Sule Lamido, former governor of Jigawa, said that ex-President Muhammadu Buhari never intended for Bola Tinubu to be his successor.
According to Lamido, Buhari preferred Ahmad Lawan, the former senate president, as his successor.
In an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, Lamido described Buhari’s political calculations as “naive and absurd,” stating that the former president sought a northern successor after his eight years in office.
Lamido also mentioned that Buhari did not trust his vice-president, Yemi Osinbajo, to take over the presidency.
Prior to the convention, he (Tinubu) was in Abeokuta, Ogun state, where he boasted that it was his turn to rule Nigeria. And Buhari, very naive, was watching,” Lamido said.
“He never liked Tinubu. There was somebody he wanted. He didn’t even trust his own vice president, Professor (Yemi) Osinbajo; he wanted Ahmed Lawan, but his calculation was absurd.
“You have done eight years for the north, and you wanted another northerner for another eight years! No. Maybe later, but there are some dynamics which you can’t alter, not in Nigeria of today.
“The president of Nigeria, after being in office for eight years, lacked the courage to push through his anointed choice.
“He was there at the convention, and Tinubu, that he never liked, and never believed in, emerged.
“Tinubu knows that his victory wasn’t from Buhari; therefore, he owes him nothing.
“He wasn’t the choice of Afenifere; Obasanjo never liked him, but he became president. All the other groups, including the governors, were there, but he won. He was determined to demolish all obstacles, and he crushed them.”
The former governor said it will be “very difficult” for Tinubu to be defeated in the 2027 presidential election.
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