PRESIDENCY: Nigeria’s Looming Power Battle

The president of the Federal republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has been on medical leave in the United Kingdom for over a month. Buhari is battling several chronic illnesses.

Diagnosed with prostatic cancer several years ago as leaked medical reports from the ABU teaching hospital in Nigeria reveal, Buhari is suffering complications of that diagnoses with “multiple organs affected” as well as other chronic ailments including Crohn’s
intestinal disease as revealed in media reports.

While the detailed nature of his illnesses are shrouded in secrecy by the presidency cabal and ruling class, there is little question that Buhari is no longer well enough physically and mentally to
continue to lead the nation.

Reuters reported that Buhari has been secretly routing his many foreign trips through the United Kingdom to see his physicians since he assumed office. This
suggests that his conditions are
chronically progressive. His present indefinite stay is an ominous sign. Media reports also suggest the president is having speech impairment secondary to
therapy he is on. Speech problems, loss of balance and mental issues are some of the side effects of Lupron, a common drug administered to control prostatic
cancer disease.

With this in mind, Nigerians must brace for the looming power tussle ahead.
Acting president Yemi Osinbajo is
focusing on his job and remaining
dedicated to his boss and not in any way entertaining interest in the politics ahead. In a recent statement the Vice president loyally promoted a false propaganda message that Buhari was “hale and hearty.”

If anything should happen to Acting president Yemi Osinbajo (God forbid) before President Muhammadu Buhari resigns, a new Vice will be chosen by
Buhari. While the chances are extremely slim, a desperate cabal might force Buhari to select another northerner as his Vice.

When President Buhari resigns soon as is expected he responsibly will, Professor Osinbajo who hails from Nigeria’s Yoruba South west will become the 5th fourth republic president and 16th leader of the amalgamated nation.

He will be constitutionally required to choose a Vice president. A week after president Musa Umaru Yar’Adua was reported to have passed, then Vice
president Goodluck Jonathan nominated Namadina Sambo as his deputy. Stratfor described Jonathan’s choice of Namadi
Sambo thus: “By picking Sambo, a
relatively unknown politician from
northern Nigeria, Jonathan has declined handing the office to the kind of powerful politician that would clearly indicate he is not interested in pursuing his own term as president in the planned 2011 elections.”

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo will be expected to send a core northerner as his Vice candidate to the Assembly for approval. If like Goodluck Jonathan, Professor Yemi Osinbajo selects a none
core northerner, the implications could likewise be read to mean an intent to run in 2019.

The tradition in Nigeria is for the
President and Vice to be from the two major regions, the north and the south, though there is again a core north which excludes northern states in the middle belt like Kwara, and the Boko Haram-torn Kanuri north east which are
not catchment areas of the northern mafia political cabal. This core north is limited to a hand full of states where hausa-Fulani are concentrated. These states include, Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Zamfara, Kebbi and Jigawa all in
the north west precisely. The other states are embraced by the core north for population-based power matters but not in shared leadership or even prosperity and security. The two most recent northern presidents have hailed
from the same state, Katsina. That’s late Yar’Adua and Buhari.
While majority of Nigerians do not care about power rotation and are only hungry for good leadership, Nigeria’s tribalistic northern mafia and the cabal
at the presidency care more about
retaining power than the quality of candidate occupying the office, a survival instinct of all cabal.

Sirka, DambazzauMinister of Aviation, billionaire Hadi Sirika who hails from Katsina state and Abdulrahman Dambazau, the Minister of Interior from Kano state are two top contenders
expected to be pushed forward by the cabal at the presidency in attempt to maintain their grip on power.

A part of the image tarnishing
“nepotism” record of president
Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika is said to be president Buhari’s nephew.