It appears all is not well within the governing All Progressives Congress, APC’s hierarchy, in less than a month to the 2023 general election.
This is coming as the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, AYCF President, Yerima Shettima, raised concerns over the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to come open to support the Presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the continued absence of Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, in the campaign train of Tinubu.
According to Shettima, the continued absence of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at Tinubu’s rallies and Buhari’s refusal to openly support him is a pointer to the acrimonious situation among high-ranking members of the governing party.
Shettima believed Tinubu does not deserve the kind of treatment he gets from Osinbajo and President Buhari, suggesting there could be a crack within the APC ranks.
“It’s very unfortunate that in recent times things have not been going well, however, Tinubu does not deserve what he’s getting from Osinbajo and Buhari; no matter how bad it is, he has paid his dues and has stood by them. He deserves better than the support they are giving to him”, Shettima said.
“If they are truly with him, they should demonstrate it, and if they are not, then they should openly come out and say so. When Obasanjo was in power, in 2006, we could see his body language on how he worked day and night to stand by Yar’ Adua.
“He had gone out of his way to campaign for the presidential candidate. Even in the absence of the presidential candidate, Obasanjo was moving around campaigning because he was willing to ensure that his successor come into power.
“This one that the president and the vice president are sitting on the fence, even the governors are not sincere.
“Some of these APC governors are not sincere, that is why it would be difficult for the APC presidential candidate, Tinubu, to rely on these governors, they may disappoint him because theirs is to negotiate even with the opposition.”
Shettima further suggested that Tinubu should liaise and discuss with Nigerians, CSOs, and organizations and not rely on governors.
His words: “Tinubu has less than five governors with him, the others are just supportive. The earlier he moves and changes strategy, the better for him, Kashim Shettima, and APC.
“Shettima should move and do better than he’s doing in the Northern part of this country, people are not feeling his impact. The 2023 elections [campaigns] have gone beyond propaganda.”
He insisted that there is a crack in APC because Osinbajo has never campaigned, he has never gone anywhere.
He equally alleged that the body language of Amaechi and Osinbajo, for instance, also shows that there’s a crack in APC.
“I’m calling on Tinubu to rise up to the occasion and not to over-rely on those governors but to get down to the people within this short period and see what will happen. If he’s relying on governors he will be shocked at what will happen. He should change strategy and method by ensuring all his followers are on their feet; and for Osinbajo, he has shown that he’s not with Tinubu,” he said.