ONDO STATE'S POLITICS IN PERSPECTIVE

Good morning my good people of Ondo State. We have every reason to thank God for the unfolding scenario in our political firmament. With the first round of the unstoppable crumbling of the political edifice of the crafty one, it is now becoming clearer than ever that no man/woman can mock God. A government built on the contradiction of monthly Thanksgiving service in government house & daily looting of people's collective patrimony in government offices will never be protected by God. The crumbling has just begun. More incredible revelations are coming pretty soon. The immediate lesson in this reality for us in Ondo State is for all of us to guide our loins, roll up our sleeves, open our minds, and faithfully join up with AD and Olusola Oke. The decision we take at this critical juncture of our life as a people will go a long way to determine what becomes of our Sunshine State.

 Recall that the mistake of some of us in 2012 brought us to painful state of neglect by the one we re-elected. If providence has been so kind to us by edging out those who had perfected their usual plan to pilfer money from our treasury to buy our vote, it is now our turn to show gratitude to God by voting Oke as our next Governor. There are signs & signals to convince us that  Olusola Oke is God-endorsed. We cannot risk entrusting our state to candidates whose emergence was thoroughly compromised, or who in the past exchanged their ambition for a pot of porridge gifted them by the falling crafty one. If a man accepted a xyz million naira cheque (which turned out to be a dude cheque) to team up with the fox against his small collection of followers four years ago, we better imagine (but not experience) what he will do with state fund under his control. If a man is so cocky, heady & not given to consensus building, & unilaterally picked another character of questionable & already questioned integrity as running mate, we better imagine (not experience) what he will do with power. But, if we find a man like Olusola Oke who radiates love, passion to serve, strong sense of traditional wisdom, wide berth of fame & acceptance across the complex divides of our land, a physique easy to describe, a mien so polished, an aura so dignifying, integrity so untainted, & character so unimpeachable, then we are in safe hands. What else do we want God to do for us? The man is ready. Against negative news from the mill of fear-stricken political foes, the party AD has presented him. INEC has accepted, listed & publicized his name. All of us have to embrace him. Let's go there & vote Olusola Oke. He will not fail God. He will not disappoint us. We love him because we can trust him. 





Dr Okajare S.T. writes.

OLUSOLA OKE PHENOMENON ---- Tai Okajare

The 'Oke Phenomenon' is redefining Ondo politics & redesigning its contours. It is good that about a month to the election, the Jegede/Mimiko team promised Ondo people to continue with the present programme of impoverishment. APC/AKETI team cannot see anything pitiable, painful & regrettable in the present parlous state of Ondo State. As a people severally deceived & thoroughly defrauded, we are now better informed. I have high hope that we will take informed decision on November 26 by voting Olusola Oke. He is the only candidate who has the eyes to see the decay in the land, the ear to listen to people's wails, the nose to smell the sickening stench in our neighborhood, and the prepared mind to articulate & deploy genuine solutions to our multifarious challenges in Ondo State. I hope we can begin to rehearse our songs of victory.

Once beaten, twice shy.   The next election offers an ample chance to all of us, the good people of Ondo State, to rescue ourselves, our children, grandchildren and collective patrimony from the clutches & stranglehold of serial looters, ruthless oppressors & mindless impostors. Olusola Oke is the answer. He can be called at any time to account for his stewardship. We love him because we can trust him with our people's commonwealth. Vote Oke and lift our state higher to enviable pedestal.

ONDO 2016::: RURAL TRANSFORMATION MY PRIORITY, OLUSOLA OKE

Alliance for Democracy (AD) governorship candidate in Ondo State, Chief Olusola Oke, has promised to give prior attention to the rural dwellers and agricultural development when elected in the November 26 election.

Oke, who said rural dwellers have great roles to play in ensuring food sufficiency in the state, said the AD government would make life conducive in rural areas across by executing first class rural development policies and provision of necessary infrastructures.

The governorship candidate who spoke at Irese, Ikota, ijare, Ibulesoro, Ero and Ipogun during his campaign tour of Ifedore Council area yesterday, lamented the neglect and lack of infrastructures in the rural areas despite their role in food production and supply chain.

Oke said the need to ensure good living condition and environment for rural dwellers is a policy thrust of the AD, promised the rural communities good access roads, water supply, electricity, healthcare facilities and storage faciilities.

The AD governorship candidate, while assuring of restoring prosperity to Ekiti state and its people, said development of the rural areas was necessary in driving the need to boost agriculture and agri-business being mainstay of Ondo economy.

Oke told the mammoth crowds at Ilara Mokin and Igbara Oke that chief among reasons he is aspiring to govern the state is the need to restore prosperity to the land and its people.

He lamented that the present Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration in the state had reversed all traces of development and left the people impoverished and yearning for alternative.

Oke, who described the AD as the much desired alternative, said he had the required experience to turn the present sorry situation of the state around.

He promised to revive of the moribund industries in the state and as well revisit the Olokola and Deep Seaport projects to attract viable investors and as well establish medium scale industries in the three senatorial districts of the state.

‎TINUBU, BETRAYALS, LARGE-HEARTEDNESS

Get this to you head, Tinubu-haters: Asiwaju is a good leader by all established parameters and he also has his own weaknesses as well.

Before, during and after the #OndoAPCprimaries, one person that has continued to feature is no other person than Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. He is not from Ondo but he influences ‎decisions. In 2002, when president Olusegun Obasanjo solicited support of South West (SW) governors to back his re-election bid, all, except Asiwaju accepted Obasanjo's plea. They were all rigged out except the son of late Abibat Mogaji.

A veteran of many successful political wars, he decided to rescue the Yorubas from the locusts who had rigged their way to power. As the only opposition governor in the SW‎, he battled the Federal Government (FG) under the leadership of Obasanjo - thirteen times, Tinubu took the FG to court.

