2023: Why power may remain in North –Investigation

There are indications that many Nigerians, especially youths, who yearn for a southerner to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari on May 29 may be disappointed as power may remain in the North.

Sunday Telegraph checks revealed that various factors ranging from insincerity on the part of the northern governors, the Atiku Abubakar factor, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the reign of violence in the South East as well as the face-off between campaign councils of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), may conspire to make the people’s wish a mirage.

Impeccable sources knowledgeable with happenings on the nation’s political landscape confided in the newspaper that all along, the Northern governors had their own agenda the moment Atiku Abubakar emerged the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

One of our sources said: “They were insincere with Tinubu. They were only egging him on, identifying openely with him, but discussing with Atiku. Most of  them, including those seeking election into the various states House of Assembly and National Assembly cannot face their constituents to campaign for Tinubu, who cannot recite the first chapter of the Quran correctly.

“They believe that if they go with Atiku, he would win and if he wins, he may make (Peter) Obi, LP presidential candidate Minister of Finance/Economic Planning in the name of Government of National Unity and groom him as his successor.”

Our source continued: “The candidacy of Tinubu and Obi would split the votes in the South and ultimately the votes of the South East, South West as well as the South South.

“Closely related to that is the threat posed by the North East Youth Group supporting Tinubu/Shettima ticket. The Group has weighed the option that Atiku, who also hails from the North East, is a better  option than Shettima, who will be number 2 under Tinubu.

“Tinubu’s South West, where he is banking on to coast home to victory is also made up of Fulanis, who believe that it is the North’s right to hold on to the presidency.”

Another source, who corroborated the claims, said this has been the game plan of the Northern Oligarchy.

The source, who confided in Sunday Telegraph, due to the sensitive nature of the matter, said this would be known early February.

The source said: “Early February, many more members of the Northern Oligarchy will come out openely to declare support for candidate Atiku and not PDP.

“This,” our Source continued, “has been the game plan all along. They want another Northerner to succeed Buhari.

“This has caused the greatest regret of the South West politicians. They are biting their fingers that they did not know this is how it is going to be. They regret not bringing their candidate in the person of the Number 2 (Osinbajo). They never knew that the (alleged) many baggage of Tinubu would come to haunt him.”

For Obi, our source said that his people are his undoing. Our source pointed to the agitation of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), its military wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN).

 

“How can you lead a country in which your people do not want to be part of?”
They pointed to the many shootings and killings in the South East. A very recent case is the attack on INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) facility in Enugu, in which a police man was killed.

From all indications, the days ahead are going to be challenging for the candidates as they go for a broke.

“They will throw more dirt at one another. They will not spare Obi too.”

Just Monday last week, APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) Spokesperson and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN), gave  the anti–graft agencies- the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) as well as the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), 72 hours to arrest/invite, interrogate Atiku Abubakar for what he called offences against the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, money laundering, Criminal Breach of Trust and Criminal Misappropriation and Conspiracy.

Atiku’s camp came out smoking as the Campaign Council, threatening to expose Tinubu. It was gathered that unless there is a major shift, Nigerians may have to live with another four years of the Northern presidency.