By Tonnie Iredia

Following the declaration by the Presidency that former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a priceless asset to the ruling political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the rumour that there is quarrel between President Muhammadu Buhari and the former governor is probably incorrect.

A Presidential official statement a few days ago, said it all; that President Buhari has been greatly embarrassed by the series of suggestions in the polity that Buhari and the APC leadership have been at odds with one of the party’s leaders, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. The statement described the rumour as unfounded and mischievous bearing in mind that the President was in regular contact with Tinubu before, during and after the Ondo gubernatorial election.

It would therefore appear that there is no truth in the suggestion that the President and the party machinery were working to destroy the former Governor more so as Buhari was reportedly impressed by Tinubu’s assurance not to work against the party in Ondo which he honoured.

Why then has the nation been fed all the while with the rumour that there was serious disagreement in the APC hierarchy? We can only hope that there is no difference between what APC leaders tell themselves at meetings and what they tell some segments of the public.

We recall that over a year ago, when the party had crisis involving its National Assembly members, it was Tinubu that had the burden to debunk reports that he had fallen apart with President Muhammadu Buhari because he could not get what he demanded from the party. Tinubu denied the reports in an interview with State House correspondents shortly after joining some All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders for the breaking of Ramadan fast with the President.

Buhari and Tinubu

Tinubu said he was careful and restrained talking about the crisis in the APC over the leadership positions in the National Assembly, but stressed that he was all for party supremacy, as both leaders and followers must imbibe discipline for the party to succeed. Going by how Tinubu spoke then, one can say the President is also priceless to him.

In the words of Asiwaju “I believe in what the President believes in, I respect him and I stand firmly loyal to his cause. So, you can go to any length of speculation that you might want, I have not responded to all of that because I understand the President and the President understands me clearly.”

Notwithstanding the above assertion which amidst public perception of intra-party war, categorically projects Buhari and Tinubu as priceless to each other, any analyst is free to believe either or none of the versions flying around.

Indeed, one can at the same time believe as well disbelieve all the versions since they are political statements. To attempt to understand the issue at stake can be an ordeal as has happened to Professor John Paden, who in his book titled ‘Muhammadu Buhari: Challenges of Leadership,’ concluded that Tinubu was against the emergence of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as Vice President only to be countered by eye witness accounts on the subject.

Two months back, the President was reported to have met behind closed doors with Tinubu’s associates. In attendance were former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande, the incumbent Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, and Senator Olusola Adeyeye. The associates allegedly told the President that apart from not giving Tinubu sufficient consideration during the ministerial appointments, everything that played out in the Kogi and Ondo elections showed that the President was supporting Asiwaju’s enemies. Since the meeting was held behind closed doors how did the discussions get out?

Another inexplicable rift is the one between Asiwaju and the National Chairman of their party, Chief John Odigie Oyegun. It was an open disagreement in which the resignation of the Chairman was canvassed.

With the latest development in which the Tinubu group congratulated Oyegun and the party over the recent Ondo state governorship election, events would appear to have overtaken not only that but also the defeat of Tinubu’s nominee for Ondo Governorship election, Olusegun Abraham as well as the conspicuous absence of Asiwaju, generally regarded as the party’s southwest leader at the Ondo governorship campaign which was personally attended by the President.

Under the circumstance, it appears in order not to bother about the subject but to note how the parties concerned want it seen; which is that all is well with the APC.

However, what is wrong with a quarrel between the President and Asiwaju? Is it because they are both leaders of the same party? If so, the hype is unnecessary, because in Nigeria, intra party squabbles are common and quite often, more intractable than those concerning different parties.

As we saw in 2015 that was what played a major role in the defeat of the former ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in that year’s Presidential election when party leaders among them serving governors ditched President Goodluck Jonathan. If so, no one should be surprised to observe that there is not much difference between PDP and APC.

If it is not clear to others, it is exceedingly so to journalists who were pushed to ignore balance and objectivity in political coverage against APC during the 2015 election only for officials of that party in a state like Edo to do same in 2016.  Thus, if APC goes the way PDP went, why should the rest of us bother?

Accordingly, whether some APC politicians are at war with one another is irrelevant. Indeed, when politicians disagree, they are not likely to be on the same page in the unending exploitation of the public.

In the National Assembly for instance, it was intra-party disagreements that made it possible for the ordinary man to hear of budget padding and which has in turn enabled him to appreciate why some of our legislators became wealthier than the proverbial business tycoons.

In other words, our President can quarrel with Asiwaju or any other APC leader till 2019 and beyond. Such quarrels may turn out to be good for the nation because they can serve as a check on each other in a nation where opposition political parties are dysfunctional.