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A top chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC Chief Ayiri Emami has said that cabals in the presidency want to install a pliable and inexperienced candidate as President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor
Emani who is also a member of APC Presidential Emami stated this in Abuja, while addressing newsmen in his residence.
According to him, the saboteurs want a candidate they can manipulate and not a strong willed person like Tinubu.
Emami, a Director Special Duties (IV) in the Campaign Council, said: “The fear of a strong- willed Tinubu is the beginning of the fear of the Cabal in the Villa.
“Let me use myself as an example. Even in our small community. If you know your right and you know what you are doing and you want to lead, many people will come after you. But some of the people don’t want somebody that understand the system to lead because all they know is how to manipulate. They know Asiwaju knows the inner workings of government.
“So you will see every day all kinds of battles or kind of blackmail, or kind of way to stop him and that is how I see Asiwaju. He knows a lot about governance. He knows what to do to make sure that this place works. And if it works, those doing dubious things would not be able to do it again. So, if such a person is to take over, it won’t be an easy battle because they know he knows the inner workings of government and can’t be manipulated.”
Emami argued that recent disclosures and the position of the APC Governors, which led to a meeting with Buhari last Friday, was an indication that the Naira note redesign did not enjoy the buy -in of the APC led administration at all levels.
“They are not policies of the APC at all. Because if they are the policies of the APC, everybody would be involved. These are policies of some few persons to sabotage. Why introduce such policies during the election? ” Emami queried.
The APC chieftain dismissed insinuations of a frosty relationship between Buhari and the party standard bearer, saying: “To me, even his own election, it was other people that were actually championing his campaign. So, I just feel that that is his normal style. All humans are not the same. Tinubu is a workaholic, during the 2014/2015, he did that.
” At a time, even during the primary, somebody that was contesting, like President Muhammadu Buhari said I don’t have money to give to the delegates. For example, if he was not the one contesting, people would have said this man is a wicked man. Then, he was the one contesting and he could make that kind of statement in the public while canvassing for votes at the campaign ground.
“To me, it is his lifestyle, even if he is supporting you, it is not that type that comes out to the public and say it. But what we’re trying to see is that those saboteurs within should please retreat. Let’s go into a proper contest. I don’t see any problem. To me, I know that Buhari is supporting us because he had said it publicly and that is one Muslim man that I believe that once he swears by the Quran, he stands by it.”
The Niger Delta leader called on the people of the region vote en masses on February 25 for the APC candidate, insisting that no other candidate in the race can displace Tinubu.
But when reminded El-Rufai had conceded victory of the region to the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, the Itesekiri-born politician said that the result of the presidential election will shock Nigerians.
“For me Obi is going no where in Niger Delta. We are being challenged by Governor El-Rufai and we are going to surprise him. Delta State and indeed the entire Niger Delta will deliver for Asiwaju Tinubu. That is why I call on our people to come out and vote for Asiwaju who is our in-law.”
