WHY MUST I STAND WITH BOLA TINUBU?

Hundreds of loyalists gathered together in a walk today to support Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in Lagos Nigeria. In the Walk called “I stand with Bola Tinubu”, followers gathered to express their displeasure on the sidelining of Tinubu by the Central All Progressive Congress Government of Muhammadu Buhari.

"I stand with Bola Tinubu" Walk in Lagos  Photo Credit: Stanley Ogidi

I have asked myself why exactly I should stand with Bola Tinubu. I would rather have loved to sit and split drinks with him (lol) and learn. Right from the time the ministerial list came out, Tinubu has become a little more quiet than normal and the bubble burst at the Ondo state APC primaries where Tinubu was forced to notify the president of anomalies and asked for the resignation of the Party’s national chairman, Chief John Oyegun. Interests rule politics generally but the question is what exactly does Tinubu want in Nigeria?

I wished Tinubu needed money. Buhari will have hit him with a Lifelong contract to calm him. But interestingly Tinubu has built so much legitimate means of making money that it will be too stupid to think that money is his problem. I am just sure he will look at those who bought Rolls Royce and published it in the newspapers as  SS3 boys. Second, By APC antecedents, I wished loyalty was the issue. Loyalty is spiritual to Jagaban and it is the inevitable pathway to the top. The question is “has there being disloyalty somewhere? Third, Around the time of Chief Bisi Akande’s birthday, Tinubu emphatically refused to take the position of vice presidency against the Chief’s wish. Tinubu had in his own analysis of Nigeria explained how events had overtaken such political strategy. Can we then still say greed for power is the issue?  

In all, most importantly, Tinubu by precedent, seeks a national party that will turn around Nigeria in an organic manner like Fashola did in Lagos. He will not fail to push it or influence it if necessary.  If he feels so sure that some sets of decisions are wrong, he will resist them particularly if he feels they are not in public interest. Choosing leaders, setting strategies and attaining landmarks are critical to Tinubu. He won’t object to speak out if he sees an oncoming blunder. But most importantly, could there be a clear gang-up against him in his own party? To tell you the truth, I do not know.

However, Tinubu has survived so many gang-ups and attacks. First, he survived the efforts to be rigged out at the 2003 elections. He was the only surviving AD governor in 2003 elections. Between 2003 and 2007, the only thing former President Olusegun Obasanjo did not do was to strangle him. Financially, the state was choked as federal allocations were kept away from the state when Tinubu’s Action Congress alone created new local governments in Lagos.  As this was on, Tinubu was in and out of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for money laundering allegations etc at different times. He came out of all unscratched! He was also severally dealt with at several Code of Conduct tribunals where he was finally cleared. Against very intense resistance from the outgoing Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and incoming Umar Musa Yaradua, Tinubu suffered intense resistance for his political ideology which as at then was unstoppable. The only man who really did not resist the Action Congress too intensely was President Goodluck Jonathan who never saw anything as a do or die affair.

That some non-Yoruba southerners  believe it was an error of the Yorubas to align with the Hausa Fulani in the 2015 elections is enough to tell us how far Tinubu has gone as far as Yoruba leadership is concerned. Even northern groups are warning Buhari to stay off quarrels with Tinubu currently. With deliberations going on to float a new party, APC should start getting ready for a shake-up. I’ve always known the party cannot break into just 2 parties but a minimum of 4 pieces at maturity. There will definitely be realignment of forces as the ideology isn’t the same anymore. While Ondo and Ekiti may realign back to Tinubu, Lagos will stand by him all the way. Some others might follow too.

 In all, One major thing a man like Tinubu must do is to keep his political clout and take care of his own base. Raise young people and perpetuate yourself. Raise a following from your people and those that believe in you. In all, Tinubu has done greatly even if he pulls out of politics today. Strategizing and mobilizing critical people to push a country of 170m people away from an incumbent 16 years old political party to lead the national government in a democratic order is a giant stride. Many of the Nigerian heroes past we talk about achieved this with a less educated, less populated and more loyal society. Even Awolowo’s wish could not survive Obasanjo’s tact.

For the antecedents, political clout, style and consistency, I stand with Tinubu. He will only get better by this crisis once again.