It may sound unbelievable but credible reports had it that the embattled leader of the All Progressive Congress Senator Ahmed Tinubu is under pressure to quit the ruling party.Sahel Standard gathered that the pressure is coming from hardcore Tinubu allies who beleive the basis for collaboration within the party has been destroyed and that the leader and his group should recoil to the South Western region.
These reports were corroborated by more than six leaders of the party who insisted Tinubu has been betrayed and should return to the region to continue the old regionalist philosophy which was the foundation of his rise to power.
Checks revealed that it was the outcome of the pressure that led a top leader of the party and a very close ally of Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande to launch scathing attacks on the core north, accusing it of betraying the former Lagos state governor who he said championed both the formation of the All Progressive Congress and the return of the core north to power.
The Arewa Consultative Forum wasted no time to fire back,accusing Chief Akande of being unfair to the North and of attempting a return to tribal politics of the old.
Insiders within Tinubu group said there is a strong movement suggesting the old Action Congress of Nigeria should regroup and reassert its hold on the South West region.
Insiders within Tinubu group said there is a strong movement suggesting the old Action Congress of Nigeria should regroup and reassert its hold on the South West region.
According to one of the sources,” the betrayal is deeper than you guys in the media can understand. We have been stabbed in the back. Our trusted allies turned against us overnight. So we are having a fundamental review of our political stance”, he said.
Another noted that the “romance with the core north has turned sour going by the powerful forces that have hijacked the house we built. We are acting urgently so that our leader would not be politically destroyed”
A Tinubu ally from Ogun state reportedly told Sahel Standard that “the President has failed to protect and uphold the interest that bind us. Our leader was publicly stripped naked by those he helped to power. So we are left with no option than to return to our region”, he said.
It was however leant that the issue is still open ended within the Tinubu camp. Some governors who are supposed to be loyalists of Tinubu in the South West are reported to be developing cold feet about the proposal.
It was gathered that two of the four APC governors from the South West are opposed to any plan to quit the party. The two governors are said to be national figures on their own and they only joined the Tinubu group during the mergers and defections.
It was gathered that two of the four APC governors from the South West are opposed to any plan to quit the party. The two governors are said to be national figures on their own and they only joined the Tinubu group during the mergers and defections.
The camp is also in trouble over the close romance of former Lagos state governor, Raji Fashola and former Governor of Ekiti state, Kayode Fayemi with President Muhammadu Buhari. Any plan to quit the APC may meet a brickwall because of the political stance of the two figures.
Further investigations showed that a sort of hate campaign is already gaining ground against the President and his party among a segment of South West population. There is the renewed refrain of Fulani betraying the Yorubas.
A check at the APC secretariat however revealed that many pro-Tinubu hands are still strong at the secretariat despite the ongoing crisis. (Sahel Standard).
A check at the APC secretariat however revealed that many pro-Tinubu hands are still strong at the secretariat despite the ongoing crisis. (Sahel Standard).