During his tenure as Lagos governor, he brought young minds, within the ages of 25 and 43 into governance. One by one, he helped retrieved the stolen mandate of the people of Edo, then Ondo, Ekiti and Osun -all through ‎court pronouncement. Ogun and Oyo were in the hands of Gbenga Daniel and Adebayo Alao-Akala respectively until 2011.

The merger of the four political parties wouldn't have been made possible without Tinubu. From the day Rauf Aregbesola recorded what transpired at the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) election which was manipulated in favour of Jonah Jang of Plateau State, to the defection of the 5 PDP governors led by Rotimi Amaechi, it was through the assurance given by Asiwaju. To prepare the ground for the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari as the candidate of the newly formed All Progressives Congress, APC, he didn't only 'imposed' Fayemi as the convention chairman, he brought the convention to Lagos. Atiku reportedly 'dollarised' the convention but many people collected his money and did the bidding of Asiwaju. Buhari emerged and most of the campaign strategies were designed in Lagos.

It was very obvious that Tinubu was the backbone. He was blackmailed. Maligned. His character defamed and all sorts of propaganda were manufactured, just against the Jagaban of Borgu Kingdom. Tinubu was not contesting but he was their enemy and so he was mercilessly attacked. Africa Independent Television, AIT, owned by a known chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party from Edo State, almost incurred the wrath of the law, for airing a documentary -Lion of Bourdillon‎ on its medium. It was made to apologise.

For the first time, an opposition party rode into power and Buhari, who had contested thrice unsuccessfully, became Nigeria's president. In all the three times Buhari contested the president‎ial election, he neither win Kaduna, where he lives, nor Katsina where he comes from until the fourth time. The campaign strategies that were deployed were very potent.

In politics, nobody assists you without expecting patronage - at least to empower those who worked for the electioneering campaign. Most of Tinubu's men were not considered when the government was formed. Most of us, were at first shocked but later had a rethink - that Buhari should be allowed to pick the very best not knowing that he has been fenced by some people. These people, including two northern and one southern governors, take charge when Buhari goes to sleep every night. They have an agenda - to edge out Asiwaju -"...he is becoming too power and it is time we clipped his wings" -one of them was quoted as saying. Pekelepekele -ogede wo koko ye tan..." Surely, they have succeeded to a considerable extent.

Not many people know that APC died that day Saraki and Dogara became Senate President and Reps Speaker respectively. And for the first time, let me break my silence. To the moralist, it was not constitutional to have a preferred candidate but others were right. A Tinubu wouldn't hide his choice. The cabals surrounding Buhari advised Buhari otherwise and surely they had their way.

Soon after, late Audu picked James Faleke, a two-term chairman and three-term Reps member as his running mate. Many were quick to term it 'Tinubu arrangement'. In short, Audu died on the eve of the announcement of result and as they were trying to sort things out, the names of Yahaya Bello, who left the state after he had lost the primary and didn't vote on election day was ‎submitted as a replacement for the deceased candidate by Odigie-Oyegun on the order of the 'president's men'.

Before the Ondo APC primaries, Tinubu endorsed his longterm friend and business associate, Dr Olusegun Abraham. Many people, most of whom had visited Bourdillon to seek his endorsement but didn't get it, were angry. They ganged up against the father of Iyaloja -won n boke sote, oke o jé, oke o mu..." Two of them, both lawyers, the youngest being 62, who had enjoyed Asiwaju's unstoppable benevolence, began the war whose end they may not see. Tunji Abayomi, whose biography cannot be written without the mention of Asiwaju, wrote a letter, advising Asiwaju 'not to impose' candidate on them. Ever since the death of late Ade Adefarati, Tinubu has been the sole financier of the progressives in Ondo, every now and then, they run to him for political and financial assistance and he has never failed them. Trust Tinubu, he fired back, exposing the 'furo' of an 'adie'. But let's come to think of it: is there no difference between impose and endorse. As that was not enough, Akeredolu, who Tinubu brought to political reckoning in Ondo State, fired another salvo published on the election day in Punch. Like he predicted, he shocked Tinubu. Through the help of some renegades, the delegates' list was manipulated and Aketi 'won' the ticket. Some aspirants, especially Olusola Oke who was the first to discover the fraud, petitioned the party and it set up a panel of 11 men -six of the members, having discovered the fraud, voted for a fresh primary while five voted against it. Oyegun, acting another script, submitted the names of Akeredolu, while the party was still looking for solution to the issue. Tinubu, never found wanting, wrote a long letter, accusing Oyegun and his ilks of plans to pollute the change the party campaigned for. The letter sent jitters than the spine of many political observers. Why should anybody blame Olusola Oke for defecting to the Alliance for Democracy to realise his ambition? He was not satisfied with a process and he followed the rules only for one old man to 'veto' everything.

When he 'imposed' people like Muiz Banire and Odigie Oyegun as national legal adviser and national chairman of APC respectively, it was a good decision.‎ When he made this same Muiz Banire as commissioner, at age 32, it was a good thing. Banire, now a SAN, is now out to settle scores because his hope of becoming Lagos governor was dashed. He is angry with Tinubu, his mentor, just like Fashola, Fayemi and others. But was it Tinubu that dashed his hope? No! It was agitation for a christian governor that threw up Ambode. Only last Thursday, I saw Banire's press statement, threatening that any attempt to withdraw the ticket from Akeredolu would be resisted.

To these dissidents, they are battle-ready to 'molest' their benefactors, forgetting that Tinubu is known for winning wars. This is not the first time he was betrayed but each time, he comes out stronger. Before the 2002 election, all his three ‎senators -Musiliu Obanikoro, Wahab Dosunmu and Adeseye Ogunlewe left him and he won his re-election and the senators lost their bids. In 2006, people also betrayed him and he won again. However, he is a true leader -he has a forgotten spirit. Femi Pedro, MOB, Tokunbo Afikuyomi, Demola Seriki and host of others were forgiven for their mistakes.

