5 Silent Signs Buhari Isn’t Behind Tinubu

The Nigerian political landscape is currently laden with anxiety, expectations, and speculations about who will emerge as the winner of the 2023 Presidential elections.

While this is ongoing, a sector of the masses has subjected to various analyses, the relationship between the Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, and the flagbearer of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. This is because there have been several indications that President Buhari may not be fully behind Tinubu’s presidential ambitions.

As we wait for the winner to be announced by the electoral umpire, let’s examine five silent signs that suggest Buhari may not be fully behind Tinubu.

Naira redesign policy 

The naira redesign of the Central Bank of Nigeria under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration caused a lot of civil unrest and did not sit well with the flag bearer of the All Progressive congress. This was evident in Tinubu’s outburst during one of his campaign rallies. He said, “Hide the petrol, hide the naira, we will still vote! We will win… Even if you change the ink on naira notes, what you want will not happen. We will win.” This could largely mean that Buhari is not behind Tinubu. Also, the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El Rufai once asserted during an interview on Channels Television that elements in the presidential villa don’t want Tinubu to win the election because their candidate didn’t win the primary election.

Disagreement on fuel subsidy 

President Buhari has failed to remove the fuel subsidy which has caused the nation a fortune and plunged the economy into debt during his administration. However, Tinubu has stated that once he becomes president, he was going to remove fuel subsidies. The presidential candidate has been emphatic about his stance, stressing that nationwide protests would not change his stance. This could be a sign that Buhari doesn’t support Tinubu’s presidential ambition. Also, Buhari once said whoever takes over from him will continue from where he stopped but this doesn’t look like a continuation.

His stance on a free and fair election 

Months ahead of the 2023 general elections, Buhari has made several commitments and pledges to ensure that the polls are conducted credibly across the nation. He has also through the naira redesign policy ensured that political elements who intend to malign the electoral process by vote buying experienced difficulty. This could mean that the President could be standing neutral. Also, his repeated calls on the electorate to come out and vote for the candidate of their choice could be a sign that isn’t supporting Tinubu.

His role in Tinubu’s campaign rally

When the presidential rally began in September 2022, Buhari was not fully involved in canvassing support for Asiwaju. While the campaign train moved from state to state, Buhari was absent. This act which raised concerns in certain quarters of the nation could indicate that Buhari is not behind Tinubu. 

The mass exodus of low-income northerners

Buhari hails from the northern part of Nigeria, while Tinubu is from the southwest. More recently there have been mass exits of northerners from places like Abuja and the middle belt. In  Nigerian politics, regional factors often play a significant role, and Buhari’s support base may be more inclined towards a presidential candidate from the north. This could indicate that Buhari is not fully behind Tinubu’s presidential ambitions.