Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is in support of a move to draft the current President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, into the 2023 presidential race, a competent source close to the former President confirmed last night.
The move comes as the former Head of State reportedly failed to convince Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and former Rabiu Kwankwanso of Kano State to work together in order to advance political interest of the Peoples Democratic Party in the presidential election.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that the two influential northern politicians are exploring the possibility of running for the Presidency under the PDP come 2023 but that the former leader had tried and failed to reconcile them ahead of the next political dispensation.
A source close to the former president, said that it was the reconciliation of the two men that actually took the former leader to the Caliphate last week while he was in the state to commission some projects completed by the state government.
The ally said: “Last week Baba was in Sokoto under the guise of flagging off some projects completed by Tambuwal but the real intention was to reconcile Governor Aminu Tambuwal with Eng. Rabiu Kwankwaso ahead of 2023 because two of them, who are his political sons, are keen on the presidency.
“But it is also clear that Baba is trying hard to put up structures for another political son of his, that is the current African Development Bank President, Adesina, under the Peoples Democratic Party since it is clear to him that the North would not support his candidates for the posts.
“It is obvious to him that the reconciliation that the former leader is pushing is not in the interest of the north and he might jettison his current party and push for the formation of a hybrid party that will weaken both the PDP and the APC and strengthen the new one with a view to winning the presidency in two years’ time.
“Baba’s backing for the AfDB President is predicated on his sound educational, economic and leadership pedigree that he believes can guaranty him easy victory over other recycled politicians with some baggage,” the top politician said.
But Obasanjo’s push for the AfDB top brass might not fly as intended as two former heads of state, who he sold the idea to, are reported to have kicked against the move, which they believe would scupper the political arrangement, which favours Igbo Presidency and the Ahmed Tinubu project.
The former President is said to have approached the two former colleagues to secure their support for the hosting of a security summit that would involve major ethnic nationalities and political leaders with a view to recommending solutions to the current security challenges in the land.
But the two former heads of state are reported to have told former President Obasanjo to first confide in the current President Muhammadu Buhari whatever political and security issues he is planning for the country since the president would still be a key factor in the current and future security and political dispensation.
However, Sunday Vanguard learnt that Obasanjo is planning to sell his ideas to the former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, having failed to get the buy-in of two former leaders in the country but it was unclear last night when he would approach the former military head of state for the briefing.
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