… Says Buhari saw nothing wrong with a Muslim-Muslim ticket
By Idowu Bankole
Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a former governor of Osun state, and chieftain of the main opposition party in Nigeria, PDP, has said former President Obasanjo impeded Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos governor, and current National leader of the APC from becoming President Muhammadu Buhari’s vice-presidential candidate in 2015.
Tinubu and other political party chieftain had formed a mega political merger to wrestle power from the PDP, led by the former president, Goodluck Jonathan.
Buhari who had contested for the presidency three times before 2015 and lost, However, won the presidential ticket to contest on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.
Also read: 2023: Buhari should be wary of people trying to market Tinubu ― Bode George
Sources believed that the idea of a Muslim-Muslim ticket might have been Obasanjo’s worry.
Recall that Buhari has a head of State, had ruled with a Muslim vice in 1984.
In an interview with PUNCH, Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola said an agreement was concealed from a good number of the party leaders until it surfaced after Buhari had got the ticket,
Other opposition leaders also rejected the move, citing the possible religious crisis in the country.
The former governor said the rumour on a Muslim-Muslim ticket gave a feeling that danger is looming, especially when President Buhari saw nothing wrong with the arrangement,
“The agreement was concealed from a good number of the party leaders until it surfaced after Buhari had got the ticket,” he said.
“Then the rumour came out and some us felt danger was looming with the idea of Muslim-Muslim ticket. To further add to our fears, General Buhari on one occasion said there was nothing wrong in the Muslim-Muslim presidential arrangement, saying after all he governed with Tunde Idiagbon
“That statement made us know it (the Muslim-Muslim idea) was a fact. On two occasions, Bola (Tinubu) mentioned it in my presence that they agreed. If you recall one trending video back then, where it was said that Buhari had jettisoned what they agreed on, that is the room he was sleeping when Buhari was looking for the post.
“We then told Baba (Obasanjo). We told him that taking power from an incumbent government was a tough task and we must not give room for excuses and miss the target. We told him they (Buhari and Tinubu) were thinking of a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“That was when Baba (Obasanjo) said people should not take the sensibilities of Nigerians for granted.
Oyinlola stated that after Obasanjo got wind of the “agreement” he cautioned that the sensibilities of Nigerians should not be taken for granted, which led to the emergence of a Christian vice presidential candidate.
“After that (Obasanjo’s intervention), they started saying it in my presence that Obasanjo frustrated the plan to get Tinubu on the ticket for 2015 but I always acted as if I didn’t hear them. We then had a stakeholders meeting where the issue of the running mate was discussed again.”
Obasanjo endorsed Buhari’s candidature in February 2015 after he resigned his membership from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and had a falling out with former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The former president, Chief Obasanjo has been contacted, his responses would be made available as soon as speaks with journalists.
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