In Asiwaju: Leadership in Troubled Times, edited by the trio of Tunji Bello, Sam Omatseye and Segun Ayobolu, Bello, who was commissioner from 1999 till 2015 and now Secretary to the State Government of Lagos said: "Incidentally, some of Asiwaju's weaknesses come from those virtues he cherishes. His obsession with loyalty, love for the poor and respect for human rights as some of us his lieutenants have observed did sometimes prevent him from taking rightful but painful decisions. His love for loyalty has been exploited by some who claim to be more loyal to him to deal with their political enemies.

"Asiwaju is someone that listens. He is ever willing to concede to superior argument of his advisers. But where he is sure of his facts and the result he will get, he remains obdurate‎....

"In 2005, Asiwaju was about to introduce a new measure of opportunities into the civil service that was capable of destroying the civil service. Babatunde Fashola, his Chief of Staff was designated to formally announce the new decision. But he took Asiwaju on for several hours in his office. When Asiwaju remained obstinate, Dele Alake also went to meet him at home and took him on from midnight‎ to 5 am in the morning. When Alake left, Asiwaju was still adamant on his position. Two hours later, perhaps after reflection, Asiwaju bowed to superior argument and he called Fashola to stop the announcement.

"In early October 2006, the controversy over Fashola's choice as his successor-nominee was still raging seriously. Eight of his commissioners that were members of the inner circle within his cabinet with views that he respected on any matter thought they could persuade him against his choice. They rose from a meeting in Ikoyi one night and went straight to Asiwaju's house to inform him‎ that Fashola's choice would not sell as it would end up dividing the party and possibly cost us the 2007 election. Asiwaju annoyingly rose up and told the advisers: "He is the man for the job. If you will not help me carry him, I will do so on my own. Thank you." and that was the end of the matter. His response disarmed the commissioners and they had no choice but to follow him.

‎Written in the foreword of the book by Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III, Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme Counci for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) is: "I have known Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for many years and since 2006, have interacted and worked closely with him. I have found in Asiwaju...an affable, humane and sincere personality who is forthright in his views and deeply committed to the lofty ideals that he believes in. He accords respect to each and everyone, irrespective of tribe and tongue; and remains a legendary bridge builder who has been able to foster understanding, amity and partnership across the variegated landscape of our collective existence...May Allah (SWT) grant Asiwaju guidance and support and bless his noble efforts in the service of humanity."

Despite the many people who have betrayed Asiwaju, there are still many, eggheads, who are still proud to be associated with the Lion. Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo, Rauf Aregbesola, Dele Alake and host of others remain gidigba.

We just have to thank those who are misleading Buhari to continue - winners would emerge soon.

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How BVN exposed corrupt judges arrested by DSS

– Sources within the Department of State Security (DSS) have revealed that the implemented Bank Verification Number (BVN) was responsible for its operative to trace several millions to alleged corrupt judges

 – DSS access to the bank accounts of the detained judges revealed  that they had been taking bribes from many sources in the discharge of their duties but used the names and pictures of their wives, children and siblings to open such banks account.

Sources within the Department of State Security (DSS) have revealed that the implemented Bank Verification Number (BVN) was responsible for its operative to trace several millions to alleged corrupt judges who are currently in its custody. Recall that seven judges- Justice Inyang Okoro and Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court; Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja; Kabir Auta of the Kano High Court; Muazu Pindiga of  Gombe High Court, Mohammed Tsamiya of the Court of Appeal in Ilorin, and the Chief Judge of Enugu State, I. A. Umezulike-  have been arrested and currently in detention at the SSS office.

In a report by Vanguard newspaper, DSS access to the bank accounts of the detained judges and revealed  that they had been taking bribes from many sources in the discharge of their duties but used the names and pictures of their wives, children and siblings to open such banks account.

“When we brought in most of the children, wives and relatives of the suspects based on the papers we got from the banks, they did not even have an idea that their names had been used by the judges to open such accounts. “But you see under the Bank Verification Number, you must put in your passports, name, signature and others. So, for some of the judges, who used fake names and their wives names to open the accounts into which they paid in the proceeds of crime, they foolishly appended their signatures or used their pictures, something that gave them out. “From what we have found out, some of the suspects acted foolishly in committing the offence because they cannot prove that even if their children were to earn N1 million monthly since they were born till date, none of them can accumulate the amount of money we have traced to their accounts and the type of property they have. “Look, it may interest you to know that one of the two Supreme Court judges in our custody has a property worth N1.5 billion in one of the South-South states. If we may ask, where did he get the money to set up such project?” 

“As far as we are concerned, there is nothing unusual in arresting corrupt judges and taking them to court because it would be an offence against the nation to continue to turn a blind eye to mounting corruption in the judiciary.’’ The report also pointed that another judge, who is being detained and questioned, disguised as a shopper in one of the supermarkets and ended up collecting bribes in Dollars from a ‘client’ only to be caught on CCTV camera. Commenting on the botched arrest of a judge in Rivers by Governor Nyesom Wike, the official wondered what Mr Wike went to do at that time of the night, if he was not part of the judge’s deal. “It was the governor, who blocked the DSS operatives from seizing the $2 million crime proceeds, which the judge had made from the PDP crisis stoked by a faction backed by the governor.
“But for the our highly professional operatives and service direction, we would have beaten up Wike that night so that he would have explanations to make on why he went to a crime scene at odd hours and aided a suspect to move $2 million crime proceeds to an unknown location. “But we already have an idea of where the money was moved to and we are going to retrieve it and bring the judge to trial. As a matter of fact, we are going to treat the Port Harcourt FHC judge case as a ‘special case’, given his collusion with the governor to obstruct our work.
“The behaviour of the judge has worsened his case. In the last three months, the judge has been going across the Nigerian borders with other countries collecting bribes for himself and others.’’ The source also indicated that the judges might be allowed to go home as soon as they answered the questions put to them by the operatives, adding that they were being given royal treatment, in view of their status and the need to give them a conducive atmosphere to speak up. Meanwhile, Police authorities is set to sanction the commissioner of police in Rivers state, Francis Odesanya for his role in the foiled arrest of a judge of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt by Rivers state governor, Nyesome Wike.  

