PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, PDPPCO yesterday alleged that it has uncovered plots by the National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to become the president of the country through the back door.
According to PDP, Asiwaju has concluded plans to become the Vice President to the Presidential candidate of APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, rtd if he wins the March 28 Presidential election after the resignation of the present Vice Presidential candidate to Buhari, Professor Yemi Osinbajo who would have thrown in the towel after six months, following an alleged swearing to an oath that after six months in office, he would step down for Tinubu, his political godfather to then step in as the Vice President, just as as the number two, he would then have the opportunity of becoming the president of the country.
Addressing Journalists in Abuja yesterday, Director, Media and Publicity of PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani- Kayode who noted that the PDP was not wishing Buhari dead, however urged him to watch his back against the backdrop of alleged plans by the former Lagos State governor to seize the Presidency of Nigeria by what he described as subterfuge.
But other observers read PDP’s allegation as strongly entertaining fears that APC was coasting to victory.
Fani – Kayode who tagged his address as “APC is selling a dummy to the whole world; Tinubu is the real candidate” said, “Since the formation of the APC it has been an open secret that Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu is its national leader and also its biggest financier. The question that should agitate every Nigerian is why Tinubu has been investing heavily in the APC presidential project to such a point that he has single-handed produced the joint presidential ticket of General Muhammadu Buhari and Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
“It should baffle well-meaning Nigerians why Senator Tinubu has decided to draft General Buhari, despite his age, acrimonious background and questionable health status, into the presidential race whilst ensuring that his stooge, Prof Osinbajo was foisted on the general as vice presidential candidate.
“The reason, gentlemen of the press, is the subject of this press conference. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation wishes to use this forum to expose the ungodly plan by Senator Tinubu to seize the presidency of Nigeria by subterfuge.
“You will recall how Senator Tinubu wanted to be running mate to General Muhammadu Buhari in spite of the nationwide resentment for Muslim-Muslim ticket that he and General Buhari planned to foist on their party men and women. Senator Tinubu had justified the ticket by saying that competence was the important thing and not the issue of religion.
“But when he and General Buhari could not push through the agenda within the APC, he (Senator Tinubu), after being given the opportunity to nominate a vice presidential candidate, decided to prop up his stooge in the person of Prof Yemi Osinbajo.
“Now the real reason Senator Tinubu nominated Osinbajo has been made known to us and we hereby offer a public service to the Nigerian people by drawing national attention to it. Credible pieces of information at our disposal indicate that Tinubu has perfected plans to come to power through the back door.
“Senator Tinubu, according to our information, has compelled Professor Osinbajo to swear to an oath that after six months in office, he would resign as the vice president, in the unlikely event that their party wins. The wicked plot, as laid out by them, is to force Professor Osinbajo to resign for Senator Tinubu to be nominated by General Buhari as his replacement.
“The ultimate objective of this plot is to ensure that Tinubu becomes President. The script is simple: given the questionable health of General Buhari, Senator Tinubu who is desperate to be president for his own selisfh reasons will simply bid his time in the evil expectation that General Buhari will not be able to go the whole hog.
APC reacts
Reacting from London, Lai Mohammed, the APC spokesman said that “daily, the PDP is showing the dept of their drowning and fabricating all sorts of lies to see how they can hang on to power. But they have lost it and all these are signs of desperation. Let them prove what they are alleging. And it has gotten to the stage that the media should ask them questions when they tell tales. Did anybody ask them to provide proof of such nonsense? Nigerians knew how tough it took the APC to find Buhari’s vice and it was done through a thorough search and consideration that produced a great candidate. They are drowning and that’s the way I see it. And I know that Nigerians cannot be deceived by this fabrication.”