Aso Rock cabal in dilemma Over Buhari’s Successor

The cabal around President Muhammadu Buhari has been thrown into a dilemma on pushing forward a successor to the outgoing president after ruling out a number of powerful individuals in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC including some within the government.

While the cabal is said to know those in their permutation who will not succeed Buhari, they are according to multiple sources confused over who will.

That confusion in finding an amenable Southern presidential material, according to multiple sources, was at the weekend giving life to the once unfathomable prospects of the dutiful minister of state, petroleum, Timipire Sylva emerging as Buhari’s proverbial dark horse.

APC sources in Bayelsa State and authoritative sources in Abuja gave credence to the permutation on Sylva which though had been mentioned in the past was now getting a life of its own.

The powerful cabal around the president consisting mostly of kin from Katsina and party loyalists from the North it was gathered have been flummoxed by the determination of some of those they had initially ruled out from forging ahead. Two of those it was gathered are Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who it was learnt has insisted on exercising his democratic rights in a free and fair primary. He appears to be the man to beat, all things being equal.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, another prospect has also shocked the cabal with the weight of favour that his aspiration has garnered. However, the cabal it was gathered, is unshaken by different polls and studies that put Osinbajo as one of the best bets for the APC to retain power in 2023 with insinuations of lack of trust in the professor.

The prospects of Governor Kayode Fayemi who is also said to be preparing to roll out his campaigns are also said not to have won the favour of the cabal.

However, many,  mostly from the South including Rotimi Amaechi, Ibikunle Amosun, President Goodluck Jonathan among others are said to have been considered by the cabal. Jonathan it was gathered has, however, given as his condition that he must be adopted as a consensus, a prospect that the cabal has not been able to guarantee.