The pioneer Interim National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, has given an insight into the severe pressure mounted on the party by influential persons to make sure Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), now the President, did not emerge as the party’s candidate for the 2015 election.
In his 559-page autobiography, titled ‘My Participations’, launched in Lagos on Thursday, Akande said persons like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some unnamed elite, especially from the north, including royal fathers, were against Buhari becoming the party’s candidate.

The former Osun State governor explained that an aristocratic leader from the North came to Osogbo, the state capital, to persuade the then governor, Rauf Aregbesolato prevail on them to drop Buhari.

He, however, said the leaders of the newly formed party decided to go ahead with Buhari, given his charisma and the support he had garnered in his previous attempts, having contested the coveted position three times earlier. He said the emergence of the APC created a formidable structure for for him and that Buhari’s candidacy was in fact one of the bases for the merger of the constituent political parties.

Regardless of this, he noted that the party allowed anybody interested in the ticket to contest against Buhari at the convention, where he eventually won.

On Obasanjo’s opposition to Buhari’s candidacy, he wrote, “When the party was ready and we were going around to all the leaders, someone reminded us that we had not seen Obasanjo and (former Head of State, Ibrahim) Babangida, and asked them to join us.

“We also met Obasanjo and asked him to join us. He said he would not join us but that he had his sympathy for us. He said he had decided not to join any political party since he left the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party.

Behind the scene however, I understood he was pressurising some of our leaders not to use Buhari as our candidate. It got to a point when Bola Tinubu had to confront him thus: ‘It is not fair sending me to Buhari. Buhari was a soldier and he was one of your junior offices in the army. Why don’t you call Buhari and let him know how you feel about his intention to be President?’
I don’t know whether Obasanjo stopped at it. From the start, he did not want Buhari to be President.”

Also, on the opposition by the other elite, Akande wrote, “It was apparent from the start that Buhari would be our choice for President. That was one of the bases for the merger. However, there were pressures from the elite, especially from the North, including royal fathers, piling pressure on us not to allow Buhari to be our presidential candidate.

A prominent aristocratic leader from the North stayed several nights in Osogbo, persuading Governor Aregbesola to prevail on us not to field Buhari. He threatened that if we did, there would be trouble in the North. We reviewed all these threats and decided to go through it with Buhari.”

Adebanjo pestered Tinubu to build his Lekki house – Akande
Akande also described the leader of pan Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has a blank politically-minded leader who does not have what it takes to contest political positions.
He further said Adebanjo pestered APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to build him a house in Lekki, where he now resides.

He also stressed that contrary to what Adebanjo believed, the ruling APC did not have restructuring in its manifesto in 2014 when the party presented Buhari as its flagbearer, adding that APC only promised to support devolution of powers from centre to states.

Continuing, Akande alleged that Adebanjo coerced Tinubu to build a house for him in the Lekki area of the state.

“One day, Sir Olaniwun was launching a book at Muson Centre, Lagos. After the book presentation, Tinubu said I should not go and that he would like to see me. We met in a small room where he also invited Sir Olaniwun Ajayi. ‘Papa, you can see that this document is old, Tinubu said as he handed over a big envelope to Ajayi. This is your C of O (Certificate of Occupancy)!’

“Tinubu told me later that after he presented Adebanjo’s C of O to him, Adebanjo was always pestering Tinubu until he helped built a house on the plot. The street was also named in honour of Adebanjo and he is living in that house now at Lekki Phase One,” Akande said.

https://punchng.com/obasanjo-northern-elite-monarchs-warned-apc-against-fielding-buhari-akande/

Baba Akande and Buhari really dig deep in 2015 memories

No doubt Buhari is Nigeria"s biggest mistake.
That's my problem with politician. Winning election is more important than national interest.

The disaster would have be avoided then but unfortunately Nigerians just needed a change at that moment.

Gbam.... Disaster set in.

Honestly a lot goes on behind the political scenes that actually makes the politicians have little or no regard for the election itself

I'm really enjoying this. Is this not revealing and straight forward more than Obasanjo's "My Watch"?

Foolishness and stupidity.

He could boldly mentioned Obasanjo's name but chose to keep the Elite northerners unamed and that's to tell you the book will be filled with half-truths.

Coward's

How come the northern elite failed to transmit their disapproval to the masses?
Why hide news of impending calamity in the shadows, when they should've been shouting it from the rooftops for their alfas and illiterate masses to hear-
Or even blocking the road, so that those unaware don't fall into the pit by accident?

The reason is simple-
They knew they would still find ways to benefit from the disaster.

[s]

Wiseandtrue:

Even his people never liked him yet his handlers made it look as if it's only the Igbos against him!

Is North not, not in trouble now

[/s]

You guys are pathetic. Always crying like children who mistakenly found themselves in adult bodies. Opposing a political choice is a right, only bitter people who are demented cannot differentiate between political choices from maliciousness.

Clapping hand and swarming around an imbeci1e who threatened to bring the head of the person you oppose is not politics but idiot demonic hatred! They kill innocent people because of this hatred yet cannot fathom how silly it looks!

Rr

Why is PA Akande coming out with all these revelations now. Is he trying to pitt Jagaban with PMB? This is not the right time to spill all pls.

