Though on the surface it looked like a diplomatic trip, the visit two days ago by a delegation from Saudi Arabia to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa had all the trappings of a “covert” visit obviously tied to Saturday, February 23 elections.

The Nigerian Government official line is that the Saudi delegation, which came from the country’s King (therefore the Crown Prince) and was led by Ahmad Qattan, Minister of State for African Affairs, came to discuss OPEC oil production quotas compliance.

However, a reliable source at the Villa said, “We strongly believe the government’s official explanation to be more of an incongruous tale.”

As said by the source, “if the visit were to be for OPEC production quota discussions, it would not be the brief of “African Affairs Ministry” in Saudi Arabia but that of the country’s Petroleum Minister.

“Secondly, a junior minister of an inconspicuous ministry (not Saudi Oil Minister) doesn't usually have expedited access to the President unless there is something very serious from higher up.

“Also, President Buhari didn't have any briefing on the issue from what we understand and merely promised to ask questions of Kachikwu (Minister of State, Petroleum Resources). That suggests this did not take long to arrange by some people in the Presidency.”

According to the source, “we don't know why this feels like significant “foreign intervention” at this time as it was definitely not a visit to discuss oil production or quota arrangement. We are hearing that the Saudis may have brought some last minute huge amount of cash in US Dollars with them to fund Buhari's campaign especially for tomorrow’s election.”

Barely 24-hour to the presidential election, the ruling All Progressive Congress and kitchen cabinet members of President Muhammadu Buhari have been thrown into a frenzy over a new plot by the national leader of the party and former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his godson, vice-president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo to take over the rein of government in the eventuality of a President Muhammadu Buhari's untimely death.

Though sources disclosed that the plot is not new to members of the Kitchen cabinet who were privy to some of the meetings held in London by Bola Tinubu prior to the 2015 election.

However, this new unease was said to have been caused by a sudden collapse of President Buhari after meeting with Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday evening. Some members of the Presidency believed the national leader infected the President especially as he has shown no sign of fatigue prior to the meeting.

Bola Tinubu was invited to the Villa on Wednesday evening after Vice President Yemi Osinbajo threatened to resign from government over what he described as the continuous "belittling of him" by the President over his inability to attend the Security Council meeting. Tinubu was called in to persuade him to see reason why his resignation could be injurious to the administration especially at such critical time.

According to multiple sources in the Villa, President Buhari started shaking five minute after Tinubu left and eventually collapsed. The fear within the Presidency is that this may be a reoccurrence of what happened to the President prior to the 2015 election which he won but afterwards ended up spending months in Hospitals abroad.

The fear, according to insiders, is that should President Buhari wins and anything happens to him, Yemi Osinbajo would become the President and should President Buhari lose, Tinubu would take full control of the party structure across the country using the National Chairman of the party and loyalist, Adams Oshiomole. Either way, it was said that Tinubu wins.

An alternative approach being plotted by the President's kitchen cabinet members is to allow the election and if the President wins, Yemi Osinbajo will be forced to resign his position by every means necessary while a less difficult Vice President will be chosen from the South East. Alternatively if President Buhari loses, the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) will move in to take over some properties that may give Tinubu unnecessary edge over other party Chieftains. Members of the cabal are also believed to be working towards checkmating what they consider the sinister plot before it becomes full blown. They are reported to have drawn up a counter plot to get rid of Osinbajo before swearing in and move against Tinubu before their plot against the president matures. Tinubu, it was gathered was working on the calculation that in the event of anything happening to PMB, Osinbajo will serve out his tenure while preparing ground for him to take over in 2023. This plot it was gathered is not lost on members of the Aso Rock cabals. They are said to be working at a speed to move ahead of the Tinubu plans. This, some sources offered, was discussed at the secret security meeting where Osinbajo was excluded.