THE GAMBIT IN BUHARI AND TINUBUS POLITICAL ALLIANCE One thing is certain, the two major characters in APC are out to outwit each other in the long run. Tinubu is the opposite of all Buhari claims he represents politically. So one is at a loss why the sudden romance or affinity that led to their sizzling political union? I believe that for political expediency and desperation Buhari had to sacrifice the seeming goodwill he had. He reasoned that with Tinubus seeming control of the South West, an alliance between the two parties will be enough to help him to achieve his desperate quest to occupy Aso Rock. A smart move you may say. Who says that Buhari is not a smart politician. But wait a minute can you really outsmart or outfox the Lion or do I say the Fox of Bourdillon Road and the Jagaban Borgu. Who himself is a master of political intrigues. Tinubu being a suave politician also saw an opportunity to be exploited if can midwife a seemingly workable alliance to propel him to the national political turf having all these while relegated himself as a regional power broker. Tinubu had long recognised that his influence was fast waning in the SW. That he was merely hanging on. It was a case of his fast waning past reputation preceeding him. So something drastic need to be done to salvage his political capital. So any viable opportunity to relaunch and reposition himself will be latched onto. That opportunity came calling by way of a Buhari/ Tinubu unholy alliance in APC. Buhari if well packaged had the potential to deliver a substantial part of the core north and with Tinubus influence in the SW: they believe that the presidency will be theirs. TInubu believes that the control of Presidency will offer him the needed haven to hid is shoddy past. Again Tinubu knows well that if Buhari is elected president that that his anticedents had shown that he possesses weak leadership character and lacked effective control when he was a president and in public service as Chairman PTF. These weak links he reasoned could be maximally exploited. Buhari had been known to delegate and relinquish the running of government and organisations to subordinates. So a crafty and witty vice president will indeed by the shadow and real power base. Tinubus calculation is that the VP will be his or his anointed lackey. Buharis bid and quest for the presidency is not motivated by sincere love for Nigeria, rather he believes it offers him the necessary platform to implement and sustain his paranoiac idea of a Nigerian state where those who belong to the core - conservative bock will hold sway by upholding their long touted ownership of the country. The country he risked his life to preserve for his patrimony, during the civil war; which should squarely be under the exclusive control of those who in their selfishness see Nigeria as their estate which the British imperialist handed over to them exclusively to administer. Buhari also sees the presidency as offering the core northern establishment a unique and timely opportunity to curb the emerging trend that is threatening the long established religious and traditional institutions in control of the north. Which he subscribes to and upholds. A north where things should remain as they have been since the emergence of the Fodio Caliphate. What Buhari and Tinubu in their unholy alliance did not factored, are the implications of their hidden agenda to outwit the other and how they will play out in the long run. The core northern establishment which Buharis presidency will represent knows how to wield power to their maximum advantage. So the power base Tinubu is targeting to control will be tall dream. At best, if by any stroke of luck Buhari gets elected, Tinubus VP will be a spare tyre no matter their agreed power sharing arrangement. We know that political agreements in this country are not gentlemens words. They are to move you from point A to point B. Once you have scured point B you can back out. On the other hand if Tinubu feels he will not be getting his fair share from the alliance, I know he is ever ready and prepared to pull the rug off the feet of Buhari, to ensure that he does not get there. In a sense they have unknowingly dug their political graves. I believe that their final interment will done come 2015 because Tinubu himself is not even sure of his once touted impregnable base - Lagos. Again, I foresee a last minute collapse or restructuring of the alliance that would jeopardise Buharis chances if he win the nomination. While Tinubu will negotiate himself out to at least still retain his last stronghold in other to still remain politically relevant, Buhari will again cry blue murder. Let us hope that his utterances will not instigate another round of unnecessary shedding of the blood of those he considers baboons and monkeys. Time will tell . I de sidon look.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 13:00:41 +0000
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