Trump's Tape Scandal: The Latest Updates

With only 31 days to go until Election Day, a growing number of elected Republicans are demanding Donald Trump, their party’s nominee for president, step down.

The burgeoning revolt comes after the Washington Post published a 2005 video clip in which Trump brags about groping women without their consent. “Grab them by the pussy,” he is heard saying at one point. “You can do anything.” Trump has weathered no shortage of scandals over the past 15 months of his presidential run, but his recorded descriptions of what amounts to sexual assault are prompting Republican legislators and governors to forcefully denounce him and demand he withdraw from the race.

Ondo Poll: PDP, APC Chieftains To Support Oke’ s Governorship Ambition

Notable politicians in the camps of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC are set to join Chief Olusola Oke in Alliance For Democracy any moment, NIGERIAN PLAINTRUTH gathers on Wednesday.

Oke, had last week left the APC for AD to actualize his governorship ambition.

Political observers in the state had described Oke’ s new political journey to AD as a welcome development.

It was gathered that chieftains of the PDP, especially from the Central Senatorial District area of the state would soon be declaring their support for Oke.

Already, report has it that the about seven popular aggrieved APC aspirants, had instructed their supporters to ensure Oke becomes the next governor of the state.

Tinubu - The Political Huckster and Ambitions (IV) By :: Bámidélé Adémólá-Olátéjú

Yoruba internal politics has always been plagued by rivalry since the days of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). Tinubu quickly seized the opportunity for leadership to the consternation of the rest. Baba Akande was the fulcrum. He maintained balance between the other five until he pitched his tent with Tinubu, when the Obasanjo Tsunami swept all of them out of power in 2003. He joined Tinubu to form the Action Congress. The politics, between all of them and their differences except for Lam Adesina and Adefarati who are dead, still colors Yoruba politics till date. Asiwaju has not helped matters too in that he did not cede anything to these former governors when ACN was formed and consequently the APC. In politics as in life, it is always good to find work for your "enemies". Keep them busy so they don't think about you. When Fayemi did not keep Fayose busy, we saw what happened. Instead of allowing Adebayo to chair the party in the Southwest, he tipped Baba Akinyelure who is not a baptized politician. Of course the envy multiplied!

On Ondo State, the plan to make Aketi win was hatched up North and perfected in Abuja. Before then, I was convinced Aketi wouldn't win his Owo constituency. From earlier on, there were two hard workers on ground for the governorship race on APC platform; Ajayi Boroffice and Olusola Oke. The party knew it. They knew Oke was going to win in a free and fair primaries and they were never comfortable with him. Why? He joined the party late from PDP and his loyalty was always in question. In my small capacity, I advised them to call him and table their fears and get an understanding. Apparently they did not buy that. Meanwhile, the issue of zoning which the state has always respected was there. By that arrangement, Akoko/Owo should produce the governor. They started thinking of how to broaden the delegates list. In 2012, Segun Abraham spent money and time in the state, he was favored in most quarters but Aketi was handed the ticket which among other reasons led to their colossal loss. Since then, Abraham withdrew. Up until May, he was not on ground. He was waiting for Asiwaju to show his hand. That proved to be his undoing because he could have won had he been on ground earlier. The moment Asiwaju showed his hand, which was a huge mistake, the Abuja folks swung into action. They were energized and united in their "clip the wings" mission. They perfected the delegate swap strategy. Aketi was unaware of their plans until 24 hours before the election. When he was told, he couldn't contain himself! He almost gave the game away. He went to the press and boasted how Tinubu will be shocked. It happened! It was near perfect because the aspirants did not know what hit them. Delegates were accredited in one place and driven to another place to vote. While in transit, they were swapped and pre-printed tags were given to imported delegates while bonafide delegates couldn't get in. All eyes were on ballots and accreditation while the "job" was on logistics and who could vote. The margin of swap, defined the winning votes and it was openly counted. It was almost 6pm before anyone could guess a thing. It was near perfect! Aketi won and most of them had congratulated him before they realized what happened. The ward chairmen were aggrieved and taken by surprise.

As things stand today, the duo of Fayemi and Fashola and their supporters who resent Tinubu's influence have resolved to fight this to finish. I really do not like this because of the grave implications for us as a people. Yoruba former governors are fighting their mentor and the governors are not talking. There is so much disunity going on. Nothing is happening, everyone is in his own cocoon of influence. I don't understand why our ministers can't see that, all these is a failing strategy. It is foolhardy to brush of twigs, cobwebs and dirt when you are still in the bush. Why don't you get out first? What power have they acquired before seeking their independence from Tinubu? I know it is not only Yorubas who are reading these series. Our people say; you cannot ask how your father was killed if you are not wielding a sword. Where is the political clout for this duo? These are thoroughbred elite who are not gifted in retail politics. They are good at giving well crafted speeches and they are best suited for Think Tanks. If Buhari can discard Tinubu, what makes them think they can't be discarded? They are just being used as fodder for candidates who want to succeed Buhari. What else after their ministerial jobs? Why can't these otherwise brilliant men see this?

It is a bad development for the Yoruba and it portends evil for the nation. Because of these games, certain actors within Buhari's inner circle whom I won't mention are determined to sabotage Buhari's effort so they can pave way for 2019. The economy is primed for sabotage, the anticorruption fight is lying prostrate! It is all by design. The plan is to make us so dissatisfied as to stone Buhari on the streets towards the end of next year. I don't pity Buhari! I don't! He has offered himself to those whose vocation is to hold Nigeria by the jugular. President Buhari is too old to function and he is not in good health. Add to that is his loyalty blinkers by which he sees nothing wrong in his long standing friends. Many of the reliable people who stood by him for years have been sidelined. The swashbuckling arrogance and clotted conformity of his inner circle is galling. It is like the rest of us do not matter and we can go and die! Like the PDP, the APC political machinery is a growing skein of looters and economic saboteurs. No one seem concerned by the great class divide and its deepening social contradictions. No one cares about the suffering Nigerian. As far as I know, there seem to be a deliberate intent to dash the hopes for a new Nigeria. To gain political power, they seem to want a furtherance our mediocre culture that promotes a lack of work ethics, penchant for short cuts, easy money, stealing and conversion of public funds, indiscipline, lack of patriotism, erosion of traditional values and dislocated religious beliefs.

