The two major events defined the just concluded All Progressives Congress presidential primary and shall shape the Tinubu presidency either for good or bad. The first one was the Abeokuta arrogance and outburst of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu. In a burst of uncontrolled anger, speaking in Yoruba Tinubu in most demeaning manner boasted how he installed President Buhari and some states governors. Even his media handlers were taken aback. It was not presidential and in advanced political clime, it was enough to scuttle his ambition. But mother luck nature smiled on him and he was able to win the presidential primary with a wide margin of 1,271 with his nearest rival, Rotimi Ameachi coming distance second with 316 votes.
The second one was actually the physical fitness of the APC presidential flag bearer. Those who watched the live telecast of the event were taken aback. Tinubu was literally carried to the podium by his spouse. The holding of the APC flag was the most disappointing moment of the event. He could not hold the flag unassisted. It took the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu for Tinubu to steady the flag from falling. The reading of the acceptance speech was the most embarrassing moment. The presidential hopeful hands were shaking. But give one thing to Tinubu, his voice was strong and piercing.
Let my readers not get me wrong. I am an ordinary mortal and anybody can fall sick at any time. But what the members of APC and his political handlers of Tinubu should convince us why we should openly embrace a man whose physical fitness is in doubt. I have listened to the arguments that the presidency is not a wrestling match or a job meant for a cart (truck) pusher. Some of them are even reminding us that an American president ruled from a wheel chair. These are valid arguments no doubt, but this does not push the reality of a sick presidential candidate away. After the many medical travels of Buhari, the nation can ill afford to have another president that will not apply himself to the job because of ill health.
The landslide victory of Tinubu was due to his political energy and engagement with the members of the party across the country. The man has a lot of goodwill especially in the north. The buzz word is that the man invested on a lot of politicians in the north and it was simply a payback time. You can also cast your mind back to the stand of the northern governors of APC extraction that the presidential candidate should come from the south. As for the south west, they supported the candidature of Tinubu. My fear is that Tinubu should not turn Nigeria into his enterprise the way his stronghold of Lagos, making it a personal empire. To those not aware, Tinubu company gets percentage from the internal revenue of the state, his son is in charge of the various adverts outlets, his daughter, though not a trader, is the leader of the market women and his spouse, a serving senator. And so when Tinubu spoke of using the Lagos experience for Nigeria, goose pimples pupped in my face. I know that Nigerians will not allow their country to become the chiefdom of one powerful politician.
I know that most Igbos are sulking from their defeat in the APC presidential primary despite the fact that the position was zoned to the south. Perhaps it is time to tell the Igbos some home truth. If they were looking for a political party that could field one of their own, the natural choice was the PDP. Since 1999, the Igbos have been faithful to the PDP and all their votes are for the party. Yet the PDP disappointed them when it mattered most. As for the APC, you ask yourself why Dave Umahi got 38 votes, Ogbonnaya Onu one vote and Rochas Okorocha ,nothing. If it is true that every local government produced three delegates, who did these South East delegates vote for? The truth of the matter is that the Igbo man is the greatest obstacle to the realization of a president of Igbo extraction. Igbos should stop the blame game and put their house in order. If you do not want your brother to be a king, you can never be a kings brother. Tinubu promised a lot of things in his acceptance speech but what caught my attention is the pledge to make 25 per cent of the annual budget to education. This is a nice one even though we should take a politicians promise with a pinch of salt. Education in Nigeria is really dead with ASUU strike running into months and years. One wit said the other day that the money used by the two political parties in buying presidential forms and bribing delegates were more than enough to solve our universities lecturers` demand. It is my prayer that Tinubu, should the electorate give him the mandate to rule Nigeria, shall do just that as he promised. He should also look at the issue of Islamic terrorism. I know that he is a Moslem but his wife is a Christian. This liberal disposition shall eventually come to play in his handling of those who believe that they can kill in the name of religion with the delusional sense of belief that such people shall be welcome into paradise with seven virgins.
Tinubu is a consummate politician dating back to the NADECO days and his dogged determination against the virus of dictatorship under Sani Abacha is simply legendary. He is free to govern Nigeria without turning it into a personal estate. The press and the national assembly shall not allow such ugly fate to befall Nigeria. I wish him all the best.
