The embattled National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, by now, must be nursing his wounds, after suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led cabals,
in last Saturday’s Governorship election, in Ondo State.
in last Saturday’s Governorship election, in Ondo State.
Top sources exclusively told Post-Nigeria, that the Ondo Poll was the hammer that broke the camel’s back, that saw the final humiliation of Tinubu, right in his geopolitical zone.
”Though, Tinubu has congratulated Akeredolu, an act orchestrated to save his face. His political fortune is dwindling, his political ego has been battere,d and bruised.” the source said.
There is no doubt that the outcome of the poll, was that of mixed bag for the contenders and their respective godfathers.
A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Rotimi Akeredolu of the APC, in cruising victory, humiliated Tinubu, who had earlier rejected his candidacy. by polling 244,842 votes, to defeat 27 other candidates.
It was a shocker, as President Buhari; the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun; and the APC National Chairman, John Oyegun, taught Tinubu, as well as the Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, some political lessons, despite their political standing.
Tinubu and his Allies, deployed their financial war chest, in support of the candidate of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, Olusola Oke, however, they could only poll a meager 126,889 votes.
Many Political Analysts, have averred that Tinubu is one of the biggest losers in the Ondo Governorship poll.
The APC National Leader, had rooted for Segun Abraham, to fly the party’s flag, but was stopped by some power brokers, allegedly backed by the Presidency, and National leadership of the party.
Even an outburst against Oyegun, could not turn the table, as Tinubu had to recoil when all efforts to push his man were rebuffed.
Him and his loyalists, not only showed indifference to the Akeredolu Governorship project, but shunned the party’s campaign rallies.
He was fingered for being behind the sudden rejuvenation of the AD, and the good showing the party and its candidate made during the campaigns.
Though, Tinubu never made any public statement on where he stood, his traducers insisted that he mobilized funds for Oke.
With AD’s loss, there is no doubt that the APC National Leader’s political rating had further dropped, and perhaps, the emergence of new power brokers in the South-West.
The Osun State Governor and Tinubu’s political son, Aregbesola was the arrowhead of aggrieved APC members, who worked for the AD candidate in the election.
Aregbesola, mobilized both men, and resources for Oke’s project.
This pitted him against some groups in his State, which felt that his involvement in the Ondo election, was a misadventure, given that his administration owes civil servants in the State backlog of salaries.
Buhari played a crucial role in Akeredolu’s victory. He stood solidly behind the candidate during the campaign period, especially when some party leaders turned against him.
The President was in Akure penultimate Saturday, to drum support for Akeredolu, and urged the electorate to vote for the APC candidate.
Akeredolu’s victory means expansion of frontiers for Buhari, as the race for the 2019 Presidency begins.
Swallowing his pride, Tinubu, had congratulated Akeredolu on his victory in the just concluded Ondo State Governorship election.
He also attributed the victory to Buhari’s profile, and called on all party members angered by the Governorship primaries, to bury the hatchet.
The statement, released after the announcement of Akeredolu as winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, quoted Tinubu as saying, “With regard to the Governorship election in Ondo State, I extend congratulations to Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), on the outcome of the election, and for his perseverance and persistence in seeking that office.”
The statement, released after the announcement of Akeredolu as winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, quoted Tinubu as saying, “With regard to the Governorship election in Ondo State, I extend congratulations to Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), on the outcome of the election, and for his perseverance and persistence in seeking that office.”
“Finally, I must express profound congratulations to President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Leader of the party, whose stature and dignity helped guide the APC to another victory that should advance the progressive aims of the party, and the people,” he said.
Tinubu, whose preferred candidate lost to Akeredolu in the primaries, added that, now is the time for the people of the State to work for the continued development, prosperity, and peace of the State, and the country at large.
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