On Wednesday 25 January 2023, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu issued a statement criticizing elder statesman, Tanko Yakasai for questioning President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu.
In an exclusive interview with Control TV on Monday 23 January, the elder statesman had said the following:
ALSO READ: I never accused Buhari of sabotaging my election, Tinubu blasts Atiku
- Buhari is not in support of Tinubu
There have been some concerns over the commitment of President Buhari to support the former governor of Lagos state as his successor. Many analysts have noted that the president may not be on the same page with his party’s flagbearer ahead of the 2023 elections.
In his interview, Yakasai noted “What I’ve realized is that I’m not sure if Buhari is happy with the candidature of Tinubu. That is the issue.
“This is a president elected on the platform of the APC. But, is he committed to Tinubu [APC presidential candidate]? I have my doubts.
“I have not seen the commitment from him [President Buhari] for Tinubu or the APC,” he noted.
He further questioned Buhari’s continued loyalty to the APC beyond 2023. He said the “personality of Tinubu doesn’t make him happy; I think.”
- Buhari has performed below expectations
As the interview commenced, the outspoken elder statesman wasted no time to take a swipe at President Buhari’s personality, especially his military background.
He said Buhari won the 2015 presidential election “because of his antecedents as a military president. People felt that he’s got the power” to change their situations for the better.
According to Yakasai, having spent about eight in office, the Buhari-led government had performed below expectations. According to him, “Now getting to eight years in office, I don’t know how many Nigerians will say that they are satisfied with the performance of General Buhari.”
- Politics is about the grassroots
The elder statesman noted that his experience in active politics spanning 62 years have shown him why politics is about connecting to the grassroots.
In responding the question about whether the strategy of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, of negotiation, rather than connecting to the grassroots, the statesman said, “I started as an organizing secretary of the NEPU [Northern Elements Progressives Union] branch in Kano and eventually, I became the National Publicity Secretary of the party.
“Only Atiku knows how much he has succeeded in that aspect. What I am saying is that after 60 years in practical politics in a country like Nigeria, I think I have the right to say that whatever your calculations may be, the outcome of an election will be based on two things: the willingness of the people (electorate) to accept your candidature and your ability to convince the majority of the people to support you,” he said.
He noted further that Atiku, in his own estimation, has not done enough to be sure of the outcome of the election.
- North will vote Tinubu because he’s a Muslim
Yakasai said the North will vote for the APC candidate on the basis of his religious belief.
The 97-year-old said Tinubu being a Muslim will make him get “half of Muslim [votes] in the North. We like him; we will vote for him. And, the majority of Muslims in the South who are from his own ethnic group will also like him. That will give him an edge”
He also said the PDP candidate Atiku cannot win the election because he is not from the South despite being, like Tinubu, a Muslim.
Recall that Tinubu picked Senator Kashim Shettima, a Muslim from Borno state, as his running mate for the 2023 election which has sparked wide condemnations from the Nigerian public.
ALSO READ: I never accused Buhari of sabotaging my election, Tinubu blasts Atiku
- 2023 remains a two-horse race
Yakasai who was the Liaison Officer to former President Shehu Shagari said the 2023 presidential election remains a straight contest between the PDP and APC candidates. According to him, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso were just “spoilers… in terms of their capacity. He said further “none of them have the capacity to win the presidency in the coming election. And I believe, they in themselves, in their heart of hearts, know that they are not contesting [for the presidency] for the purpose of winning the election.”
He noted further that Obi and Kwankwaso are contesting as “bargaining strategies” that in the event of a second round that is the time they will make use of their credits.