Ahmed Bola Tinubu is the All Progressive Congress or APC presidential candidate. He will be on the polls on Saturday with the hope of succeeding Muhammadu Buhari whose tenure ends in May.
IkejaBird looks at some of the highlights that may improve his chances of winning as well as other areas where he fell short that may affect his chances of clinching the highest sit of power in Nigeria.
The Cons
1.Muslim-Muslim Ticket
When Bola Tinubu won his party’s primary election in 2022, he chose Kashim Shettima, a former governor of Borno state as his vice.
This triggered a long-standing conversation in a country that is deeply divided religiously.
It was a move that did not go well with many Nigerian Christians who see it as a ploy for further marginalization.
Some Muslims also disagree with this arrangement considering that this decision may continuously characterize the incoming administration bringing more problems than there already is.
In the end, Tinubu stuck to his guts, but this move may be the hole that consumes his campaign.
2. Buhari’s Administration
President Buhari’s two term administration has been smeared with numerous downsides which include two recessions in two years according to Al Jazeera as well as insecurity.
For a candidate to emerge from the same party where Buhari won his two terms, and building a narrative of advancing his administration would be a bigger pill for most Nigerians to swallow.
3. Lack of Cohesion
The APC as a national party leading the center has been marred with division which has affected its cohesiveness.
Recently, President Buhari announced that the old 500 naira and 1000 naira notes will no longer be a legal tender.
Yet, some governors (Nasiru El Rufai and Umar Ganduje) within his party disagreed with him and publicly asked the citizens of their states to continue the use of the old notes.
The Pros
4.Ruling Party
To be the presidential flagbearer of a national party with a large majority in congress is no small feat.
When it matters, this can come in handy. With so many party loyalists pledging support for Tinubu, his ascension to the throne will also be paved by these men in their various states.
5.Long term plans
Tinubu has indicated publicly that he had nursed the ambition of becoming Nigeria’s president for a very long time.
With this acknowledgement, he stated also that there had been painstaking plans to make his dream possible.
While addressing Ogun state delegates in 2022, he boasted that he played a key role in Buhari’s 2015 victory.
If all the details about his strategies prove to be true, he may have been planning for over two decades which makes him a formidable force.
