POWER STRUGGLE!!! SARAKI, TAMBUWAL, KWANKWASO’S DEFECTION MOVE …And Refusal To Endorse Buhari’s Second Term Bid Tears APC Apart

The camp of President Muhammadu Buhari, has been torn apart over the defection move of some key party Leaders.

They are: Senate President, Bukola Saraki; House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; ex-Governor Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso; ex-Governor Aliyu Wammako; ex-Governor Danjuma Goje; ex-Governor Ahmed Sani Yerima, among others.

Authoritative party sources disclosed that the Leaders are yet to endorse Buhari for a second term, because they are weighing their own options on the way forward.

A few of them have a strong political relationship with ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, who wrote a toxic letter to the President, last week.

Obasanjo had called for the formation of what he called the ‘Third Force’, to wrestle power from the APC in 2019.

Prominent politicians across party divide are said to be already lining up to join the ‘Third Force’.

The presidency is worried by what sources termed the “silence and cold attitude” of these Leaders to Buhari’s second term bid.

Although, some of the Leaders believe it is too early now to start politicking, some APC Leaders and Buhari’s strategists are suspicious of such position.

The closeness of some of them to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, has compounded the fears of those in Buhari’s camp.

It was learnt that a few of them, including some APC Senators and Members of the House of Representatives, have practically abandoned the party.

According to findings, the development accounted for the series of dinners being organised by the President to interact with these Leaders, to gauge their mood and indirectly seek their support.

The President has already dined with Senators and Members of the House of Representatives.

The last dinner he had was with a group comprising of ex-Senate President, Ken Nnamani, ex-Governor Orji UzorKalu, ex-National Chairman of the PDP, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, and others.

A top source in Buhari’s camp said: “Most of these top Leaders have not been forthcoming on the second term aspiration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Some of these Leaders are too silent to trust. Look, the loyalists of Buhari are also not taking things for granted at all.

“Virtually everyday, consultations and negotiation are going on with Leaders of the political groups across the six geopolitical zones.

“While some are weighing options, we are also suspecting that some of them are behind the Coalition for Nigeria (CN) campaign by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, because they do not want to come out; they do not want a direct confrontation with Buhari.

“We are however, giving some of them the benefit of the doubt, because the political climate might be unpredictable in their States, and they may have no option than to remain in the APC with Buhari.”

However, a source who had attended some dinners with Buhari, said: “I think the President is also watching his steps, because he has not come out categorically that he is interested in a second term.

“For instance, at the last dinner with ex-Governor Kalu and others, he only ate with us. In spite of the fact that ex-Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso was at the session, Buhari did not tell us he would seek a second term ticket.

“He gave us so much to eat and did the talking alone. The President’s handlers did not allow him to have any feedback from us.

“Such a dinner would have been a golden opportunity to speak our minds and forge a new rapprochement.”

A source in Tambuwal’s camp, who spoke in confidence, said: “You should know better that the Governor does not pretend.

“When he was the Speaker of the House of Representatives, it was obvious to all Nigerians that his heart was with the APC. I can tell you that by now if he has an alternative plan, you would have known.