SAHARA REPORTERS
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has reportedly told his close associates that he doesn’t see himself handing over to the president-elect, Bola Tinubu.
Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, was declared the winner of the presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 1.
According to INEC official results, 70-year-old Tinubu won in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states, and secured a significant number of votes in several states to defeat main challengers – Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party who came second and third respectively.
While Tinubu polled a total of 8,794,726 million votes, according to INEC official results, 76-year-old former Vice President, who has now run for president six times, secured 6,984,520 votes, and Obi, who, in less than a year, galvanised young voters in a manner some have described as unprecedented, finished the race with 6,101,533.
Tinubu and President Buhari belong to the same party.
According to sources, the President informed some of his close associates that he doesn’t see himself handing over to the former Lagos state governor.
“President Buhari may be ready to deal with Tinubu now, he has told his close aides and associates that he doesn’t see himself handing over to him on May 29,” one of the sources said.
“He did not disclose why the thought so. Could it be that he is afraid of handing over power to him? We can’t say but his close associates are already aware of this.”
Tinubu and Buhari’s relationship was a subject of speculation before the primary election of the APC in 2022 and also before February 25, 2023, presidential election.
After voting in the presidential election, Buhari displayed his ballot paper to the public to prove that he voted for Tinubu.
A Central Bank of Nigeria policy with the express permission of Buhari had banned the use of old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes after the introduction of new notes. This mopped up cash from the system following allegations that some politicians had stacked up cash to buy votes.
The cash crunch coincided with fuel scarcity, bringing untold hardship to Nigerians.
During a rally at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, Ogun State in January, Tinubu said he would be elected Nigeria’s next president despite attempts by some persons to sabotage his chances in the February 25 poll.
Speaking in Yoruba, he said, “Let fuel be expensive, only they know where they keep it. Keep petrol, keep the naira, we will vote and be elected. You may change the ink of naira notes. What you expect will not happen. We will win.”
The outburst of the former Lagos governor that birthed the “emi lokan’ slogan was believed to have been spurred by ‘plots’ being made by a cabal in the Presidency to outwit him in the race.
Tinubu while speaking to Ogun State delegates, claimed that President would not have emerged if not for his support.
Similarly, Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State alleged that agents of the Federal Government were planning to use the cash swap policy and fuel scarcity to incite a crisis for a military takeover.
He said, “It is important for the people of Kaduna State, and indeed Nigeria, to know that contrary to the public pronouncements and apparent good intentions, this policy was conceived and sold to the President by officials who completely lost out in the Gubernatorial and Presidential Primaries of the APC in June 2022.
“Once Asiwaju Bola Tinubu emerged as the candidate in June 2022, and subsequently did not pick one of them as his running mate, this currency redesign policy was conceived to ensure that the APC presidential candidate is deprived of what they alleged is a humongous war chest. They also sought to achieve any one or more of following objectives: (a.) Create a nationwide shortage of cash so that citizens are incited to vote against APC candidates across the board resulting in massive losses for the Party in all the elections; (b.) Ensure that the cash crunch is so serious, along with the contrived and enduring fuel shortage existing since September 2022, that the 2023 Elections do not hold at all, leading to an Interim National Government to be led by a retired Army General; (c.) Sustain the climate of shortage of fuel, food and other necessities, leading to mass protests, violence and breakdown of law and order that would provide a fertile foundation for a military take-over.”
In 2022, SaharaReporters exclusively reported a plot by Buhari and members of the Aso Rock cabals to retain power in the Northern region in 2023.
Sources had said the President and members of the cabals were secretly supporting Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party against Tinubu.
The cabals including some members of Buhari’s extended family and friends are the powers behind the throne.
It was gathered that Buhari before May 28, 2022, presidential primary of PDP approved the payment of billions of naira to settle debts that the government owed some companies linked to Atiku.
“Do you know why Atiku doesn’t really care about (Rivers State Governor, Nyesom) Wike and others? It’s because President Buhari and the cabals are supporting him,” a source had said.
“Buhari gave him monies that were owed him to enable him win the PDP primary. He asked the richest man in Katsina, Dahiru Mangal, to defect to PDP and support Atiku; the reason Atiku is calling Wike’s bluff.
“With Atiku from the North, as a presidential candidate, they have asked top northerners to work for him irrespective of party affiliation.”
THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN SAHARA REPORTERS
