2023 Presidency: Buhari Will Support Tinubu Against Osinbajo, Fayemi – Ibrahim

A close confidant of President Muhammadu Buhari and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abu Ibrahim has declared that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will get Buhari’s support for his 2023 presidential ambition.

Ibrahim said the northern region and particularly, northwest politicians will be at loss in the future if Buhari refuses to support Tinubu’s 2023 presidential ambition.

According to him, Asiwaju Tinubu mobilized southwest votes for Buhari in 2015 and it’s simply payback time. He added that should Buhari fail to support Tinubu, the north will be seen as traitors and won’t enjoy the trust and partnership such as brought Buhari into power.

“If we don’t support Tinubu, North-West politicians will suffer in the future as nobody will trust us again. So we have to make sure that this understanding is for our future politics,” he said on Sunday in an interview with Daily Trust.

On the possibility of any other southern aspirant making it impossible for Tinubu to achieve his dreams, Ibrahim said no politician can stand against Tinubu.

He specifically pointed out that Tinubu is a benefactor to both Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, hence both of them won’t want to rock the boat by contesting against the APC National Leader in 2023.

Speaking on the reported presidential ambitions of Osinbajo and Fayemi, the former lawmaker insisted that both of them won’t contest against Tinubu.

He went ahead to recall how Tinubu brought Fayemi from Ghana and established him as a politician in Nigeria, stating that without Tinubu’s help, Fayemi would lose elections.

He said: “It is normal, but the issue is: Can they stand Tinubu in the South-West? They can see what is coming up. I don’t want to start discussing this issue; it is a different topic.

“Fayemi, for example, knows very well that he is Tinubu’s boy. He was living in Ghana when Tinubu brought him. I once slept in his house in Accra.

“Tinubu brought Fayemi back to Nigeria. Above other leading contenders, he picked him to be the governor of Ekiti State. When we met at Bourdillon (Tinubu’s residence), he told me to thank my friend for him. He said Asiwaju even mobilised fund for him after nominating him to be governor.

“He won the election, but in the second tenure, he failed to even win his ward, and he was made a minister. When he wanted to go for this present tenure, I went to the president and I said Fayemi may not be able to win without Tinubu, so he called Asiwaju and gave him the responsibility to deliver Ekiti for him.”

And on Osinbajo, he said the Vice President respects Tinubu too much to contest against him.

“The vice president was his commissioner for justice. He never lobbied for the office; he just picked and gave him that position. I have discussed with the vice president many times. I went to his house and office and we discussed the party and everything, including his relationship with Asiwaju. I know how he felt or how he feels about their relationship. He respects Tinubu so much that I feel he may not be able to contest against him,” he said.