The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has shelved his plan of becoming the party’s chairman of the Board of Trustees, sources revealed.
An impeccable source within the APC said Tinubu has thrown his weight behind a former Governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, who is also a former interim chairman of the party.
He said, "Asiwaju is not interested in the BoT chairmanship. He has endorsed Chief Akande, his ally."
But former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is still interested in the position.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Punch that, “The BoT chairman can only give advice but it is a powerful position. In 2014 we underestimated the power of the deputy publicity secretary of the APC. Today, when Timi Frank speaks, the media publishes his reports. Similarly, the BoT position may be advisory but whenever the chairman speaks, everyone listens. The chairman of such an organ has the power to cause crisis or foster peace.”
The source admitted that there were two major factions within the APC.
According to him, those supporting Senate President Bukola Saraki belong to Atiku camp while the others are in Tinubu’s camp.
“Timi Frank belongs to Saraki and Atiku’s camp and that is why he's attacking the party. It was Saraki who even nominated him as deputy spokesman because that position was originally zoned to the North.
“So, we cannot afford to make a similar mistake in this BoT issue. Atiku still has plans to become president in 2019. Should he become the BoT chairman, he might hijack the party structure,” he said.
In a bid to reduce tension, the APC had last week stated that BoT would be replaced by an Elders’ Council as part of a planned restructuring of the advisory body.
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