Onanuga Alleges: Presidency, APC Chairman Sabotaged Tinubu’s Presidential Aspirations

Bayo Onanuga, one of President Bola Tinubu’s media aides, disclosed that despite facing opposition within his own party and sabotage from officials in President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime, Tinubu emerged victorious in the 2023 presidential election.

Onanuga pointed out that key figures, including Abdullahi Adamu, the former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), worked against Tinubu’s candidacy. He highlighted challenges such as a sudden currency change and fuel scarcity, strategically timed to impact the election dynamics.

“Even though our candidate is a member of the ruling party, there were all kinds of things that some officials of the former government did that ought to have worked seriously against us. Like the sudden currency change in an election year. We’ve been having fuel all over the country, and all of a sudden, we had fuel scarcity,” said Onanuga.

The media aide attributed Tinubu’s victory to what he called “God’s handiwork,” acknowledging that despite internal party struggles, divine intervention played a crucial role in Tinubu’s success. Onanuga also revealed that APC Chairman Abdullahi Adamu nearly endorsed a consensus ticket for Senator Ahmad Lawan, sidelining Tinubu.

“Tinubu didn’t have the support of some people in his party. For instance, the party chairman nearly gave a so-called consensus ticket to Senator Ahmad Lawan. Then, there were fuel scarcity and currency scarcity problems, deliberately thrown on his path by the governing party,” Onanuga emphasized.

Contrary to these revelations, Garba Shehu, spokesperson for the former president, asserted that President Buhari willingly allowed Tinubu to win the election. Shehu highlighted Tinubu’s visit to Daura after receiving his certificate from INEC as evidence of Buhari’s support, stating, “The incoming president Bola Tinubu never gets tired of saying that the president allowed him to win. It is very significant. He allowed him to win in a free and fair process.”

The intricate dynamics of the 2023 election continue to unfold, revealing the political maneuvering and challenges faced by President Bola Tinubu on his path to victory.