Particularly, one way Buhari helps Tinubu is somehow unusual of the incumbent president’s nature. Bola Tinubu, who now flies the flag of the All Progressives Congress apparently and undoubtedly enjoys the full support of the president.
One would have doubted the sincerity of the president if he had not shown some high level of commitment to the “lifelong ambition” of the ex Lagos state governor. And with the way the president is assisting the APC flag bearer, it will be far more difficult for the opposition party to win the election.
Normally, the president seldom attended campaign rallies other than his. One would hardly see him openly campaign for other candidates unless he is also running for a post. But he seems to have weaned himself as he appears in rallies for the national leader of the APC.
President Muhammadu Buhari has appeared in at least three rallies for Tinubu so far. And most of the rallies were in the northern region where Buhari always enjoy an unprecedented massive support from the people.
To be more specific, the president was in Yola, Adamawa State early this month. He was on ground to campaign for Bola Tinubu at the home state of the main opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar. The message should be clear to anyone who cared to analyse politics.
Both Buhari and Atiku are from Fulani extraction. Ethnicity determines a lot in the country. But with the participation of the president at the rally of Tinubu right at Atiku’s home means the president has decided which side he belongs.
On 10 January, a day later, the president left Adamawa state for neighboring Yobe state. The purpose of going there was to align himself with the APC candidate. Of course, the president would have appointments, schedules, he didn’t let his official assignments stop him from identifying with the candidate of his party.
There were some skirmishes in the Bauchi rally. Some media reported that Buhari angrily left the venue due to poor planning. Whatever the true story might be, one fact remains true: Buhari was in Bauchi to campaign for Tinubu. That should be the clincher.
Tinubu has not really done much campaign in the southern region. But the most difficult task for him is wooing the northerners. That could probably be the reason Buhari is going to rally with him in Adamawa, Yobe, Bauchi and other northern states.
The one way Buhari helps Tinubu to beat Atiku may be the campaign rallies in north. Once the northerners listen to Buhari and give their votes to Tinubu, the larger part of the work may have been done.
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