Earlier today, a report by the Daily Trust revealed that Nigeria’s former Military Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, popularly known as IBB, has endorsed the country’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, for the 2023 Presidency....CONTINUE READING
It should be recalled that for a while now, many notable politicians in the country have continued to warm up for the 2023 presidential election, which is coming up in less than 16 months from now. Professor Yemi Osinbajo’s endorsement by the former Head of State, has continued to generate mixed reactions from the public.
There is no doubt that IBB has his reasons to identify the Vice President, as the kind of person that the country needs. However, I am of the view that he should have considered endorsing the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu. The reason for this is that in politics, a party’s interest comes first before that of any individual.
It is no longer a secret, that Bola Tinubu, a former Governor of Lagos state, is one of the strongest pillars of the APC. For a while now, there have been rumours that he has his eyes fixed on the party’s 2023 presidential ticket. Recall that not long ago, the APC Leader was reported to have alleged that he will not disappoint those calling on him to become the country’s next President.
With this in mind, one may not be wrong to say that Bola Tinubu’s rumoured 2023 presidential ambition could become a reality sooner than expected. As a result of this, endorsing the Vice President, who was heavily backed by Tinubu in 2015 and 2019, could divide their supporters. Arguably, endorsing Osinbajo ahead of Tinubu, could lead to a clash of interest among APC faithful.
This may be unhealthy for the party, going into the 2023 presidential election. It can be argued that the country’s Vice President, is a gentle man, and may easily give in to the idea of having the party’s National Leader as its flag-bearer in 2023. However, with endorsements coming from notable Nigerians, this could see him become more interested in securing the party’s ticket.
In my view, APC could lose the support of its National Leader, if they fail to consider his rumoured 2023 presidential ambition. At the same time, multiplicity of interests, could have severe consequences for the party. This is because, there are chances that aggrieved members may dump the party. With this in mind, one may not be totally wrong to say that IBB should have considered endorsing Bola Tinubu for the 2023 Presidency.