Opposition figures within the ruling All Progressives Congress and those of the Peoples Democratic Party, who are bitterly opposed to the president ambition of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have been fingered as those behind the upsurge of campaign of calumny against the APC National Leader.
There had been a barrage of attacks against the person of Asiwaju Tinubu in sponsored articles, news reports, publication of deliberate falsehoods via dissemination of fake news through shadowy blogs and online platforms since Tinubu publicly announced his intention to contest for the Presidency.
Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State and former Senator, announced his intention to seek the highest political office in Nigeria when he addressed State House Press Corp after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on January 10, 2022.
Before he made his presidential ambition public, there had been speculations that the APC National Leader will contest to be President but all hell has been let loose on him since he made the public pronouncement to seek the top office.
To demarket him and force him out of possible contest, impeccable sources within PDP and APC and within the civil society movements, confirmed that Tinubu will face an uphill task within his party as those opposed to him will do everything to see his end politically.
Among those opposed to Tinubu’s ambition are a few governors from the North who are either nursing presidential aspirations as well or positioning to be running mate to any Southern candidate opposed to Tinubu.
“These people see Tinubu as the only threat to their ambitions and they will use every means to neutralize him. They have budgeted huge funds devoted to campaign of disinformation and misinformation to damage Tinubu,” said a top politician from the North who is close to some key actors behind the scheme.
Another source close to a Northern governor who is promoting a South West Governor said to be nurturing a presidential ambition also revealed that part of the grand strategy to get Tinubu out of the race is to take the battle to his political family and cause an implosion within.
The reliable source said that a top aspirant at the Villa, an outgoing governor from the South-West, a minister and a top presidential adviser who were at various times prominent members of the Tinubu political dynasty are being used as the arrowheads of the plot to damage Jagaban politically.
“The strategy is clear: use his own people to fight him and set his house on fire.
“All the fake news about his health, parentage and educational qualifications being circulated are orchestrated.
“They become more believable when those pushing them out now are his supposedly close allies,” said the source.
Presidential hopefuls within the opposition PDP are also said to be working in cahoots with political opponents within APC to undermine Tinubu.
Another source within PDP said: “He is seen as a common enemy that must be finished off politically once and for all.
Potential aspirants in PDP see Tinubu as a major threat in the coming general elections and the earlier he is taken out of the equation the better.
“PDP leaders will never forgive Tinubu for removing their party from power at the centre in 2015. They still see Tinubu as the main reason for their unsuccessful bid to take back the Presidency in 2019 despite fielding former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, a veteran of many presidential elections as candidate in 2019.
“They can’t wait to have their pound of flesh. There is no one among those aspiring to be President in PDP who is not afraid of Tinubu. They will rather not have him as an opponent in a general election.
“They want to take care of him before it is too late. It is not surprising PDP elements are working with some APC opponents to stop Tinubu at all cost. It is sad that nobody is taking on Tinubu on his suitability and capacity to lead Nigeria among those opposed to him in both PDP and APC. They know they can’t floor him on the score of competence and ability.
“Tinubu will always point to Lagos and his success is glaring. The only game they can play to fight him is to play dirty.”
Culled from Gatekeeper.ng