Tinubu dumps Ribadu, Opts for Buhari …Eyes VP slot with Buhari as ACN Candidate
Presidential Aspirant on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and former Chairman of the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu may have started testing the bitter pills of politics. Ribadu is said to have lost the support of former Lagos State Governor, Ahmed Bola Tinubu for the Presidential elections.
Ribadu had investigated Tinubu's tenure as Governor of Lagos State while he served as the Chairman of the EFCC and in February 2007, Ribadu said in an interview, “Do not worry; we are coming out with a bombshell on Tinubu. All the Accounts he operates internationally have been investigated. Tell him that he will soon hear from us.”
But both men became political friends as soon as Ribadu decided to join the Presidential elections on the platform of ACN where Tinubu is a founding member.
Tinubu hitherto gave full support to the Presidential ambition of Ribadu and even toured around with him to some South West states where he canvassed for support for his Presidential aspiration. He is alleged to have also supported Ribadu financially in the course of his Presidential campaigns.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that Tinubu has now dumped Ribadu to pitch his political tent with General Mohammadu Buhari with a hope of clinching the Vice-Presidential slot should the merger of the ACN and Congress for Progressive Change sails through.
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According to a source, “Ribadu is not going to find it easy now with his presidential ambition because now that the merger talk between ACN and CPC is almost conclusive and it is becoming clear that Tinubu is going to revive his Vice Presidential ambition and team up with Buhari.”
The source added, “as I am talking to you now high level secret meetings have been going on lately between the Tinubu group and that of Buhari for a possible tag-team and if they finally agree to terms, you can be rest assured that Ribadu's ambition will be over.”
Although sources told Pointblanknews.com that while Ribadu is not aware of Tinubu's new moves, some ACN chieftains are not happy with the Presidential aspiration of Ribadu. It is alleged that core politicians in ACN who feel the former EFCC boss was foisted on the party would rather prefer a Buhari for the party's presidential ticket.
The feelings of the core politicians within the ACN who are said to be major financial players in the party, informed the decision to reconsider the merger of talk with the Buhari group who left the party in protest to form CPC.
“You know Buhari had a lot of influence and respect within ACN and when he left in protest to form CPC, it was a major blow because his personality brought credibility to the party,” a source told pointblanknews.com
The source added “Ribadu's membership is equally good but not to the extent of picking the party's Presidential ticket. It is the opinion of some ACN chieftains that he still lacks the experience for a presidential politics and that is why Buhari is needed back.”
Although, it is not yet clear when the merger talk between the two parties would be concluded but sources hinted that before the middle of December both parties would have wrapped off the merger talk.
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