Olusola Oke has defected to AD. Tinubu is courting Fayose and Buruji through his surrogates. The ministers are hoping to wrest power from the top by courting young bureaucrats and aspiring politicians with no electoral value, Tinubu is courting grassroots politicians that stinks. Which way? APC is set to split into three. As things are today, parties will emerge that will have only regional reach. PDP is decimated, no one has the money to revive it. Buhari and his factotums have rubbished the handshake with the Yoruba and he will be hated more and more unless some miraculous healing takes place. The North will split into two politically because of ambitions. The state is set such that no party will win 23 states in 2019. 2019 is too far but the actors are unthinking. Burying one man to sink the fortunes of a country instead of managing him is a bad idea and strategy. I hear Baba is ready to let the Daura hostage takers go. I'm not optimistic. The treachery there is worse than what the Bolsheviks did.

What is the way out? I think the party leaders in the Southwest should reach out to Awujale and Alaafin again. Let them talk to Asiwaju. Let them reconcile the governors and stress the need for unity and call the ministers in. I am aware peace talks are ongoing and reports reaching me are not reassuring with everyone still working at cross purpose. I hope they learn. To governor Fayemi and Fashola, please stop dancing. Mo be yin l'oruko Olorun. A young antelope who dances too early will be lame before the main dance starts. Eni to ju'ni lo, le ju'ni nu. E je ki a fi agba f'agba k'aye o le gun ati wipe awon agba so fun wa pe Ilá kìí ga ju onire lo! To Asiwaju, a leader must embrace influence to gain power. Owo omodé o to pepe, t'agbalagba o wo kengbe. Ko maa je ti eyin agba. That is the lesson for Tinubu. I hope he listens, for the love of country over self.

The Political Huckster and Ambitions (III) By Bámidélé Adémólá-Olátéjú

Poverty cannot be discounted in Nigerian politics, actually, it defines politics. Prospective candidates only need to distribute staple and N1000 to get elected after he or she must have given some money to party bosses and traditional rulers. Our people's psyche has been twisted by poverty. Asiwaju has never discounted poverty from his winning strategy. He understands Maslow's hierarchy of needs; it is hard to think right when preoccupied by bread and butter issues. Without an iota of doubt, Asiwaju is a master strategist, a tactician and a certified hustler with dye in the wool qualities of made in America political hucksterism of the Chicago brand. He's fed his base on a cocktail of merit, cronyism, area boy style patronage and intense graft. He has employed this strategy deftly in Lagos where he's bred a fanatical base of supporters throughout his career. The problem with him is that he does not know when to lessen the potency of this cocktail. I once wrote that the "Imposition of candidates are a given in our political landscape. Even our revered Chief Awolowo imposed candidates but he did it by stealth. Every political party in this country without exception has always rewarded loyalists and favorite sons and daughters with positions. They all put forth anointed candidates and actively discourage contested primaries. The difference is, Asiwaju does his without care and respect." He puts on a know it all facade and hell may care attitude. Unfortunately, man always seek to assert himself. There will always be people who will prefer to be masters in hell compared to serving in heaven without a defined job description.

Saraki happened and Buhari pretended and looked the other way. The Fulani Pula philosophy of discipline and patience can work for a people whose life were moulded as nomads. This is politics, a brand of modern warfare. Discipline? Yes, Patience? No. Patience can prove costly and fatal. Politics always requires the urgency of now. Then the criminal enterprise figured him out. Meanwhile, the right flank where Tinubu ought to be has been vacated by an angry Tinubu. Everyone started working at cross purpose and Nigerians took notice. 2019 became the only thing happening in Abuja and at meetings. The calculations!

Since politics is about interests; Fashola and Fayemi "seem" (deliberate caution) determined to fight this to finish at any cost. But is the costs not too high given their age? A few patch patch meeting between the Awujale, the Alaafin and some young Yoruba men intervened and the hostilities cooled off a bit until...

How about the governors? What are they doing? The Northern governors regardless of their political parties have met 17 times since Buhari came to power. The SW Governors don't even speak to each other. Governor Ajimobi and Amosun, ought to be the closest. They were both Senators and in ANPP together. But no! They don't talk anymore! The bad blood was generated when the peace meeting between Osoba and Amosun took place behind Amosun's back. He read everything in the papers with all the photo ops like you and I and Ajimobi played a leading role in that. Governor Aregbe disdains anyone who is not for Tinubu. Ambode is like Etisalat's Uche - he faces his work. He does not speak to Fashola. He is focused on making Lagos a modern city and he wants to obliterate Fashola from our memory as a hard worker, by eclipsing him by any standard. Mimiko - the fox is who he is. He can be a Kikuyu for all we know. He is for himself. Fayose is too entangled to think. He is busy spinning intricate webs around himself, he is unconcerned.

One important fact! What Asiwaju does not know is that he does not need to build himself anymore. He is already built. His attempt a remodeling himself by his frequent ego trips is a wild goose chase. When Buhari wanted to appoint the INEC Chairman, he called Tinubu three times, he refuses to take Buhari's call. Buhari now called on his long time friend Amosun to submit a name. Amosun, told him to call his principal. Buhari did two more times, Amosun declined. Buhari went ahead and appointed someone he wanted to the consternation of Amosun. When Amosun raised eyebrow and the NEC meeting, Buhari shouted him down. Same goes for the IGP position. Was Tinubu right to have done that?

