Tinubu Under Security Watch Over Alleged Plot Against Buhari

Security agencies have launched a surveillance ring around a lead­er
of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed
Tinubu and others, including some members of the National Assembly,
over an alleged plot against President Mu­hammadu Buhari.

The plot, which presidency sources said is not unconnected to the
decision of President Buhari to dump several nominees submitted by
some party leaders and political godfa­thers for ministerial
appointments, has led to a move to mend fences between the two ma­jor
contending forces in the Senate.

Intelligence reports had revealed that some state governors, party
leaders and political godfathers, whose nominees were dumped by the
President for his preferred candidates, have begun to "unleash their
goons in a well coordinated media campaigns and groups' protests
against Mr President's choice of ministerial nominees"

Saturday Sun gathered that of particular in­terest to some
intelligence agencies keeping a tab on the plot "is the decision of an
APC leader in the South-West to jet out of the country the moment he
realised that he could not push through his ministerial nominees, only
to be coordinating attacks against the President from his base outside
the country."

A top official in one of the nation's intelli­gence agencies leading
investigations into the alleged plot told Saturday Sun on condition of
anonymity, "because the investigation is still at the preliminary
stage", that "a partic­ular political godfather who has been
spear­heading the campaign to remove the Senate President, Dr Bukola
Saraki has suddenly turned round to be reaching out to Senators in his
(Saraki's) camp to mend fences so as to form a joint force to launch
an attack against the President."

"We are following all of these clues and leads including promises by
the same person to help crush the criminal charges against a leading
Senator. This brand of politics will in no way help the ruling party
and the nation. One man must not have his way in all cases and in
every arrangement", the source added.

Though the source did not specifically mention Tinubu in the chat, the
APC chief­tain, however, fits into all the descriptions. It was also
gathered that the presidency is al­ready bracing up for the emerging
develop­ment.

It was not clear as at press time whether the Saraki camp will accept
the peace deal being offered by the party leader and support the
alleged plot against the President coming at a time when the
relationship between Buhari and Saraki appears to be coming on track.

A close associate of Tinubu, who pleaded for anonymity, however, told
Saturday Sun that indeed the APC leader was badly hurt by the
rejection of his ministerial nominees by Buhari, he would, however,
not have a hand in pulling down "a house he almost single-handedly
built with his efforts and resourc­es."

Saturday Sun had in an exclusive report before the release of the
ministerial nominees reported the decision by President Buhari to dump
over 73 names submitted to him by state governors, APC leaders and
political godfathers to draw up a list of his own choice of
ministerial nominees.

Indeed, when the list was unveiled last week, many of the party
leaders including Tinubu were upset and left in shock. Rather than
pick the choice of Tinubu in the South West, Buhari selected former
Governors Babatunde Fashola (Lagos) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), both
estranged political god­sons of Tinubu.

The party leader could also not get human rights activist, Mr. Femi
Falana (SAN), Prof Pat Utomi and his former Commissioners for
Information and Finance in Lagos, Messrs Dele Alake and Wale Edun,
respectively on the list. Falana had been tipped to emerge as the
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Alake as
Information Minister and Edun as Minister for Finance.

In Osun, while Governor Rauf Aregbesola is pushing the nomination of
his immediate predecessor, former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, in
deference to an acccord leading to the latter's defection to APC,
Tinubu is said to be backing the governor's Chief of Staff, Alhaji
Gboyega Oyetola, who is his (Tinu­bu's) blood relation.

In Ondo, the party leadership in the state is pushing the nomination
of its governorship candidate in 2012 poll, Chief Rotimi Ak­eredolu
SAN, while Tinubu is backing his bosom friend and APC National Vice
Chair­man, South West, Chief Pius Akinyelure.

-TheSunNews