Buhari is a problem to Nigeria

We yorubas brought buhari to suffer Nigerians , suicide deaths here and there in southwest

If you pass road after dem don warn you-
You go vex if people laff when you fall enter gutter?
Better find a better defence for your masters, eh?

vedaxcool:
[s][/s]

You guys are pathetic. Always crying like children who mistakenly found themselves in adult bodies. Opposing a political choice is a right, of is only bitter people who are demented cannot differentiate political choices from maliciousness.

Clapping hand and swarming around an imbeci1e who threatened to bring the head of the person you oppose is no politics but idiot demonic hatred! They kill innocent people because of this hatred yet cannot fathom how silly it looks!

[s]

vedaxcool:

You guys are pathetic. Always crying like children who mistakenly found themselves in adult bodies. Opposing a political choice is a right, of is only bitter people who are demented cannot differentiate political choices from maliciousness.

Clapping hand and swarming around an imbeci1e who threatened to bring the head of the person you oppose is no politics but idiot demonic hatred! They kill innocent people because of this hatred yet cannot fathom how silly it looks![/s]

I cannot make out anything from what you wrote!

It's okay my boy, let the tears out!

The money you are being paid to lock your brain away will soon stop rolling in!

So it's understandable!

[s]

Wiseandtrue:
[s]
I cannot make out anything from what you wrote!

It's okay my boy, let the tears out!

The money you are being paid to lock your brain away will soon stop rolling in!

So it's understandable!

[/s]

Yes, you cannot make out anything. After all you were imparted with hate from childhood till date, there is no space left to process information designed to free you from hate.

By the way, that hanky is better used for cleaning cownu's wheezing butthole. I heard he has been suffering diarrhea from ceaselessly devouring beans

DZTech:
If you pass road after dem don warn you-
You go vex if people laff when you fall enter gutter?
Better find a better defence for your masters, eh?

abi just as we warned you about cownu unah no hear, yesterday his boys chop one igwe, months ago na 2 dem chop.... Northern elites can never like PMB because if you steal he go fit crate you like dikko come back Nigeria. it is the masses that love him, they are ones that mattered and they are the ones who brought him to power. Something your years of hateful indoctrination cannot understand

vedaxcool:


abi just as we warned you about cownu unah no hear, yesterday his boys chop one igwe, months ago na 2 dem chop.... Northern elites can never like PMB because if you steal he go fit crate you like dikko come back Nigeria. it is the masses that love him, they are ones that mattered and they are the ones who brought him to power. Something your years of hateful indoctrination cannot understand

Sorry. You are in pains

Maxymilliano:
Foolishness and stupidity.

He could boldly mentioned Obasanjo's name but chose to keep the Elite northerners unamed and that's to tell you the book will be filled with half-truths.

Coward's

Real cowards

Midenola:
The disaster would have be avoided then but unfortunately Nigerians just needed a change at that moment.

Gbam.... Disaster set in.

and that change turned out to be disastrous, destructive and negative. The consequences of that choice will forever hunt those who made them, but Nigerians including the unborn generation of Nigerians will for a very long period pay for it

We the youths are solidly behind our darling president




The Almighty North and Our SW friends kicked that otuoke ogogoro drinker out in 2015



North2023 North2023 North2023 North2023 North2023 North2023 North2023 North2023 North2023 North2023 North2023

Maxymilliano:
Foolishness and stupidity.

He could boldly mentioned Obasanjo's name but chose to keep the Elite northerners unamed and that's to tell you the book will be filled with half-truths.

Coward's

Calm down sir.

You are dealing with highly intelligent , strategic and organised folks. Watch out for the sequel by the time HE Rauf Aregbesola writes his own memoirs. He will refer to this chapter in his own. The Aregbesola who recieved the Northern elite emissaries is still alive and was at the same book launch. Baba Akande reserved that juicy detail for him to write since he must have mentioned those names to Baba Akande.

This kind of books filled the library of a former SW Governor I know. I recall that I once picked 3 or so of those books in his library to go through, I saw notes, highlighted points etc on the pages and inside the books and was truly impressed.

I don't know about other geopolitical zones but SW Governors read and write a lot. They have a strong link with the academia too. Their strategic link with the gown is very strong especially with the intelligentsia in SW universities and the diaspora. I still remember this year, a SW Governor was hosted by a department (not faculty or the whole university o), a department under the faculty of Arts at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and he came personally to deliver his paper.

I recall the deep intellectual distillation from his paper presented in that small room with a capacity of just about 50 people. No airs, no orderly, in fact, he rejected the stand with his official seal and reminded everyone in the room that he is an Akokite! It was deeply intellectually engaging and down to earth. Any youth dragging any SW Governor should just go and face his study and career first, those guys are not your mate even as youths. They were Geniuses and top of their class! As tough as their work is, they read! And they write a lot too!

Those guys are above average intellectually. Each of them is a Presidential material in terms of IQ and depth of strategic planning and execution.

With this book,we now know that the old Action Group Western region political bloc still exists and the de facto leader of the old Western region progressive political bloc is actually Baba Akande,not Asiwaju Tinubu.

Shu
What's doing you?
Is it willful ignorance, or poor mentation?
In over 6 years, list how many politicians or govt contractors have been caught, prosecuted and jailed for corruption.
I dey wait u.

vedaxcool:


abi just as we warned you about cownu unah no hear, yesterday his boys chop one igwe, months ago na 2 dem chop.... Northern elites can never like PMB because if you steal he go fit crate you like dikko come back Nigeria. it is the masses that love him, they are ones that mattered and they are the ones who brought him to power. Something your years of hateful indoctrination cannot understand