By Adamu Muhammad Nababa
- The Vice President, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, GCON.
The Vice President has seemingly outlived his usefulness. Along with President Tinubu, they have successfully been sold to the North with the dummy, Muslim-Muslim Ticket. I am sure, henceforth, no such dummy will be marketable in Nigeria, never again. The VP has also become literally, a liability today because even his eloquence and grandiloquent approach he deployed in supporting and pushing for the Tinubu Presidency is no longer important today. Now that Tinubu has got the job, The VP seems to be left in the wilderness, with very few aces up his sleeve. And that is the problem with the VP as well to the President. Would the VP be given a second chance as well? Or would the President now change the narrative from the religious prank to a claim of “national cohesion” and “fairness” to the Christian faithfuls? And would he get the votes if he manage to change the current holder to a Christian Northerner? At the moment, there is a growing discontent in the North East that the religious ticket flown in 2023 did not bring any dividend to the region, and the VP is seen as mere spare tyre, a reserve whose services are not needed. Already, in the wings are former Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, a Christian from the North East of Bauchi State. And there is Boss Mustapha, a Christian who may want to be pacified from the North East of Adamawa State. Either way, the President has to choose between being between a rock and a hard place.
- The APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, OFR.
The National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress has remain a weak spot to the APC led Federal Government. While he is indeed a consummate and experienced politician in Nigeria, and well educated, the opposition has found in him issues that they have continued to hit back at the Federal Government. His running battle with corruption allegations, via a viral video clips which he has continued to deny, have refused to be deleted from public memory. It still remain as indelible ink in his political career, indeed a scar that has defied any political surgery. The litigations in various courts are still lingering. In addition, his State of origin, Kano, where he was a Governor for eight years, 2015-2023, is today in the firm grip of an opposition party, the NNPP led by the Kwankwasiyya movement. Reclaiming Kano to the APC fold might be part of the reasons of his being maintained as the National Chairman, but the NNPP Government in Kano has seemingly become so resolute in holding fort almost indefinitely. Besides, the North Central Region has not entirely given up on taking back the position of the National Chairman which it insists, belong to the region by reason of regional balance and power sharing in the APC. Head or tail, the National Chairman is a mixed bag, very cunning in the corridor of power and an old school political strategist who never quits. And before him is a heavy duty political train driven by his former boss, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso who has vowed to keep Kano for as long as he can. The President has a hard nut to crack in Kano, and indeed with his Ganduje and Kwankwaso’s eternal rivalry.
- The Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio, CFR.
The Senate President has recently been portrayed more of a liability than an asset to the Federal Government. He is now noted as one of the President’s Men who has lost credibility, he is no longer considered a man of character and humility. His utterances and handling of the Senate has left much to be desired. All that is seen is the display of the enormous legislative power at his disposal as a Senate President. His records of service, so far, corruption allegations, and sexual harassments he was charged have become trademarks. He is more feared by Senators than respected. Indeed, the Senate President is only adding more political enemies to the President than the friends needed as we approach 2027. The recent case of allegation of sexual harassments on the floor of the Senate by a female Senator, Senator Natasha has been poorly handled by the Senate President and may not just die out by suspending her.
- The National Security Adviser, NSA, Malam Nuhu Ribadu.
The Security Adviser has recently been decimated as just a political lightweight in his region, Northern Nigeria by political activists like Najaatu Mohammad, Solomon Dalung, Prof Usman Shehu and Mahdi Shehu etc. His threat to sue Najaatu and his consequent failure to do so without being tendered an apology as he requested of her, has tarnished his integrity. His accusations on the person and performance of President Tinubu then as the Governor of Lagos State has been well documented. He had accused the former Lagos Governor of high level corruption and swore to bring him down when he was riding high as Chairman of the EFCC. When Hajiya Najaatu revisited the charges of Nuhu Ribadu on his now Principal, President Tinubu, he denied ever accusing the President of corruption. This twist has rubbished the NSA as a man without honour, especially when Najaatu refused to apologize and publicly challenged him to go to court, which he failed to make good his threat. This means Nigerians believed the records of corruption charges against the President are still valid. His hidden agenda has also been exposed by the now aggrieved former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai that he is hatching a plan to take over from President Tinubu after the projected President’s eight year tenure. Although the NSA has denied such ambition, but the former Governor has weighed in by denigrating further the bootlicking tendencies of the NSA to the President.
