Interim Govt Option and the N200 Billion($2Billion) Offer: What Tinubu Never Told Nigerians?

Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the Nigeria's leading oppositionparty APC had revealed that Jonathan offered him a Vice Presidency slot underan Interim Govt arrangement, an offer he claimed to have rejected. Femi-FaniKayode, the Head of PDP Campaign Organization had refuted the story, sayingthat it is illusionary imaginations from Tinubu. However, I was personally intimatedof the Interim Govt offer to Tinubu by an equally top PDP chieftain who boastedjokingly that 'my Tinubu and Buhari' alliance will soon crumble

. This his allusionto 'my Tinubu and Buhari' is based on the fact that he knew that I publicly ledsome Bishops and that opposed the distribution of money to some of my pastorcolleagues on an anti Buhari sentiments and that I was among the people whoensured that some that collected that money did not sell Jesus to PDP. Ibelieve that the Gospel of Jesus is greater than PDP and APC and this partychieftain subscribes to this and my belief that the good, the bad and the uglyare found in both parties.

Early February I was at a sort of meeting bordering onsecurity in the North of Nigeria and afterwards another meeting ensued wheresome PDP faithful were touting how Jonathan will defeat Buhari during the March28 polls. I mentioned to the August members present who claim direct links withPresident Jonathan that their principal had already offered a Vice Presidencyslot to Tinubu under an Interim Govt arrangement. I was literally shouted downby those who claim (and I know that some of their claims are true) that theyare personally close to Jonathan and he never mentioned it to them. The samepersons, a week later, having confirmed the details I gave, contacted me againand this time around, believing that I must be close to either Buhari orTinubu, asked me about the latest move of the opposition.

Close to four weeks ago I was informed by a privileged memberof the ruling PDP that Tinubu has been offered a VP slot in order to get him tobreak away from Buhari. This highly placed PDP facilitator, stakeholder and observerintimated that he is in the thick of the discussion and that soon Tinubu willabandon Buhari for Jonathan. Those allegedlyin the thick of the discussions include a retired Military President, selectPDP leaders especially from the South West and South South and somebody theybelieve is working for Sambo, the National Security Adviser (NSA). Mentioningthe names I was told is not necessary because my sources will be thoroughlyembarrassed.

I was later told that Tinubu rejected the Vice Presidency slotalmost instantly. According to my sources, he instead requested that theruling party defray his campaign expenses which he put at N200 billion naira (N2billionDollars). He also allegedly demanded that the PDP will allow him produce allthe Senators from all the APC states in the South West, including Kwara and EdoStates, from Niger Delta and North Central respectively. When I inquired whatthey will decide on the Tinubu project, I was told that that though Jonathandid not mind fulfilling Tinubu's alternative request, the PDP leaders in theSouth West rejected the idea of allowing him produce eighteen Senators all byhimself, viewing it as politically dangerous. This money is still chickenchange to a party that had stacked nothing less that N3 trillion naira throughshady oil deals in readiness for the elections, of which I am aware of some ofthe deals.

Tinubu, under pressure to give a green light, abandoned thediscussion on the pretext of giving the entire idea a second thought. PDP leaderswere still waiting for his second thought when he was seen at Chatham Housewith Muhammadu Buhari, the Presidential Flag bearer of the opposition APC. The ChathamHouse speech of Buhari did an irreparable damage to Jonathan's image among theinternational community and the PDP had seen Tinubu as giving the impressionthat negotiations are ongoing and then he went on to sponsor a Chatham houseembarrassment on them. According to mysources, it was Femi Fani-Kayode who decoded that Tinubu had abandoned the plotand warned the party that the best thing to do is to cage the Lion (Tinubu)before it was too late.

The current plot by the PDP is to stop Tinubu at all cost,since he failed to deliver the South West vote to Jonathan even when PDP wasready to give him his demand of N200 Billion naira. I learnt that Tinubu'simage is to be terribly damaged, then series of harassment, trumped up chargesand outright elimination might follow. This elimination plot, though canvassedby a former presidential spokesman, has been rejected even within many PDPcircles including even Jonathan himself. A top APC Chieftain whom I met to follow up the politicaltransactions, initially said he was ignorant of the contents of the negotiationsbut after some days confirmed that though an offer of N200 Billion was made itwas the PDP that made the offer to defray Tinubu's campaign expenses. I wasinformed that though Tinubu was averse to the Interim arrangement, Obasanjo'scaution to the former governor reinforced Tinubu's stance. My take on all theseis that PDP approached
Tinubu to help sell the Yoruba people to Jonathan andabandon Buhari the manner he sold Ribadu in 2011 for a couple of billions ofnaira. Tinubu rejected the Interim Govt offer, made his own offer which the PDPaccepted in part (monetary aspect) and rejected the issue of being allowed tomanipulate and produce the Senators and House of Reps members from APC Statesin the South West in an election that will hold on the same day.

Tinubu probably got another advice and decided to stick toBuhari and PDP got enraged. Those denying that there was no interim govt offerare also lying because even NSA Dasuki and Babangida has been discreetlycampaigning that Northern Emirs and leaders accept an interim Govt optionheaded by a northerner. Even Shagari according to reports favors the idea. Thenews is all over Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi and creating division among theirpolitical elites with the Interim Government option getting gradual sympathy.

The loser in all these heist is the masses. Why an offer andacceptance of a probable N200 billion naira must be given when such amount canbuild two second Niger Bridge or four brand new Enugu-Port Harcourt andEnugu-Onitsha expressway. Tinubu, Babangida, Dasuki, Femi-Fani Kayode, BodeGeorge, Kashamu and all the people involved in this Interim Govt cum N200billion naira betrayal deal should stop denying the truth. Spending suchbillions on a political expedition is wrong and those buying, selling andmaking merchandise of the impoverished Nigerian people, must repent now beforeGod Almighty allows that self-inflicted crisis that will bring in a bloodymilitary revolution already brooding in the atmosphere. A word is enough for the thieves.

Obinna Akukwe

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Articles by Obinna Akukwe