By Adeola Agoro JP
As expected, the days and months leading to the political year have been very active with media activities.
Contenders for the presidential position have started taking centerstage and their media consultants, apologists, supporters and fans have begun to write beautiful essays about them and inciting ones against their opponents.
There are those who are just busy writing anything at all as a way of using the opportunity of the free flow of campaign money to better their own lives after the financial draughts of the last few years.
Punches are being thrown here and there along the way of many political figures. And as the ruling party, APC would naturally want to cling to power for real or selfish reasons, the in-house fight amongst contenders for the presidential position is being manifested by their media consultants.
Political watchers are really interested in the ongoing ‘rivalry’ between the godfather, Senator Ahmed Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his political son/mentee, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the current Vice President of Nigeria.
The more some people are expecting Osinbajo to bow down to pressure to allow his mentor have an easy way and face the other contenders, the more many people, especially the elites and professional bodies are looking up to Osinbajo as their favourite amongst the two.
So much jibes are going on here and there and the tension between the camps of the two men could be felt from far away.
One camp that people are however not paying much attention to is that of Pastor Tunde Bakare.
The Tunde Bakare camp is happy about the confusion going on in the other camps and they would swear to the high heavens that the person to be favoured by President Buhari would be his friend and confidant and former running mate, Pastor Tunde Bakare.
Whether the Tunde Bakare group are indeed confident about him clinching the APC presidential ticket on a platter of gold is based on serious conviction based on what must have been repeated to their leader many times before, or whether it is one of those wishes that cannot hold any water, it would be proper to tell the story of their other convictions in this piece.
Just before the 2019 presidential election, Bakare’s media team went to town with the famous picture of Buhari and Bakare in a bear hug. They began to caption it in a way to drive home their point – Buhari was going to run in that election with Bakare.
Before then, they had drummed it in the ears of everybody that cared to listen that Bakare would be the 16th president of Nigeria.
They were so sure of Buhari dropping Vice-President Osinbajo that they helped to magnify any big or little rumour of fight between the VP and the ‘Cabal’ and between the VP and Mr. President.
They said the VP’s sins were many. One of them was the way he took control of the country when he was the Acting President.
Indeed, within a few days of the sick leave of the President back then, Vice President Osinbajo went to work in a commando style. He flushed what he felt should be flushed, he swept what should be swept and he reformed so much of what should be reformed. Even the Naira gained over Dollars within a few days of him taking over and he was being hailed from different corners.
The powers that be at that time naturally became uncomfortable. They started spinning stories about the VP wanting to hijack the system. They even said he didn’t want the President to come back.
So much stories (lies, falsehood and maybe some truths) went out and an uneasiness decemded on the Presidency.
With the return of Mr. President, there were so many speculations. No was positive about Osinbajo’s position. Things were on shaky grounds.
The President never handed over to Osinbajo agains after that as Acting President.
In the midst of the whole brouhaha, the VP remained calm. He went out his duties dutifully and did not betray any sign of a man under fire.
Even when Mrs. Aisha Buhari came out to throw jabs about the Trader Money under the VP not reaching certian Northern States, the VP did not betray any emotion. His wife, Mrs. Dolapo continued to work with dedication with Mrs. Buhari. She remained her very humble and devoted self.
The camp of Tunde Bakare on the other hand celebratd every ‘fall’ that seemed to be coming for Osinbajo.
Like the vultures waiting for the last breath of the wounded animal, they waited patiently (and sometimes impatiently) for the last straw to break Osinbajo’s back.
2019 election came and went and their hope of having Bakare as the running mate died. They were not happy but hope seemed to have risen in them from another horizon. They began to say that Osinbajo was ‘used’ to win the election in order not to upset some blocks from the South West but that he was going to be dropped soon after the election and be replaced by Bakare. Thus began another media campaign. This time, with much force.
When all their expectations for Osinbajo to be dropped and digraced failed, they began to expect other positions – Chief of Staff etc. Still, nothing happened.
Mr. President was either reneging on his promise to Tunde Bakare or there was something not adding up. Thus began the punches from the pulpit against the President. It was fierce. It was a real battle.
As they fought Osinbajo on one side, they did not spare Tinubu from the other side. And they went after the President from other angles.
They did everything possible to make people see the dark sides of Tinubu. They didn’t hide their irritation for a man who could be a clog in their wheels to the journey to the Bakare 16th president prediction.
It doesn’t matter that their other predictions about Bakare have failed, they continue to hold on to some kind of faith that every other APC candidate would fall by the road side while Bakare would emerge as the favoured and annointed and trusted hand to hand over to.
So, as the paid writers, the real consultants and political opportunists continue to fight themselves all over the place, they should realise that they are being watched by the Bakare team who are amused at how much time they may be wasting.
Alhaja Adeola Agoro, JP, is a journalist and entrepreneur.
