Paden Is Right, Tinubu Desperately Wanted To Be Vice President To Buhari

There is a controversy ragging over some of the accounts in the authorized biography of President Muhammadu Buhari, entitled: “Muhammadu Buhari: The Challenges Of Leadership in Nigeria”, written by American historian, John N. Paden.

Paden wrote that the former governor of Lagos State and ‘national leader’ of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu put a lot of pressure on Buhari to make him his running mate despite the fact that Tinubu is a Muslim like Buhari, in a religion sensitive country like Nigeria.

The American historian wrote, “The APC nominating convention was held in Lagos later in December, in a stadium that could hold the eight thousand local-level delegates. Buhari was overwhelmingly nominated—by nearly 90 percent of the delegates—in large part because delegates saw him as their best hope for change. Kwankwaso was a distant second, followed by Abubakar. The next decision for the convention was who to select as the party’s vice presidential nominee. With Buhari coming from the North West zone, the vice presidency had been ceded to the South West.

“Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State and the political ‘godfather’ of the South West zone, felt he should be the vice presidential candidate. His protege and the popular governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, was also a possible candidate. Both Tinubu and Fashola were Muslims, which complicated the national balance. A third candidate, Yemi Osinbajo, had been attorney general of Lagos State and was a senior professor and a Christian pastor. When these three names were forwarded to Buhari, he chose Osinbajo, despite enormous pressure from Tinubu…”

The American is absolutely right Tinubu wanted to be vice president and indeed put a lot of pressure on Buhari to choose him as his running mate. It took several public opposition by members of the APC to dissuade him to drop the idea. It was after then that he decided to support Professor Yemi Osinbajo, instead of Fashola whom their relationship was already strained towards the tail end of Governor Fashola’s term as Lagos State governor. I am even surprised that former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode is among those disputing the account of what transpired in the book, because if I can recollect correctly Fani-Kayode as an APC member then issued statements opposing the Muslim-Muslim ticket. If Tinubu was not interested in the ticket who was the person that wanted to be vice president and is also Muslim like Buhari that generated the tension back then? Certainly not Osinbajo.

Not long ago Fani-Kayode claimed that the reason Tinubu wanted Senate President Bukola Saraki impeached was because he (Saraki) frustrated Muslim-Muslim ticket in the APC which Tinubu would have been the beneficiary. Read: http://saharareportersrescue.com/2016/04/23/fani-kayode-tinubu-never-forgave-saraki-for-frustrating-muslim-muslim-ticket/

Similarly Saraki at the height of the plot to remove him as Senate President admitted that he was being hounded because he committed ‘original’ sin of opposing the emergence of Tinubu as vice president.

Read also: 2015: “Fani-Kayode warns APC against Muslim-Muslim ticket”, http://independentnig.com/2015-fani-kayode-warns-apc-against-muslim-muslim-ticket/

Again read: Muslim-Muslim ticket? http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/daily/index.php/columns/friday-columns/21403-muslim-muslim-ticket

After reading the aforementioned sources that showed clearly that Tinubu wanted desperately to be vice president, it would be very unfair to say that Paden’s account of what happened is not true.

In any case being an official biography of Muhammadu Buhari, who as revealed in the book was interviewed severally for the book by the author, it is obvious that most of the contents were told to Paden by the president himself. Are the APC supporters of Tinubu and their new found friends in the PDP like Femi Fani-Kayode and Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose saying that the president lied? A president reputed for his integrity for which they railroaded him to Aso Rock Villa?

In any case Tinubu is also one of the Nigerian leaders adept at letter writing. He is in the same company with Olusegun Obasanjo, who loves writing public letters. Recently Tinubu wrote to APC national chairman, Chief John Oyegun to resign over disputed governorship primaries in Ondo State.  

If Tinubu is not happy with the content of the book let him write to Buhari or Paden to express his discontent. He should not be hiding behind others to tell Nigerians that his portrayal on the book is untrue. Is he scared of Buhari?

Buhari said three names were forwarded to him including that of Tinubu for consideration as vice president, the question should be who forwarded the names to him? I think Tinubu’s supporters are unhappy that the lie that he was the person who made Osinbajo vice president is unraveling before their very eyes. Or can Osinbajo muster the courage and clear the air? Till then, I believe Buhari’s account.