- The presidential campaign posters of Ambassador Babgana Kingibe has allegedly flooded some major cities of Nigeria
- Kingibe is an ally and member of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet
- Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had last week asked Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019
There are indications that the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have been thrown into another round of confusion ahead of the 2019 general elections as posters of Ambassador Babagana Kingibe flooded Abuja and other Nigerian cities.
Independent reports that this is happening barely a week after former President Olusegun Obasanjo stoked controversy in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari asking him not to seek re-election in 2019.
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NAIJ.com gathered that the posters bearing Kingibe’s portraits for president flooded major cities across the country, including Lagos, Kaduna, Abuja, Maiduguri, Calabar, Asaba, Uyo and Kano.
Already close political associates of Kingibe are said to be reaching out to the old Social Democratic Party (SDP) stalwarts to reactivate and coalesce their support for the long-standing politician.
He is known to be an insider in the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency and had lately assumed a prominent role behind the scenes in the Presidency.
The ‘Sai Baba’ posters declaring Kingibe’s presidential bid in 2019 were prominently displayed on major highways and vantage areas of those cities.
It was gathered that the appearance of Kingibe’s posters is causing ripples in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Although insiders believe that Buhari would prefer Kaduna state governor, Ahmed El-Rufai, as successor in the event he decides not to run, the appearance of the posters of a member of Buhari’s kitchen cabinet could be seen as an endorsement of Obasanjo’s argument.
Kingibe is not only a member of Buhari’s kitchen cabinet but is also alleged to head the Aso Rock cabal of this administration.
Secondly, Kingibe’s decision to re-activate his old political network may have the predictable effect of dividing the core north.
This is because the unspoken agreement so far within the APC is that no one should challenge Buhari until he had decided either to run or not to run, and if he is not running, he would be expected to name his successor.
This may have been why the party members rose as one to antagonise former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, when he indicated interest to run for the presidency in 2019 until he had to leave APC and return to PDP.
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The APC is now afraid that Kingibe’s indication of interest in 2019 presidency bid will divide Kingibe’s northeast and Buhari’s northwest geopolitical zones and, perhaps, revive the age-long Fulani versus Kanuri rivalry.
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported that a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger state, Alhaji Abubakar Ma’aji, declared that President Muhammadu Buhari remains the only credible choice in the 2019 general elections.
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Source: Naija.ng