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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