There is no love lost between Governor Nasir Elrufai and the former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu.

On Sunday, Mr El-Rufai took another salvo to the presidential ambition of Tinubu, when the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi visited Kaduna State to lobby the statutory delegates.

Three days ago, the Kaduna State delegates had endorsed Tinubu, and pledged their votes to him.

However, on Sunday, the delegates changed their minds after El-rufai presented a convincing argument on why President Muhammadu Buhari loves Amaechi.

“He made the sacrifice to move to our party. It was a game-changer. This is part of the reason President Buhari loves Minister Amaechi till tomorrow,” El-Rufai said.

In the speech, El-Rufai poked a hole in the narrative that Buhari emerged because of the alliance with Tinubu, intead, he stated that it was the defection of Amaechi and the other four governors from the PDP that changed the game for the APC in 2015.

To give it more effect, El-rufai used Amaechi’s traditional title bestowed on him by the Emirate of Daura, Dan Amanar.

This is the continuity of the long history of the cold war between El-Rufai and Tinubu.

In Segun Adeniyi’s book, against the run of play, Tnubu blamed El-Rufai, Bukola Saraki and others for blocking his path towards accessing the presidency.

In 2023, El-Rufai again poked Tinubu when he spoke at an event in Ikoyi, Lagos State. He detailed how to defeat a godfather.

During the question and answer session, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and three-time commissioner in Lagos State, Dr Muiz Banire, had asked El-Rufai how godfatherism could be dealt with.

“Godfatherism. This is Lagos. Let me tell you something sir; you know, Kaduna State used to be like that. There were three or four politicians in Kaduna that you could not become anything unless you had them on your side. Those were the godfathers of Kaduna politics and you had to carry them along and you know, the three words, ‘carry them along’ mean paying them regularly,” he said.

Days after, he reiterated it again, while speaking with journalists after a meeting with President Buhari at the villa.

“I don’t know if he (Tinubu) is the godfather of Lagos. What I know for sure is that we have retired godfathers….If anyone feels offended by that, that’s his business,” he said.

In 2020, El-Rufai took another salvo at Tinubu during a webinar in commemoration of the 63rd birthday of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.

“You know I’m your man any day. I’m not Asiwaju’s man and you are Asiwaju’s man, but I am your man any day. Asiwaju and I have differences but you and I have no differences,” he said.

Why Tinubu will be concerned

DAILY POST had in an analysis detailed how the north will decide who emerges as the candidate of the APC due to the number of candidates from the South.

As at the close of submission of forms on Friday, 28 persons bought the presidential forms, but 25 submitted the forms.

Twenty-one aspirants are from the south, while four; Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Sani Yerima (Zamfara), Ahmad Lawan (Yobe) and Yahaya Bello (Kogi) are from the north.

However, in the south, very few States are without aspirants. In the past couple of weeks, the attention of the aspirants have turned to the north, as they visit one State after another.

There is another worry for Tinubu, which is religion. The same factor that stopped him from becoming the Vice President in 2015, appears to be playing out again.

He is limited by the choice of Vice President he could pick from the north. Unless he decides to run a Muslim/Muslim ticket, he will have to settle for vice from either Northeast or Northcentral.

However, with Lawan in the race from Yobe, Northeast will be a battle ground, despite the work of Kassim Shettimah and Babachir Lawan.

Although, El-Rufai has stated that he will not contest for any position in the 2023 election, he, however, said if the President directs otherwise, he will join the race.

In Kano State, Governor Umar Guanduje is battling with massive defection from the APC to the NNPP, the party of former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Last week, Abdulmumin Jibrin, the DG of Tinubu Support Organisation, also jumped ship to the NNPP.

