"My Jet is not an Ambulance" Tinubu tells Buhari

A fresh fight erupted last week within the leadership suite of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in what might smashup the party’s campaign structure before an upcoming general election later this month. Besides an ongoing issue over the allegation that that a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is plotting to become the President of Nigeria through a secret deal, another worrisome controversy has been reported.

General Muhammadu Buhari, APC presidential ticket holder had reportedly called an off-the-record emergency meeting in his Kaduna office, over a comment purported to have been made Tinubu during his recent heath crisis. It was reported that Tinubu declined a request to use his private jet to transport the sick general to United Kingdom during his recent ailment, saying “my jet is not an ambulance.” Buhari’s camp who could not clarify Tinubu’s assistance at the time quickly booked the sick party leader into a British-bound passenger’s flight.

Buhari who was so angry about his travel's poor arrangement, especially after his photo surfaced in the social media as he aimlessly walked around the Airport’s screening area, had quickly ordered an internal investigation of activities in his party. To make it worse, Tinubu’s comment was revealed to Buhari while he was in London, aggravating more tension to General’s recovery period. Family members and close campaign confidants pleaded with the General to control his temper as the scandal could hurt his campaign.

To soften the tension generated by his own feud with Buhari and to assure the General his own innocence, Dr. Osinbajo had threatened to drag the Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples’ Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization, Femi Fani-Kayode to court over allegations of a backdoor deal with Tinubu. Dr. Osinbajo was accused of taking an oath with Tinubu to vacate the vice-presidential office for him after six months if APC wins the forthcoming presidential elections. Buhari it was gathered ignored Osinbajo’s legal threats against Fani-Kayode as a media propaganda, telling close campaign associates that “I will deal with that when the time comes.”

Complexities behind a destructive cold war within the APC’s leadership is not new. Last month, international guardian reported how the feud had divided the campaign train into two combative segments.

APC versus APC - Timeline

■ Last month, International Guardian reported how speculation that Buhari’s may not make it through a four-year term if he won because of a visibly deteriorating health made it to the media and fuelled a suspicious relationship between General Buhari’s camp and Dr. Osibanjo. (Read Story).

■ Days later, revelation made by Buhari’s former running mate in the 2011 election, Dr. Tunde Bakare confirm a reported “resignation” scam proposed to him under a merger of the Congress for the Progressive Change (CPC) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the 2011 presidential race. (Read Story).

■ Besides popular votes, there are other ways power could be made available in term-limited executive styled democracy and “succession” is one of them. However, when staging this process ahead of time is despicable and translates to false-hearted political threesome. Fani-Kayode just unveiled a deal that dovetails the Guardian storypieces. He claimed the APC’s VP, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, was picked by Tinubu and “forced to take an oath” to resign his appointment six months into the new cabinet, should the APC win the elections. (Read Story)
Source: Guardian News