And behold Tinubu dumped Buhari for Tambuwal.

Several other factors were taken into
consideration by the Tinubu camp in switching
support, close associates of the political leader
disclosed to Saturday Vanguard. Among the
other factors was the alleged overbearing
influence of some close associates of Gen.
Buhari, who they claimed were likely to fence
out other political stakeholders in a possible
Buhari presidency.
Three former heads of state, two from the
north and one from the south and a very
influential retired army chief from the northeast
who has also held political appointments in the
present dispensation were among those cited
by sources as having prevailed on the Tinubu
camp to drop support for Buhari.
The decision of the Tinubu camp to drop
support for Buhari, it was learnt, also followed
reservations from some sections of the north
notably, some Islamic leaders.
“It is not that we dumped Buhari, the Islamic
clerics, the imams and the political leaders in
the north particularly three former heads of
state said that they don’t want the man,” the
source said.

“There is this perception about Buhari that he
is surrounding himself with some people like
Nasir El-Rufai, Buba Galadima, Sule Hamman”
the source said, reawakening complaints
about the overbearing attitude of Buhari’s now
dissolved political machine, The Buhari
Organisation, TBO which had in the past been
accused of selectively fencing out people.
The Tinubu associates also feared that the
perceptions of religious extremism which the
ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP
had sought to tag on Buhari could deny the
party votes in the South were he to emerge as
candidate.
Though many of the Tinubu associates do not
regard him as an extremist, but the perception
already created, it was learned, could be
injurious to their political outing. There were
also concerns that Buhari could be detached
from responsibility and reference was made to
his past roles as head of state and chairman
of the Petroleum (Special) Task Force, PTF
where his subordinates usurped authority in
his name.
“When he was head of state most of the
power was delegated to Idiagbon and when he
was at PTF, it was another person, that took
charge and that if APC says they are looking
for change that Tambuwal represents that
change,” an associate of Tinubu revealed.
Another factor that was taken into
consideration which was projected by some
associates of the APC national leader,
Saturday Vanguard learned was the prospect
of Buhari turning on Tinubu and others once
he is invested with power.
“There are also fears in Asuwaju’s camp that
the man may destroy Asiwaju and may come
back to hurt him and some of Asiwaju’s
loyalists warned him,” the source revealed.