In a dramatic disregard of President Muhammadu Buhari’s words to the ruling APC to ensure that the party’s presidential ticket should not go to the highest bidder, investigations by FG’s security agencies and anti-corruption agencies has revealed that former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu has just delivered between $2m and $3m each to at least three Northern Governors this afternoon.
While it is still unclear what the Governors intend to do with the money, the three APC Governors targeted by the former Lagos Governor are those known to be active supporters of the Vice President.
Security agencies who are said to be on the trail of high-end cash movements by the some Presidential aspirants are now said to be awaiting further directives while continuing to monitor the situation.
Apart from the cash inducement aimed at the Northern supporters of the Vice President, who was said to have come tops in the Presidential Screening of the APC, there is also said to be the mobilization of some Islamic clerics mounting pressure on some Northern Governors to only support a Muslim presidential aspirants from the South.
Already some of the Northern Governors have solidly resisted these moves, but the former Lagos Governor who is said to have moved in millions of the foreign currency into Abuja via a State government owned jet, is determined to even give more cash to the Governors. A security source said “he had boasted few weeks ago that he is ready to spend almost $3B on becoming Nigeria’s next President waiting to see who can stop him.
Some of the Northern Governors are now rallying others to resist this latest move to trim the VP’S support among Northern Governors, according to a top APC source.
In his speech during the APC Convention, March 26 this year in Abuja, President Buhari had said “I wish to enjoin the incoming National Working Committee to as a matter of policy, promote internal democracy and always respect the wishes of the people. We must de-emphasize money politics, and not subject party primary and elections into public offices, to the highest bidder syndrome.”
