Politics
Top Gainers As V.P Osinbajo’s Trouble Continues
Charles Oyelesi
Multiple sources insist Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is having a rough time in the Presidency.
And there are said to concerted efforts to ease or push him out.
The ‘’push him out’’ angle comes with threats of dousing him in allegations of corruption according to information at hand.
While the trouble against the Vice President rages on, societynow.ng takes a look at major gainers from the situation – in his region, the South West.
Senator Ibikunle Amosun: With Vice President Yemi Osinbajo out of the equation, former governor Ibikunle Amosun completes his comeback as the most powerful politician in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari from the South-West.
Amosun’s rating – and influence – suffered an alarming dip in the last general election due to the political maneuvers of Osinbajo.
Amosun could not get the ruling party, All Progressives Congress gubernatorial ticket for his preferred successor (Adekunle Akinlade) and Osinbajo ensured the former governor lived his nightmare with the emergence of Dapo Abiodun as Governor.
Though Abiodun enjoyed the backing of a merger of political forces in and out of the APC, it took the strong will of the Office of Vice President to ensure a victory against the fierce influence of Amosun that gave strength to the ambition of Akinlade who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APM).
Akinlade – with keen support from Amosun – is still contesting the legality of Abiodun’s victory.
Asiwaju Tinubu: Those in the camp of powerful politician Asiwaju Bola Tinubu do not want history to repeat itself.
According to the narrative abound, Tinubu wanted to become the Vice President to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
A lot of intrigues came into play that did not favor Tinubu and to appease the former governor of Lagos state – and his region and backers – Osinbajo, a representative from his camp was chosen.
Ahead 2023 general election, Tinubu’s men have started his presidential campaign. Osinbajo is also decorated with talks of presidential ambition.
As Vice President – and poster boy of the Buhari administration – Osinbajo is better placed, than Tinubu, to become the ruling party’s ( All Progressives Congress) presidential candidate.
The ‘’ouster’’ of Osinbajo, especially with stigma, will reverse the situation.
Kayode Fayemi: The name of the Governor of Ekiti state Kayode Fayemi prominently features in the list of those who may become the next President of Nigeria in 2023.
The former Minister for Mineral Resources – where he cemented a lot of ties – is widely viewed as highly favored by the ‘’North’’ to emerge.
The ‘’North’’ or rather those dubbed ‘’powerful cabal from the north’’ are fingered as the architect of the trouble threatening the seat – and image – of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Fayemi is also known to enjoy the favors of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the former governor of Ogun state who does not see eye to eye with Osinbajo.
Babatunde Fashola: The former governor of Lagos state Babatunde Fashola is yet to bounce back from the dent his handling of three ministeries – Works, Housing and Power – in the last political dispensation did to his image.
The rating of his performance, especially at the power ministry, against the backdrop of point dropping allegation by former governor Akinwunmi Ambode ( Fashola’s successor ) has plunged perception of Fashola as a ‘’performer’’ below average.
And this has greatly hurt talks of considering him as a possible successor to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
‘’But as the trouble afflicting Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, a leading name in the race to determine the next president rages…the choices are opened up and Fashola and others like him are back in contention, especially with the South West in strong consideration to produce Buhari’s successor’’ societynow.ng learned.