- Minister of the FCT, Mr Nwesome Wike
The Minister of the FCT has since his appointment as a Minister, turned against almost everybody in the FCT, probably appointed in a bargained political calculation by the President. He has been a card carrying member of the PDP who played anti party activities in favour of the APC in his state, Rivers State for the President to reward him with a Ministerial slot. Today, he has turned Rivers State into a political battle field, pitching himself against the Governor who has refused to play ball to his political antics, full of melodrama and ruggedness. He has also alienated the core members of the APC from getting any relevance or recognition in the Government they formed while giving sleepless nights to his PDP compatriots and its Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, GCON. His political style will only bring more dirt to the APC than votes in the 2027 general election. Today, Rivers State has almost been turned into a battle field between the Governor and the State Legislators who are loyal to the FCT Minister. And on the other hand, the tribesmen of the Governor, the Ijaw have vowed to resist any attempt to impeach their beloved son.
- The Buhari camp:
The politicians who constituted the Buhari camp in the President Tinubu political journey felt sidelined. They are so aggrieved with the leadership pattern of President Tinubu and quietly, they are regrouping to hit back at the President at the appropriate time. Former President Buhari himself is suspected to be aware of the hatchet job, as his relocation to Kaduna has been interpreted to be for such political calculations. Names like the Governor of Yobe, Maimala Buni, former Minister of Justice Malami etc have been linked to the plot to use Northern groups to fight the President. To underestimate the damage that such a silent and aggrieved group can do is at your own peril.
- Political Mercenaries.
Political mercenaries’ have infiltrated the President camp and are just for that, a fat pay cheque. Reno Omokri and Senator Shehu Sani were vocal critics of President Tinubu’s contest for the Presidency in 2023, but today they are vocal supporters of the President obviously for a fee. They have made unprintable accusations against the person and politics of the President, from Chicago controversies to drug trafficking allegations. Today, they are taking the front seat as champions of Tinubu story. The President need to fact-ckeck their political roots to see how good they really are. It is not always the social media handles that brings votes, those who have no knowledge of any can cause havoc in a general election.
- The mantra of Muslim-Muslim Ticket.
The mantra of Muslim-Muslim Ticket used to woo votes from the North is now seen as a ruse, deceptive and no longer count for the government. Northerners are poised to make fresh bargain come 2027 and may not be good news for the APC led government. Already, no significant edge the North has recorded as a result of keying into the mantra.
- The Nepotism In Appointments.
Nigerians have generally come to understand that President Tinubu is only building the Yoruba people above all other tribes in Nigeria in all his key appointments. And this has gone evidently clear to all, especially the North where the votes comes from. The APC will find it difficult, if possible at all to justify the lopsided, nepotist appointments of top Yoruba elites in juicy political positions at the expense of other regions, especially the North. And doing so flagrantly by telling the aggrieved to go to hell!
- Seyi Tinubu
The involvement of Seyi Tinubu, a first son in the land, in underground campaigns will not yield any fruitful results to the APC. It is exposing the parental weakness of the President, like the late Abacha days when the children of the number one citizen called the shots. And Tinubu did fought the military junta led by late Abacha. Seyi is already spoiling Lagos political calculations and can only use money, not integrity to seek for votes.
- President Tinubu is no longer the strategist he was known.
President Tinubu, since coming to power has simply degenerated from the wise one to the powerful one. He now no longer believe in consultations, lobbying and persuasions because he can unilaterally call the shots. His maiden speech is enough evidence to prove President Tinubu don’t care even if he will be judged as dictatorial in a democracy.
Adamu Muhammad Nababa
Kano, Nigeria.
mnababaadamu@gmail.com