Kogi's election featuring Audu and Faleke. Asiwaju was heavily invested in this election. In a sane country, the death of Audu will be investigated but he was buried in a rush according to Muslim rites. Audu's death was immediately known. The calculations was that if they allow Faleke, Tinubu will start spreading his tentacles in the North Central. They moved quickly to declare the election inconclusive even though it was concluded. They settled in on Yahaya Bello, all in a predetermined effort as the next best thing. We saw how it played out. By this time, Tinubu saw the handwriting on the wall yet again. Baba Akande who trusted and became Buhari's friend withdrew to Ila-Orangun and stopped receiving calls on anything APC or politics.

The tactics that was used by the PDP in 2012 was revived this time within the APC for the Ondo State elections. Last Christmas, the party wanted to removed Kekemeke the party chair in the state given the lies they were being fed by certain former Tinubu loyalists. It is noteworthy to state here that Tinubu gave Tayo Aladoadura N2billion Naira for the 2012 elections. He couldn't account for most of it. Chief Rotimi Akeredolu was also implicated in the misappropriation. After the election, many brand new Totota buses and motorcycles were recovered from Tayo Aladoadura. Things are not always as they seem in politics. The fallout between Tayo Alasoadura, Aketi and Tinubu lent some moisture to the dark cloud over Ondo State elections... I need a break and a drink...I will post the concluding part this afternoon. Thank you!

Tinubu - The Political Huckster and Ambitions (II) ::: By Bámidélé Adémólá-Olátéjú

Whatever anyone says of Tinubu, he is the only leader in Nigeria that is creating leaders. He is the only one that has a pipeline of excellence through which the competent and the unknown gain prominence to lead. It is true that he is canny, irascible, and ruthless but he alone saw the need to recast, remold and refocus the middling Southwest into a real political machine. He gave us Fashola, a political unknown and a neophyte at planning but a dogged executor (we are seeing how that deficient planning skill is slowing him down in the power sector. I digress). Fayemi was running around trying to claim his mandate, he found no headway, until Tinubu joined the fray. Senator Ajimobi and Ibikunle Amosun were languishing in the wilderness of ANPP, until they got the platform and won. Even Mimiko, owe his initial entry into Alagbaka to Tinubu. Of course, we know Aregbesola is Tinubu's Peter. His number one fanatic.

It is only a foolish goose that goes into a fox's church. Atiku welcomed the geese of the APC. He feathered them and flashed his canines each time he enjoyed the sweet juices coursing through his tongue from their spongy bones. When in Buhari or Northern company, he touts Northern interests and the need to protect the North form Tinubu. The crocodiles cries the most when it is enjoying human flesh. Treachery is Atiku. He was ready. He deployed his loyalists and within hours of Buhari's victory, some Northern elements started resenting Tinubu's role. Buhari himself lost it. He could not hide his excitement! He kept reminding everyone who made him king. Resentment grew, Atiku tapped into it! The governor's who were with him in Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) ran with it. Soon Daura became colonized and Abuja was annexed. The clandestine operations started.

When the issue of who would be the nominee for the Vice President came up. Saraki, Fashola, Fayemi and co, wanted Rotimi Amaechi as VP based on his monetary contributions. Tinubu chided them and said something I will not repeat here. He put Osinbajo forward. The first crack appeared as Saraki used people from Nda-Isaiah camp in the press to circulate rumors that Tinubu wanted to be the VP. It was all a lie. As the euphoria of the win settled, Daura became the place to be. The intrigues started playing out. Tinubu wanted control of anything and everything from the West. He felt he's earned it. His spat with Fashola in Lagos was renewed when Fashola had his own candidate for the Lagos Guber elections. Tinubu repeatedly asked him if he has his own candidate and he denied. When Tinubu confirmed he had, he was furious. Tinubu fought the political battle of his life for Ambode to be governor. Ambode was almost defeated, he won by the whiskers! That near loss delivered Tinubu a thousand jolts. He knew his political life is in danger and he became more alert. Meanwhile, in Daura and Abuja, the SW young Turks bought into the campaign to "clip Tinubu's wings". A Northern governor with his own presidential ambition backed them. Soon young people in the SW started questioning Tinubu's hold on who becomes what. Tinubu on his part, did not see the need to back down. All he saw was treachery and betrayal? He responded by taking a recursive posture. Even though, he refrained from saying anything untoward about Buhari to anyone, he gave his all but he was hurting badly. We must not forget that he is a man who relishes and thrives on the nitty-gritty of politics, which is not bad in itself but with this skill comes destructive impulses. In anger and frustration, he tried blocking the emergence of Fashola and Fayemi as ministers. He wanted no say for the governors. Whoever must be appointed in the SW must be through him. This made the coalition against him stronger. Amosun stood up to him and submitted Adeosun's name instead of Wale Edun. Wale Edun is from Ogun state but he is essentially seen as a Lagos import. If there is any politician Buhari really trusts in the SW, it is Amosun. They were in ANPP together. Whenever Buhari visited Lagos in the past, Amosun welcomed him and hosted him. Their bond was strong and still is. The Cold War between Tinubu and his political sons soon became common knowledge.

 The die was cast. Opposing camps emerged. Those who opined that when a child grows into a man, hand him his hoe, do not hold him back on one hand, and those who felt one should her bite the fingers that fed him On another. Both camps are right. But politics is local. Fashola found out quickly! His book launch was a spectacular flop! Apart from Fola Adeola and a handful of others; no real politician attended the event. He spent 8years as governor but he couldn't build his own political base. Politics no be beans! E no easy! How about Fayemi in Ekiti? Same story! The gladiators are determined to fight this to the end. At what cost? Nationally, these two will never win any election as things stand today. Nationally, Tinubu has been wounded. Who is losing? The problem with Tinubu's is there's no political hack job too low he won't be involved in.

The battle for Kogi redefined the calculations. Ondo state became a war zone. The old power structures has been revived with confidence. The battle for the political future of the SW has now taken a new dimension, the fight to ruin it all has begun. Buhari will be the loser, we, the people will be the loser. If nothing is done to stem the tide, one year is already wasted, another is getting wasted, they are all fixated on 2019 while poverty multiplies. Stay tuned as I bring you the play in Kogi and Ondo State and how this government is getting sabotaged with Buhari looking away. By the way...Abba Kyari, Mamman Daura...are they going? Find out...tomorrow!

