The administration has stated that political leaders vying for the position of late President Muhammadu Buhari may be wasting their time, as no political leader in the North has the exceptional following that the late president did.
Tunde Rahman, Senior Assistant to the President on Media and Special Duties, said in a press statement on Sunday that if late President Buhari had been alive, he would have supported Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
According to Rahman, Buhari’s death looks to have opened up leadership opportunities in the North.
He stated, “And no political leader in the North today commands such a large following as Buhari.” His death has sparked a rat race for leadership supremacy.
“Despite the possibility that it would harm President Tinubu politically, this circumstance benefits him. Indeed, this does not diminish the enormous gap and sadness that the statesman’s passing has left behind.”
While reacting to a claim made by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, who stated that President Tinubu did not make Buhari president in 2015 because the late president already had over 12 million votes before the 2015 election.
According to Rahman, “If Buhari had always had a guaranteed bloc of 12 million votes, and the alliance partners contributed only three million votes, many would wonder why those massive votes didn’t make him President in 2003, 2007, and 2011, until President Tinubu and others teamed up with him to form an alliance that produced the all-conquering All Progressives Congress.
“This might have been akin to dissipating energy on a matter that would have been merely academic if the late President himself hadn’t often acknowledged President Tinubu’s help in his ascent to the exalted office.”
He stated that Buhari has always admired Tinubu for his contributions to his election as president.
“Regardless of the preceding, the former SGF’s allegation provides useful insight into determining the probable impact of the former President’s death on the 2027 election.
“Former President Buhari led a unique life in every way, and his death in a blaze of glory was no less exceptional. President Tinubu gave him a historic state burial. Following Buhari’s death on Sunday, July 13, in a London hospital, President Tinubu proclaimed seven days of national mourning and ordered that the national flag be flown at half-staff. The President was on hand to receive Buhari’s body as it arrived in Katsina from the United Kingdom. Equally noteworthy, the Federal Government proclaimed a public holiday on Tuesday, July 15, when Buhari’s remains were buried in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State.
Rahman also remarked about the dignitaries led by Tinubu to accompany the late President’s remains on the long travel to Daura, and how they observed the former President’s burial.
He continued, “No honor would be too great for that late patriot, civil war hero, famous army general, and former President who fought for the Talakawas. Many Nigerians praised Buhari for leading a Spartan lifestyle and advocating for truth and justice, which earned him the nickname “Mai Gaskiya.”
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When asked about the impact of Buhari’s death on Tinubu’s reelection, he stated, “In the run-up to the 2027 election, some pundits liken former President Buhari’s death to a double-edged sword that can cut both ways.
“They argue that the impact of his death on the 2027 election could swing both for and against President Tinubu. Those who believe his death will jeopardize the President’s re-election preparations argue that Buhari was a loyal and persistent ally of Tinubu until his death, and that the two’s friendship, founded on mutual trust and respect, remained solid until Buhari’s death. Buhari never criticized Tinubu or his administration while alive. The former President allegedly praised Tinubu for having the bravery to make major economic decisions that he had struggled to achieve.
“There was nothing to suggest that Buhari wouldn’t have backed Tinubu in 2027 if he were still alive, given that he had consistently emphasised his indebtedness to the APC, which provided the platform that enabled him to become President, and Tinubu, who assisted him on his presidential journey.”
