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Tinubu |
By
abiodun KOMOLAFE
Bola
Ahmed Tinubu's call on John Odigie-Oyegun to resign as National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) for
allegedly derailing from the path of progressives continues to generate diverse
opinions in the polity. The call, rather than being misconstrued by Tinubu's
antagonists should be seen for its altruistic value and content. It is about
saving the soul of a ruling party that is still in its embryo.
But,
while waiting to see how circumstances eventuate, some questions keep bothering
me and if they are answered dispassionately, they may help put the
understanding of the issue in proper perspective. Before all else, was Tinubu
wrong in endorsing a candidate? Better put, did he, as the National Leader of a
foremost party, do something he ought not to have done by allegedly asking all
the aspirants to work for his preferred
choice (Punch, September 3, 2016)? Also,
and, in fairness to the facts, is Tinubu gradually losing out in Nigeria's
political space and what is the way out? As a matter of fact, what has become
of the ruling party in so short a space of time and where lies the place of its
founding fathers in all ofthis?
Well,
while I may be insufficient at supplying answers to these troublingquestions,
until proven otherwise, I hold the notion that Odigie-Oyegun was either
misunderstood, misrepresented or
used by some principalities higher
than him.Again, until there is evidence to the contrary, I am also of the firm
belief thatPresident Muhammadu Buhari is too decent a leader to beinvolved in
thismessy and rather childish tricks that take nobody anywhere.
Having
said that, Nigerians will agree with me that, on a good day, the forthcoming
governorship election in Ondo State is a rare privilege for APC to present
itself as a party of choice to the electorate.It is also an opportunitytotest
the watersa la Nigerians' acceptance
of its policies and programmes, preparatory to 2019. With the situation of
things however, one can only pray it would not mess it upon the altar ofsomeunbelievably
self-inflicted wounds. From all indications, Mimiko as the Contestant-in-Chief looks
well-prepared for the battle ahead and this ought to have spurred the
opposition into going into the race with a formidable team for the overall
purpose of enriching our democratic process. With Eyitayo Jegede, from a
Senatorial District which, among other considerations, is noted for having the
largest chunk of voters, as People's
Democratic Party, PDP's governorship candidate; and John Ola Mafo, from an
axis notorious for political characterizations similar to Alimosho in Lagos
State, Oke Ogun in Oyo State and Florida in the United States of America,
tentatively as Jegede's deputy, the battle line is already drawn! While the import
of these should not be lost on objective observers, we also need to bear in
mind that Goodluck Jonathan, as fate would have it, is no longer in power. Impliedly,
November 26, 2016will most certainly follow a path different from the experience
in Ekiti and Osun States in 2014. Little wonderthe outgoing governor has been running 'upandan'to bung any inadequacy
thatis within his powers.
Kazi
Shams was right when he described"half
a truth"as "a whole
lie."From a state of denial to an overflowing scourge of anger, the
troubling truth is that we deceive ourselves a lot in this country and this adds more confusion to the course of
questions! Much as we would pretend not to know, life itself is full of
lessons. It is also full of surprises. But, if care is not taken, one may
concentrate more on the 'surprise' aspect of life to the detriment of its
lessons.Anyway, since memories are real, those who wish tobeunnecessarily
emotions- and sentiments-driven should pause a bit and ponder the roles of
Pharaoh in the life of Joseph (Genesis 45:46);King Xerxes in Mordecai's (Esther
10:3);Melchizedek in Abraham's (Hebrews 7);the Widow of Zarephat inProphet Elijah's
(1 Kings 17: 7-16); and ask Nigeria's exceptionally good liars and professional
pretenders what they would do better should they find themselves in Tinubu'sshoes
before casting the first stone.
Again,
if history is an oracle we must consult in order to determine the future, then,
we need
not forget in a hurry that, once upon a recent experience in Nigeria, Ibrahim
Babangida, in crude and rude connivance with some military top brass, not only
endorsed Olusegun Obasanjo, they also ensured that he succeeded Abdusalami Abubakar
as Nigeria's president.Adams Oshiomholestood by Godwin Obaseki at the just-concluded
governorship election in Edo State. Even,Rotimi Akeredolu, the man in the eye
of the storm,reportedlyhad his campaign "bankrolled by Atiku Abubakar and some
APC bigwigs" (Vanguard, September 28, 2016). But for the luxury of time and
space, one can go on and on! So, who's fooling who?
To
some schools of thought, Tinubu ought to have read the tealeavescorrectly,
especially, given that the contestants
paid to obtain Expression of Interest
and Nomination Forms. Well, since the
rules of natural justice are so fundamental that they don't have to be
legislated, Odigie-Oyegun's interview in
Punch, August 21, 2016, has, in my
considered opinion, settled that!
Yes! Nigeria is in challenging times and
conventional prescriptions for herailments ought to be of interest to us
asNigerians. But, in the
midst of the monstrosity of the corruption
that has tragically become Nigeria's defining characteristic, Tinubucomes about
as one leader who has given deep meanings to democracy. Like him or hate him:
he is a politician who has attained an unprecedented level of political sophistication
that can radically influence the perception of governancein this
once-so-beautiful-but-now-badly-damaged microcosm. His gift of being able to make the right choices
is superb as one could see in his preference for Babatunde Fashola and Rauf
Aregbesola as Lagos and Osun State Governors respectively. With the benefit of
hindsight, Fashola not only performed, he eventually became the APC poster boyin
the last election. And while Aregbesola, on his part, has succeeded in unselfishly
redefining governance in my home state, he is also patriotically preparing the 'Land of Virtue'for the future and, when
its fruits blossom forth, they will be to
the gapes of Nigerians.
Another
worthy
example of Tinubu's ability to identify talents is his choice of
Akinwunmi Ambode as Fashola's successor. Surely, Ambode's ongoing silent revolution
in modernizing Lagos, especially, with
the expansion of road networks and redesigning of bus stops to ease traffic
congestion, is a step in the right direction. Kudos must also be given to this
forward-looking Nigerian for making
Buhari'saspiration possible after three futile attempts. And, do we need to discuss
the success of his business ventures? Without being immodest, facts on ground
have already spoken!For the patriotism he has expressed as well as his enormous
contributions to the development of democracy in Nigeria, methinksthis
sagaciousand perspicacious politician deserves encouragement, not
disparagement; and solidarity, not brickbats.
From
my perspective, politics as a game of interest and numbers goes beyond votecasting and party affiliation.
Maybe that's why some people see politics, especially in Africa, as'the
shortestroadto financial freedom.'The point I am trying to make here is that
though, the system in vogue in Nigeria may at the moment be defective and frustrating,
all through history, those who who came outof it smoking were those who were
able to master its 'by-the-minute'
difficulties, frustrations, and, not unexpectedly, its success stories while
those who could nothave always had themselves to blame. And that's the real deal!
Finally,
let's pray that life, times, even travails of Bola Igewould treat our leaders to some salient
lessons in season.
May
powers and personalities, assigned to derail Nigeria's beautiful destiny, wither!
(KOMOLAFE writes from
Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria. He can be reached via> ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk)
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