Could it be true that President Muhammadu Buhari has finally come up with a shortlist of three persons, from which the one who should succeed him would be chosen?
Is it true that ‘the trusted son of Daura’, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, current Minister of Transportation and former Governor of Rivers State is not on the list of those who can be trusted to succeed the President?
These are questions that are being asked as a report published by a magazine, Openlife Nigeria, makes the rounds.
President Buhari had said in a recent interview that he was keeping the name of his successor out of the public purview until it is time.
The President’s utterance which suggested that he has an interest in who would take over from him sparked off a lot of speculation.
Most Nigerians took to the mass media and the social media to make informed guesses about who the mystery successor would be.
While Nigerians have been striving to unravel what they perceive as the thinking of the president, the political rumour mill has again come alive.
Aisha Buhari, Nigeria’s First Lady
This time, Aisha Buhari, wife of the President and First Lady of Nigeria visited the Amaechis at their Abuja residence in Asokoro shortly after the turbaning which took place in Katsina.
Such a visit by the wife of the President to the private homes of those working with her husband is rare. In no time, the visit to the Amaechis became a major talking point.
Rotimi Amaechi, Buhari’s Minister of Transportation and Dan Amanar Daura
The First Lady’s visit obviously raised hopes in some circles that the Rivers born Minister who is yet to declare any intent to contest the presidency may indeed be the ‘trusted one.’
Pictures of Mrs Buhari’s visit to the Amaechi home in Abuja have since gone viral. So too, have reactions which have been trailing the event.
But Openlife Nigeria, quoting unnamed sources has revealed that the President has penciled down three possible nominees for the top job.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, eyes set on the 2023 presidential ticket of the APCCuriously, neither the acclaimed leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is in the race, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo that has an awesome team to work with, nor Rotimi Amaechi, the Dan Amanar Daura, is on the list that Openlife Nigeria claims is very authoritative.
On the three-man list that is allegedly endorsed by the incumbent President are former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Governor Adams Oshiomhole who was kicked out as APC National Chairman and Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, a one-time Governor of Abia State.
Onu who maintains a low profile is the current Minister of Science and Technology under the Buhari administration.
According to the publication, “Highly credible source who confided in OpenLife Magazine early Friday said the decision was taken in his lastest foreign trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Africa Union Heads of State and Government.
“The Ethiopia meeting was the needed opportunity for Buhari to congregate his inner caucus who, according to OpenLife source, flew into Addis Ababa from different locations and time to ward off any suspicion that may arise from close aides.
President Muhammadu Buhari
“The source further affirmed that foreign interests were well represented and presented “Because International community acceptance of Buhari’s choice is very key.”
“Continuing, the source said “Former President Good luck Ebele Jonathan, Adams Oshiomhole and Ogbonnaya Onu, current Minister of Science and Technology were finally picked and Baba was told to set aside political grievance and have a meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalam Abubakar.”
The idea behind the proposed meeting with former military leaders, the magazine reported, is to “get their buy-in to minimize rancour as count down begins.”
The Telegraph asked a close associate of the Minister of Transportation what he thinks about the report.
The source remarked, “I cannot say where the publication got its report from or how credible that source is.
“I will rather refrain from tagging it fake news. For us, Amaechi is the trusted one. That is all I can tell you.”
It is difficult to say who is telling the truth at this time. This is Nigeria where anything goes, some say.
Perhaps, the report by Openlife probably unearths what could be part of the plan by the outgoing President to ensure that Nigeria continues to have what has been aptly described as ‘guided democracy’ by some critical minds.
Faced by several challenges – an economy that is not doing too well, growing insecurity and instability – Nigerians are expected to make hard decisions.
Most reckon that those decisions ought to begin for instance, with who becomes the next president of the country.