With just one week to the 2023 general election, there are indications that traditional rulers in the South West geopolitical zone have waded into the crisis rocking the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) in a bid to mend fences between the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and some northern interest within the party who may not be favourably disposed to his presidential bid.
LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered reliably that the Yoruba monarchs on Wednesday sent a delegation of eight royal fathers led by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II, to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, asking him to intervene.
This is coming amid allegations that some persons in the presidential villa were working against Tinubu and wanted him to lose the February 25 presidential election.
Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, earlier this month alleged that the currency swap introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was meant to incite voters against the APC and was orchestrated by the forces who are bent on ensuring that the APC presidential candidate loses the election.
The visit by the Yoruba monarchs to the Sultan, it was learnt, was intended to douse the tension within the governing party and also to speak against some anti-democratic suggestions from some political bigwigs.
It was learnt that key loyalists of the APC flagbearer who initiated the moves made entreaties to the Ooni of Ife to intercede in the interest of the nation.
The Tinubu loyalists, according to a dependable source, feared that President Muhammadu Buhari has been discouraged from supporting his presidential bid.
Pioneer interim national chairman of the APC and former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, and a former speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, were part of the delegation to the seat of the Caliphate.
Other traditional rulers who joined the Ooni in the visit to the Sultan include the Olugbon of Ile-IgbonOba Francis Olusola Alao and Elegushi of Ikate, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi.
Contrary to some media reports suggesting that the Yoruba traditional rulers welcomed the APC presidential candidate in Ibadan on Friday, LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that the Ooni’s team to Sokoto was billed to give feedback to other traditional rulers at a special meeting held in Ibadan.
The meeting, however, coincided with the APC rally in Oyo State where Tinubu seized the opportunity to visit the royal fathers.
A source at the palace of the Sultan in Sokoto confirmed to this paper that there are attempts to secure the support of traditional rulers in the North for Tinubu’s presidential bid.
This, according to the source who did not want his name in print, was the rationale behind the visit by the traditional rulers from the South West to the Sultan of Sokoto’s palace last Wednesday.
When contacted, the palace PRO, Aminu Haliru, confirmed that some traditional rulers from the South West visited the Sultan of Sokoto last Wednesday.
Probed further about the purpose of their visit, Aminu Haliru said, “I am not privy to their discussion but one thing you can take from me is that the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, is not only apolitical but, remains father to all.
“You would recall that he played host to all presidential candidates who came to Sokoto in this palace, admonished them to go about their campaigns peacefully and ensure free and fair elections.”
Meanwhile, as the shuttle diplomacy is going on underground, the APC seems to be tottering towards implosion following mounting opposition against the position of the party’s leader, President Buhari, on the Naira policy which has led to shortage of the currency in circulation.
More governors on the platform of the governing party are rebelling against Buhari over his directive on Thursday that only the N200 old notes should recirculate in the economy in spite of a Supreme Court order that all old notes should remain legal tender.
Kaduna State governor, El-Rufai, quickly countered the presidential directive, insisting that all old notes remain legal tender in Kaduna, the law being on his side.
The governor, in his broadcast shortly after the president’s directive, alleged that there was a plot to truncate democracy the members of the president’s inner circle.
Similarly, Kano State governor, Abdallahi Ganduje, also broke ranks with the president on the issue, insisting on aligning with the Supreme Court order, instead of the presidential directive.
The governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, toed the same line, saying the old N1,000, N500 and N200 notes are legal tender in the state.
The Jigawa State government warned against rejecting the old Naira notes by individuals and organisations as it vows to enforce the Supreme Court order on using them as legal tender.
This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the state commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture, Hon Bala Ibrahim.
The statement explained that the Jigawa state government is concerned about the difficulties people are passing through in the state as a result of rejecting the N1,000, N500, and N200 notes by some individuals and organisations despite the Supreme Court order.
“Some state governments, including Jigawa State, have filed a suit against the Federal Government and Central Bank on the deadline for using old Notes. The court has given injunction restraining the defendants from implementing the deadline policy pending to the court determination of the subject matter.
“In accordance with Section 287 (1) of the constitution as amended, no one has the right or reason to reject the old notes after court order. Therefore, the Jigawa State Government will not be hesitant to enforce the Supreme Court order accordingly.”
The state government called on the general public to continue accepting the old notes as a legal tender until the Supreme Court disposed of the matter, and also to report anyone rejecting the old notes to nearest authority for appropriate action.
Also, Niger State governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, asked the people of the state to wait for the outcome of the case before the Supreme Court on the naira swap policy of the federal government.
The governor who spoke during his tour of Niger North to canvas for votes as a senatorial candidate of the zone called for patience as the state government joins others to seek the Supreme Court pronouncement on the matter.
Noting that Niger State is among the states that approached the Supreme Court due to the suffering of the people, Sani Bello said the highest court in the land will bring the entire situation to a proper perspective.
“The president has spoken and is allowing the old N200 notes to remain in circulation, while the Supreme Court has adjourned hearing on the matter filed by states to 22nd of this month. So as law abiding citizens, we will wait to see the outcome of the case before the Supreme Court,” he said.
The governors are however not alone in the protest against the president’s directive. Buhari’s own minister, Festus Keyamo who doubles as chief spokesman of the APC presidential campaign council also said yesterday that the president acted illegally by ignoring the Supreme Court injunction that all old notes remain legal tender until it gives its final verdict on the matter brought by state governors.
Keyamo, who is the minister of state for Labour and Employment, was speaking last night on Channels TV.
He defended the state governors who are challenging the president, saying the governors are defending their territory and have also sworn an oath to defend the constitution.
The president, the minister said, had good intentions but acted on bad advice, adding that if he had been the one advising the president, the Supreme Court ruling would be obeyed.