Tinubu - The Political Huckster and Ambitions (I) :: By Bámidélé Adémólá-Olátéjú

The All Progressives' Congress (APC) has been struggling hard since the party won the presidential elections last year. To those of us who are student of politics, we saw it coming. Personally, I was optimistic that President Buhari still has it in him to rein in the contending power structures, the perennial malcontents, the malicious hijackers, the racketeers and profiteers who penetrate any government in power. I was wrong! Buhari is an Oligarch with whom the poor pitched their hopes incredulously. Yes, he is a tad more honest but he suffers from the same set of limiting myopia that has plagued every leader Nigeria has produced. Buhari is not the topic, he is an actor. Follow me!

Reproach does not and cannot diminish the sweetness of honey; no matter what anyone says, Tinubu made Buhari happen. We are alive, we are witnesses. Followers of my wall on Facebook, read the minute by minute maneuvers. Buhari would not have survived the primaries.

 He had no money of his own to prosecute the campaign and induce delegates. 48hours to the congress, he had less than 5,000 posters. Nothing was happening until the master of end game politics moved in at night. Money happened! Atiku was fenced beyond his wits. He could not reach his delegates. When he got to the stadium, the Asiwaju machine had removed all traces of him. The venue was blanketed by Buhari's posters and operatives. It was a no contest. Even Buhari's closest associates could not believe it. The People's Democratic Party (PDP), were completely blindsighted. They had banked on Atiku's emergence. I have written it before; "When it comes to political strategy, Asiwaju Tinubu is in a class of one. He is the bell cow of Nigerian politics, a quick study and a tenacious worker with a manic work ethic."

The compound fractures we are seeing in the APC today would have been simple fractures, if Jonathan did not postpone the elections. The postponement was an inside job. It was sold to them by a popular and fiery preacher who runs with the hares and hunts with the hounds. By the time the elections was postponed, they were running out of funds. Buhari ran to Chatham house and stayed on thereafter to limit expenses. We all remember the state of flux we were in then. During this crucial time, they had to crawl to Atiku and beg him for money. And Atiku really made them beg. He kept them in wait for more than a week before he pitifully bailed them out. With his money, he negotiated his way in. Buhari's trouble started...To be continued.

Time To Rally Round Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, By Femi Aribisala

Instead of investing in the future of Nigeria, the only real investment taking place now is towards the hegemonic control of the country by a small segment of the population for the foreseeable future.

Let me re-introduce myself in case you have forgotten. I have been an implacable critic of the politics of Bola Tinubu. Among others, I have written articles against Tinubu entitled: “What Does Tinubu Want?” “Time to Get Rid of Tinubu’s Cronies”; “Time to Disgrace the South-West Godfather”; and “Don’t Cry for Bola Tinubu.” I stand by every one of those articles, even though the warnings I gave in them went largely ignored.

Although many Tinubu supporters don’t seem to realise this, my opposition to Tinubu was not personal. My opposition was based on the grounds that Tinubu’s politics was shortsighted. In that regard, my position has been proved right. The strategic political objectives of Tinubu were unattainable and have been not been attained.

In the first place, Tinubu’s recent politics were designed to make him a key player at the national level, as he has been at the regional level. He really wanted to become the vice-president of Nigeria. This has proved unattainable, and we warned him about that. Most of his so-called friends at the national level are fair-weather friends. They never really liked him and were afraid of him. Under no circumstances would they allow him to duplicate his stranglehold on South-West politics outside the South-West.

The reality of Tinubu’s politics in Nigeria is that he can be a king-maker but will not be allowed to be king. The best Tinubu has been able to achieve has been to nominate a vice-president who, to all intents and purposes, is not even a major power-broker in government. As vice-president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has only succeeded in being a fall-guy; for the collapse of the naira and for the failure to date of the 2016 budget.

In the second place, the strategic design of Tinubu’s politics was to make him a power behind the throne at the national level. This objective has also proved to be a pie-in-the-sky. Since becoming president, Buhari has largely ignored Tinubu’s counsels. Not a single Tinubu nominee became a minister in the president’s cabinet. Those who made it from the South-West were deliberately the people he did not want.

Tinubu nominees failed to make the position of Senate president or Speaker of the House of Representatives. The APC has also failed to make Tinubu Chairman of its Board of Trustees. To date, Tinubu has no statutory post in the party he midwifed. The party chairman, thought to be a Tinubu man, has been bought over, so much so that Tinubu is now asking for his resignation; but to no effect.

The nullification or dilution of Bola Tinubu’s power in the South-West, at this juncture of Nigeria’s economic hopelessness, renders Nigeria at the mercy of Abuja’s incompetence for the foreseeable future. Since coming to power, President Buhari has been unapologetic about the Northernisation of the Nigerian government.

Having used Tinubu to win the election, he has been dumped like a used rag. It was because we anticipated this reversal of fortunes, that some of us were loud in warning Tinubu in the heady days of APC coalition-building. It was in that context that I later wrote my article saying: “Don’t Cry for Bola Tinubu” on the grounds that he deserved what happened to him. We warned that this would happen but he refused to listen.

But now times have changed. The bombastic change platform on which APC fought and won the election has failed to materialise. The change we are now facing is one far worse than anything hitherto experienced. It is absolutely incredible that, in spite of the grandiloquent promises made during the 2015 election campaign, the dollar is now exchanging for the naira on the parallel market at virtually 500 to 1. Like the naira, the Nigerian economy is in freefall, going from bad to worse.

