A leading chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is making frantic effort to cut short his trip to United States of America to attend the crucial National Executive Council meeting of the party where the fate of the embattled chairman, Adams Oshiomhole will be decided.
A close associate of the former governor of Lagos authoritatively informed COMPLETE NEWS that Tinubu who has been in America for over one month was not leaving anything to chance in safeguarding Oshiomhole’s job.
It will be recalled that in 2018 ahead of the 2019 general elections, Tinubu piggybacked Oshiomhole to power as the national chairman of the party after Chief John Oyegun and most members of the National Working Committees were ousted.
In a combative style, Oshiomhole wielded power unchecked and reportedly usurped powers and roles of other members of the NWC. He also played the bid of his promoters in Osun where he changed the nomination process from the customary indirect to direct primaries in less than 48 hours to the exercise.
A known associate of Tinubu, a former Secretary to the Government of Osun, Gboyega Isiaka emerged flagbearer.
In the same manner in Ogun, Oshiomhole was alleged to have subverted the nomination process by not providing level playing ground for all aspirants. The then governor, Ibikunle Amosun’s preferred candidate Adekunle Akinlade lost out in a controversial circumstance to the Tinubu/ Osoba –backed Prince Dapo Abiodun.
These developments and many other instances in Zamfara, Rivers and lately Bayelsa States and the battle for the second term ticket for Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki including scheming for the 2023 presidential ticket are the main reason anti- Oshiomhole forces want him out office, COMPLETE NEWS has learnt.
Credible sources in the APC confided in this medium that governors and other key presidential aspirants are doubtful Oshiomhole will give them fair chance to jostle for the ticket as Tinubu has clandestinely through proxies activated structures and campaign for his 2023 presidential ambition.
Though, Tinubu in a statement on Sunday accused those scheming ahead of 2023 of undermining the government of President Muhammadu Buhari and the party. However, sources informed that was a mere smokescreen to divert attention from his plans.
Groups like Tinubu 2023 Non Negotiable, led by a former PDP House of Representatives candidate in Lagos, Mutiu Okunola has been setting up campaign offices and building support bases across Nigeria in preparation for 2023.
COMPLETE NEWS also competently gathered that local government chairmen in Lagos under the aegis of Conference 57 had been conscripted into the project.