All authorities, Keyamo noted, must obey Supreme Court rulings and anything to the contrary is a descent to anarchy.
APC National Chairman To Meet With APC Govs Sunday
It also became glaring that all is not well with the governing APC last night as national chairman of the party, Sen Abdullahi Adamu, summoned governors elected on the platform of the party to a meeting with him.
The meeting with the APC governors, according to a statement issued by national publicity secretary of the party, Barr Felix Morka, will take place tomorrow, Sunday, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
The statement titled, “Notice of Meeting of All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors with the National Chairman of the party, noted: “The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), His Excellency, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, invites State Governors of the Party to an emergency meeting to be held on Sunday, February 19, 2023 by 2pm at the National Secretariat, Abuja.
Although details of the meeting was not given, LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that it may not be unconnected with the confrontational manner in which some APC governors have been opposing the president’s stance on the Naira policy of the apex bank.
“What would you have expected? You think we will still have a party if the governors continue to counter the president and his administration’s policy? Something has to be done if not we will go and embarrass ourselves as a party at the polls next week Saturday,” a party chieftain who did not want his name in print t9old our correspondent last night.”
I Never Told Governors To Disregard Buhari – Tinubu
Meanwhile, presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday refuted reports suggesting that he asked APC governors to ignore President Buhari’s broadcast and enforce the Supreme Court order on the recirculation of old Naira notes.
According to the said report by an online paper, Tinubu had in a circular shared on Friday by an APC presidential campaign spokesperson, Dele Alake, urged “friendly governors” to follow suit with Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and other governors’ actions disregarding Buhari’s order in compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling.
But in a statement by the director, Media and Publicity of the APC presidential campaign council, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu described the said news report by the online paper as fake, noting that he has no influence in the decision.
Buhari Meets Tinubu In Aso Rock Villa
Onanuga said, “Tinubu never issued such an order. Mr Dele Alake, the APC-PCC Adviser on Media and Communications never issued such advisory on behalf of Asiwaju Tinubu.
“The message quoted by Peoples Gazette was being randomly shared on WhatsApp. Mr Alake was not the author.
“Asiwaju Tinubu has been known, since the currency swap crisis started, to call for calm as the authorities try to find out a solution to the currency crisis. He has offered a six-point suggestion to lessen the anguish our people are facing in trying to get money from the banks.
“He has also held several meetings with President Buhari, his leader over the matter. It is thus inconceivable and unthinkable that he would instruct APC governors to disregard President Muhammadu Buhari’s order on the currency matter.”
Onauga noted that governors who had so far declared the line of action stated clearly that they were acting on the ruling of the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land.
“Journalists, unless acting on the dictates of political opponents or prosecuting some agenda, should endeavour to confirm authorship of their materials from the Media and Publicity Directorate of the campaign. They can also seek confirmation from the Tinubu Media Office or Mr. Alake .The Gazette should recant the story with immediate effect,” the APC campaign spokesman stated.
Naira Swap Not Engineered To Keep Buhari In Office – Presidency
Meanwhile, the presidency yesterday responded to a broadcast by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State in which he alleged that the entire Naira swap policy was ‘engineered’ to truncate the democratic process and ensure election does not hold.
Although the presidency did not mention El-Rufai by name, it made constant references to allegations he made in his Thursday broadcast to the people of Kaduna.
Refuting the governor’s claim, the presidency quoted Joseph Goebbels, the propaganda Chief of Adolf Hitler, saying, ‘‘Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth’’. This was in the 1930s, before the internet was birthed.
Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a statement, said, “Let us clearly, specifically and emphatically state that there is absolutely no truth to the claim that President Muhammadu Buhari is working towards an interim government or even worse, the truncation of democracy- democracy that he has helped to keep alive not only here at home, in West Africa but throughout the continent.”
According to Shehu, the talk of interim government and truncation of democracy is way off the mark.
He said those peddling it stand to gain nothing other than the creation of panic and the incitement of the public against the federal government.
The presidential spokesman stated: “It is another dangerous dimension by people who are afraid that they may lose their elections. Everybody is aware that there is a lot of pressure on everyone-all of us- the party, its elected officials, its candidates and law enforcement agencies following the way the currency swap has gone but the way to go is not to panic.
“There is indeed a problem and nobody will pretend that it doesn’t exist.
It is precisely because the President is concerned with this problem that he opened several avenues for consultation with leaders and groups across the country, culminating in his broadcast to the nation on Thursday morning.
“In line with the speech, his clear and unequivocal directive is that the problem of cash supply must be addressed without delay.
“We need to work together as leaders; as a people and as one nation. When panic hits, people go into overdrive. Shouting helps no one because no one can listen”.
Shehu further said the solution to the problem is not in sending Nigerians into confusion.
With the elections just a week ahead, the presidential spokesman assured that the polls will hold and Nigerians will vote for APC and any others, if they so wish, on the basis of their choice.
He continued: “Our people want progress, good governance, law and order and will not be swayed by the negative energy that is being expended against a well-meaning currency change.
“Finally, to state that: the President clearly has a favoured successor in Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is not in doubt. The fact that Tinubu has been opposed to the speed and timing of the Naira swap timetable does not mean he is against the idea of Nigeria becoming a cashless society. Of course, Tinubu does support a cashless society: for he is a man of the future.
“What should be made crystal clear to the doubters and the speculators and the untruth-tellers is that in no way was the naira swap “engineered” to keep the President in office beyond May 29. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“The President looks forward to handing over the reins of power to his elected successor. This will happen on May 29, 2023 as the Constitution requires it. The days of unelected Nigerian leaders, and those who outstay their welcome by unconstitutionally extending it, have gone”.
