By Bolanle Dejonwo and Ologeh Joseph Chibu
A strong movement led by the Northern elite, mainly of the Fulani stock, has launched a storming movement aimed at stopping President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from winning the 2027 Presidential election.
The group is led by former and current state Governors, retired top military and police officers and notable businessmen. Allies are being sought across the country to actualise the plot.
Irohinoodua was informed that two important meetings have been held in the past two months in Kaduna and Kebbi with the sole aim to torpedo Tinubu’s government in 2027 Presidential election. In all, the driving force of the movement is the control of Nigerian political economy for selfish interests without any consideration for the interests of the people, not even he interests of the Northern talakawa.
Only this week, prominent political figures in the core-North established League of Northern Democrats. The 226 member is led by former Kano State Governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau elected as interim Chairman, Umar Ado as convener and Emmanuel Jime as interim secretary. Former State Governors, retired top police and military officers, former and serving lawmakers are part of the new initiative with the sole aim of taking over power from President Tinubu. Other in the group are Alhaji Tankop Yakkassai, Senator Ibrahim Ida, the Waziri Katsina, Mohammed Kumaila, Falalu Bello and the Sarkin Fadan of Sokoto, Alhaji Kabir Tafida.
Multiple sources said the Fulani elite who lead the pack are not comfortable with the positions they occupy currently at the National level, their gradual loss of grip on power, the attempts to probe some of their elite for established cases of corruption, blocking of ‘ways and means’ combined with the growing fear that if Tinubu continues to rule the country for the next, he would automatically be in the best position to pick his successor which the Fulani elite detest.
In the rainbow coalition of interests, the Fulani political leaders major goal, sources told Irohinoodua, is to return to power or at least have someone they can control though the picture being presented to the coalition across the country against Tinubu is that his government has ruined the economy, impoverished Nigerians and further push the country into the brink of violence and collapse.
On the face value, this appears true, but untrue when viewed deeper, in substance from historical context. The albatross of Nigeria since independence has been a small irresponsible core Northern elite, backed by imperialist forces outside the country who hold firmly to the illusion that Nigeria is the personal estate of their ethnic group and that the country itself is a commodity at their instance to exploit, appropriate and misappropriate and that political power is their personal property. This tiny cabal seeks constant alliances from across the country, imposing this savage ideology through their cronies to the extent that any-one who does not listen to them, or dance to their primordial instinct must be removed from power ‘by all means necessary.’ This corrupt and inept group is vehemently opposed to development of any measure in Nigeria but wish to keep Nigeria stunted, ill-informed and ill-educated, three elements they need to sustain their savage stronghold on power.
Inflation is now over 33 percent, interest rate has gone up while prices of food and essentials of life have gone out of the roof.
However, it is fair to be mindful of the fact that President Tinubu had to contend with the ruin and total mess he met, which some observers categorise as the landmines deliberately put in place by the former President Mohammadu Buhari and his cabal, designed to blackmail his imminent successor. For instance, Buhari removed the oil subsidy few days before he handed over while the insecurity in the country saw a huge leap under his watch, something that could not be resolved in months.
This is not to dismiss the lack of tack on the part of the current leadership especially in its choice of self-seeking advisers, Ministers appointed based on favouritism instead of competence, retaining well known corrupt and indolent officials inherited from the last administration, poor public communication strategy and the complete isolation of the regime from the ancestral home of the President, something he needed as a negotiating chip in dealing with never-to-end regional threats.
The regime has also made tokenism a national policy, doling out trillions of naira to buy off food from the market to be distributed as palliatives. Apart from the inflation occasioned by the mass purchase of palliatives, a far-thinking regime would have invested heavily in Agriculture in the last raining season with abundance harvest in 2024 Yet, most palliatives have ended up either being resold of hoarded by politically exposed persons. At present the economic situation for every Nigerian is terrific compounded by fuel scarcity and inconsistent rationalisation of the deplorable plight of Nigerians by government officials.
‘The Northern cabal is exploiting the crisis it had created to justify the removal of Tinubu in the next election’ a very competent source told Irohinoodua. He said the cabal is not moved by the gestures Tinubu had offered which he said included the Local Government Autonomy and the creation of the Ministry of Livestock. ‘The main problem is that they want a President they can control and manipulate,’ the source stated.
Irohinoodua was informed that the Cabal is working on three options: Support Jonathan for a four year-single term, produce a Northern candidate with a Vice Presidential candidate from the Igbo-South East or to produce a Northern Presidential candidate with a Vice Presidential candidate from the South-West, to further divide Tinubu’s ancestral base.
Support for former President Goodluck Jonathan is for various reasons the chief being that he would be their crony and would not be able to produce his successor without the cabal insisting on who they would prefer. The Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed already voiced his preference for Jonathan. He said he would drop his Presidential election if Jonathan accepts to run.
Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ibrahim Abdullahi in a media interview this week said ‘We are absolutely in support of the position of the Bauchi State Governor. Don’t forget, he was a prominent member of Jonathan’s administration where he was a Minister.’
Bala Mohammed was also the former Chairman of the PDP Governor’s forum. Abdullahi said the Bauchi Governor has a good understanding of where the country is coming from, where it is and where it is expected to be. He said ‘If you are talking about a Southern Presidency in 2027, we should be looking at one who had enjoyed one term and will probably give Nigerians hope and prosperity as opposed to the one we have now.’
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Meanwhile, another source told Iorhinoodua that “The Jonathan option is the most viable. He cannot spend more that one term; those who pick him would determine his Vice Presidential candidate who would be expected to succeed him after four years.”
Irohinoodua was also informed that the support for Jonathan is also motivated by the believe that he commands respect in the South East and in the South South where he comes from.
“He also has good support in the Middle Belt. If the North supports him, he will certainly win. Unfortunately for President Tinubu, his support in his home base is very weak in the last 2023 election and up till now he has done nothing to improve his rating in the South West among his people. The radical voices in the South West are also not in his support. He is politically naked and can easily be humiliated in the next election,” he said.
He observed that currently, the PDP controls two states in the South West “which strengthens the prospect of picking Jonathan as the 2027 Presidential candidate.”The support for a Northern Presidential candidate also has Labour Party icon, Peter Obi on the card. Irohinoodua was informed that Peter Obi has been consulted and offered the Vice Presidential slot with a candidate from the North that would seek one term, paving the way for possible Obi emergence as the President in future Presidential election.