But another change has also taken place and this one is political. It is finally apparent to Bola Tinubu that his friends in the APC are really not his friends at all. That is why he has now complained publicly and resigned as inconsequential “National Leader” of the party. Having used him to achieve their ends at the polls, his fair-weather APC friends have now indicated that they are not merely interested in dumping him, their plan is to decimate his ranks and render him powerless. They are now out to use their new-found vantage point to attack him in his hearth of the South-West and to split his coalition by sponsoring those in opposition to him and, if necessary, by rigging them into power at his expense.

Given this development, this is not the time to tell Tinubu “we told you so; we warned you but you did not listen.” This is not the time to say: “Don’t Cry for Bola Tinubu.” This is the time to cry for Tinubu. As a mater of fact, this is the time for all true progressives to rally round Bola Tinubu. The reason for this is simple.

Now that Tinubu has hopefully learnt his lesson, he should be more open to those of us who he thought were his enemies in the past but should now realise have always had his back. Tinubu should now be more amenable to wise counsel. Now that he has resigned from the honorific, but irrelevant, title of leader of the APC, he should start making plans to extricate himself from the APC altogether. At the very least, he should leave no one in doubt that he would not be taken for granted by leaving the door open for a realignment with a more agreeable coalition as the APC begins inevitably to unravel.

The nullification or dilution of Bola Tinubu’s power in the South-West, at this juncture of Nigeria’s economic hopelessness, renders Nigeria at the mercy of Abuja’s incompetence for the foreseeable future. Since coming to power, President Buhari has been unapologetic about the Northernisation of the Nigerian government. He has completely jettisoned any pretensions to the principles of federal character but has placed Northerners in every strategic sector of the government. This is part of the rationale behind the resurgence of pro-Biafra agitators, as well as the emergence of the Niger-Delta Avengers. In the process of consolidating the North, the agenda is now to decimate the South-West. This should not be allowed to happen.

My democratic instincts have always made me opposed to Tinubu’s status as the godfather of South-West politics. But under the present circumstances, I would rather have Tinubu as the godfather of South-West politics, than have Buhari as the godfather of South-West politics.

At the moment, Nigerian democracy has no opposition; which is why nobody is complaining about the disastrous collapse of the naira and the adverse economic climate. The government is even floating the idea of further increases in the price of petrol, and nobody is up in arms. The PDP is at war with itself, and the cynical anti-corruption campaign of the government has been used effectively to silence it. That is why the burgeoning attack on Bola Tinubu deserves a rallying response.

Progressive Nigerians should not allow anyone in these climes to make a fool of Bola Tinubu. We must help him to consolidate and even enhance his position. At strength, Buhari can only be a one-term president without Bola Tinubu. All Tinubu needs to do is to start making plans to form another alliance that links truly progressive Northerners with those of the South-West, South-East and South-South. The possibility of that happening should give him a new fillip. At the very least, it would put him back into reckoning, ensuring he can only be ignored at great cost.

Without Tinubu, Buhari would not be the president of Nigeria today. Buhari’s wife, Aisha, acknowledged as much after the 2015 election. Without Tinubu, Buhari would not have secured the presidential ticket of the APC. Without Tinubu, Buhari would not have had the semblance of widespread national acceptability. Without Tinubu, Buhari would not have had the funds to mount a national campaign. Without Tinubu, Buhari only obtained 370,000 votes from the entire Southern Nigeria in the 2011 election. Without Tinubu, Buhari has no political future; unless the unproductive hegemonists currently ranged against Tinubu succeed in turning him into a toothless bulldog.

Therefore, I insist, this must not be allowed to happen. This is the time for all truly progressive people, North and South; East and West to rally to Tinubu’s support. Let us forget the past; even the immediate past. In politics, there are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends. Let us be united in one purpose; the unity of Nigeria is paramount. Nigeria should not be conceded to hegemonists. It is now abundantly clear that those that have clamoured for power for long and have now attained it have no clue what to do with it; other than to put their kinsmen and family members in key positions, while the nation’s economy has gone to the dogs.

We must not be in any doubt as to what is going on now. Instead of investing in the future of Nigeria, the only real investment taking place now is towards the hegemonic control of the country by a small segment of the population for the foreseeable future. This is not only anti-democratic; it is anti-Nigeria. It must be resisted politically with wisdom and clear-sightedness. It must be resisted adroitly by the formation of a new, truly national non-sectarian coalition that stretches across the Niger. In this design, Bola Tinubu would be invaluable once again as one of its principal architects.

Equally important, the South-West must learn from the past when Akintola was used to divide it from Awolowo. That kind of history must not be allowed to repeat itself. From my point of view, the bottom line is as follows. My democratic instincts have always made me opposed to Tinubu’s status as the godfather of South-West politics. But under the present circumstances, I would rather have Tinubu as the godfather of South-West politics, than have Buhari as the godfather of South-West politics. To the extent that a Tinubu can never be the godfather of North-West politics, then Buhari must never be the godfather of South-West politics.

The Naira Has Gone Bananas

I walked into Dream Plaza, a supermarket in Victoria Island, Lagos recently and a Lebanese man handling the pharmacy beckoned to me. He wanted to know what is going on in Nigeria. I was puzzled because the man lives in Nigeria. Why is he asking me? What do I know that he does not?

He went further. “Do you know,” he asked, “that this morning the naira exchange-rate for the dollar is now 492?” I did not know and was shocked to hear this. “What are you going to do about it?” he asked. What can I do? I thought. He went on: “Why are Nigerians not saying anything?” “Why is there no reaction?” “Why is everybody keeping quiet?”

It is abundantly clear that those currently charged with the handling of the Nigerian economy are clearly out of their depths.

I did not know what to tell him. Neither did I know what to do. But I knew the situation is already untenable. How low, in fact, is the naira going to fall? Are we just going to keep watching until Nigeria becomes another Zimbabwe or another Venezuela? This situation has gone far beyond partisan politics. It is abundantly clear that those currently charged with the handling of the Nigerian economy are clearly out of their depths.

Now is the time for all good men to stand up in defense of Nigeria. This is the time for a government of national unity. We cannot just keep silent and allow Nigeria to go to the dogs.