The commissioning of some projects by President Muhammadu Buhari in Lagos on April 24, 2019, on the invitation of the State Governor Akinwumi Ambode, is significant to the outgoing governor. Unfortunately, the man who was believed to have brought Ambode to power in 2015, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, was absent at the venue of the event.
Tinubu, who is the National Leader of All Progressive Congress (APC), is also seen as the most powerful member in the South-West region. As such his absence at any APC event, most especially in the region, is always noticeable.
While Tinubu’s media aide Tunde Rahman said the APC national leader wasn’t in the country at the time of the event, his absence may be deliberate, after all, due to some circumstances before and during the just concluded 2019 general elections.
“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is out of the country at the moment. He has been away for like a week now. President Buhari is aware of Asiwaju’s trip abroad,” he told TheCable.
“He was working on the initial schedule under which President Muhammadu Buhari was to be in Lagos April 29th and 30th. With that in mind, he had planned his itinerary abroad. So he did not deliberately stay away from the event. He has no reason whatsoever to stay away,” Mr Rahman was quoted as saying by TheCable.
Tinubu’s absence at the event may be tied to more than one reasons, see them below:
1) Buhari’s absence during the 11th Bola Tinubu Colloquium held in Abuja
Since the inauguration of the Bola Tinubu Colloquium, Lagos had always been the host city, but the organisers of the event took the 11th edition of the colloquium to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria’s seat of power.
Buhari’s factor might have been considered, despite the venue of the event was a few minutes drive from the Presidential Villa, President Buhari opted for another programme Micro
Pension Plan.
A payback?
Some political observers described Buhari’s absence at the colloquium as the right time to pay back since the Jagaban, as Tinubu is fondly called, was also physically absent during APC Presidential campaign rally in Abuja on February 13, 2019.
The National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, was also absent.
2) Buhari’s alleged love for Ambode
It’s speculated that President Buhari wanted Ambode to secure the second term ticket of the party in Lagos, unfortunately, Tinubu, who is regarded as the Emperor of Lagos politics kicked against it.
Rather, Tinubu presented and “sponsored” Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who later won the election as the candidate of the party.
The rift between Tinubu and Ambode grew to the point that it was alleged that members of the state House of Assembly were sponsored to impeach the governor.
It took the intervention of the National leadership of the party and some party heavyweights before the warring parties were reconciled and they buried their swords.
Since then, Ambode has been romancing politically with Aso Rock. Ambode was seen virtually everywhere with the president during APC presidential campaigns. Ambode was in Kano during the president’s campaign.
It was also rumoured that Tinubu stayed away from the commissioning of the projects because it was obviously clear that Buhari loves Ambode, who Tinubu has technically blocked from securing a second term ticket.
3) Ibikunle Amosun presence
During Buhari’s visit, all the South-West governors were present except Gboyega Oyetola, who couldn’t make it due to a court case.
However, what transpired during the APC presidential campaign in Ogun State on February 12, 2019, is still fresh in the memory of Nigerians.
In a short video which circulated on social media, Bola Tinubu was caught “lambasting” the Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, while the governor was also seen trying to “pacify” the APC national leader.
Final thought:
The absence of Tinubu at the event didn’t stop Buhari from commissioning some of the projects executed by the outgoing governor. Some of the projects include 10-lane Oshodi–Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road, 170-Bed ‘Ayinke House’ (Maternity Hospital)) at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Ikeja; Oshodi Transport Interchange and 820 mass transit buses.
Recalled that the last time Buhari inaugurated projects in Lagos state was on March 28, 2018, when Tinubu marked his 66th birthday.
The media aide to the powerful South-West politician said all is well between Buhari and Tinubu, but politically, something is fishy somewhere.
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