembly followed behind the curtains negotiations between the presidency and the senate president – for a clear way for the ministerial nominees in exchange for a tampered down probe at the code of conduct tribunal.

President Buhari is believed to have ‘grandfathered’ the negotiation process between the Tinubu led APC and the Senate president – and have paved the way to the soft submission of the ministerial names to the national assembly. The Senate President in turn is believed to have guaranteed a smooth passage of the ministerial names without fermenting embarrassing situations for the presidency or the ministerial nominees. A source from the Senate President’s office confirms to us that the Senate President has embraced the presidency with full arms – and have resolved to give the ministerial nominees a smooth sail to becoming a minister.