PrinceOfLagos:
It's getting clearer whom Buhari preffered candidate could be

PrinceOfLagos:

osinbanjoisaliar:
See wetin everyday bread and beans at Bourdillion road dey do pesin

Nigerialabalaba:



Omo Ibo, u be learner and wit ur ibo hatred for Tinubu, ur eyes go soon clear.
face ur ibo fulani Daddy Atiku make Yoruba people face dem Tinubu.
Omo Ibo, mon key o

PrinceOfLagos:

I am Yoruba and Tinubu is not the choice of Yoruba
Yorubas will not vote for him in 2023

Mooh247:


I am Ibo from Imo state and the last meeting we had as imo indegenes we have decided to vote for Mazi Bola Ahmed Tinubu all over Imo state for accommodating and helping our brothers in Lagos State

Mooh247:


I am Ibo from Imo state and the last meeting we had as imo indegenes we have decided to vote for Mazi Bola Ahmed Tinubu all over Imo state for accommodating and helping our brothers in Lagos State

PrinceOfLagos:

I am Ibo and Tinubu is not the choice of Ibo
Ibo will not vote for him in 2023

PrinceOfLagos:

You're defending the indefensible, Tinubu is a bad market that nobody wanna buy

Tinubu is everything wrong with Nigeria. He's corrupt , old, a tout, and disrespects everyone .

Tinubu said he doesn't believe in one Nigeria , why does he wants to be president of the Nigeria he didn't believe in?
Ko possible

Tinubu even went as far as daring president Buhari to a dirty fight if the president doesn't support his dead and useless ambition ...
... Tinubu will see more rejection in coming days

Nigerialabalaba:

u be Ibo. U be impostor front and back. Dat na why u dey go for ur Ibo Fulani Daddy Atiku. shiorr

PrinceOfLagos:

Obasanjo, chief Olu falae and prof wole soyinka too much be Igbo for rejecting to Tinubu candidacy right ?

Una go see mehmeh after May 30th

Kalashnikov49:
Spice up your responses with intelligence...dont exhibit useless Afonja reasoning on issues..am i klear??

Mooh247:


Tinubu is everything great in Nigeria, Lagos is an example of Tinubu's Excellence, his maturity is what we need not some young Yeye Bello

I think you need to start understanding that Nigeria is not a one nation but a multhiethnic diverse multi nationally that formed a Federation

Tinubu is from Yoruba Nation and the Next President of Nigerian Republic of Nations Insha Allah

We the Ndigbo sons and daughters of Nigeria love Tinubu and he is out hero

.

PrinceOfLagos:
It's getting clearer whom Buhari preffered candidate could be

Mooh247:


Are they APC delegates?!

Siwel25:


A political orphan? Lolz. Atiku's marabouts must be seriously working. I would have loved to try him as candidate to show some people how useless he is politically but it won't happen. APC delegates won't vote a man who cannot deliver his ward.

PrinceOfLagos:

You want Tinubu to be president so that he will divide Nigeria and give you Yoruba nation abi ?

Your plan of dividing Nigeria will never work

PrinceOfLagos:

Obasanjo, chief Olu falae and prof wole soyinka too much be Igbo for rejecting to Tinubu candidacy right ?

Una go see mehmeh after May 30th

PrinceOfLagos:

They are respected Yoruba leaders and will play great role in whom yorubas will vote for in 2023

Tinubu is a bad market to the Yoruba people

chibrolex:
Iam praying and asking God almighty to protect and guide RT.Hon.Chibuike Rotimi Ameachi from the eyes of the enemies...what is written is written.God gives power to whom he wish to give power,so we have to accept any candidate God has chosen.God has his own ways of doing things.

Mooh247:


Be rest assured Nobody listens to Obasanjo in his poling unit, infact they always vote against his choice

PrinceOfLagos:

Who made you the mouth piece of the Yoruba people ?

Mooh247:


Tinubu is everything great in Nigeria, Lagos is an example of Tinubu's Excellence, his maturity is what we need not some young Yeye Bello

I think you need to start understanding that Nigeria is not a one nation but a multhiethnic diverse multi nationally that formed a Federation

Tinubu is from Yoruba Nation and the Next President of Nigerian Republic of Nations Insha Allah

We the Ndigbo sons and daughters of Nigeria love Tinubu and he is out hero

.

Nigerialabalaba:

Omo Ibo, u be hateful and fraudulent impostor joor
Omo Ibo, u no get shame at all at all.