2019: Confusion in APC as Kingibe campaign posters flood Abuja, Kaduna

The All Progressives Congress (APC) may have been thrown into another round of confusion ahead of the 2019 general elections as posters of Ambassador Babagana Kingibe flood Abuja and other Nigerian cities.

This is happening barely a week after former President Olusegun Obasanjo stoked controversy in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari asking him not to seek re-election in 2019.

At the weekend, posters bearing Kingibe’s portraits for president flooded major cities across the country, including Lagos, Kaduna, Abuja, Maiduguri, Calabar, Asaba, Uyo, Kano, etc.

Already close political associates of Kingibe are said to be reaching out to the old Social Democratic Party (SDP) stalwarts to reactivate and coalesce their support for the long-standing politician.

He is known to be an insider in the Muhammadu Buhari presidency and had lately assumed a prominent role behind the scenes in the presidency.

The ‘Sai Baba’ posters declaring Kingibe’s presidential bid in 2019 were prominently displayed on major highways and vantage areas of those cities.

The appearance of Kingibe’s posters is causing ripples in the All Progressives Congress (APC), APC sources to INDEPENDENT.

Although insiders believe that Buhari would prefer Kaduna State governor, Ahmed El-Rufai, as successor in the event he decides not to run, the appearance of the posters of a member of Buhari’s kitchen cabinet could be seen as an endorsement of Obasanjo’s argument.

Kingibe is not only a member of Buhari’s kitchen cabinet but is also alleged to head the Aso Rock cabal of this administration.

Secondly, Kingibe’s decision to re-activate his old political network may have the predictable effect of dividing the core North.

This is because the unspoken agreement so far within the APC is that no one should challenge Buhari until he had decided either to run or not to run, and if he is not running, he would be expected to name his successor.

This may have been why the party members rose as one to antagonise former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, when he indicated interest to run for the presidency in 2019 until he had to leave APC and return to PDP.

The APC is now afraid that Kingibe’s indication of interest in 2019 presidency bid will divide Kingibe’s North-East and Buhari’s North-West geopolitical zones and, perhaps, revive the age-long Fulani versus Kanuri rivalry. (Independent)