I once read an article in a national newspaper written by Ijeoma
Nwogwugwu. It was entitled: Tinubu’s God complex. She wrote “Clearly,
Tinubu is exhibiting signs of someone suffering from a case of the god
complex-a state of mind in which a person believes that they have
supernatural powers or god-like abilities and generally believes that
they are above the rules of society and should be given special
consideration.”
Nwogwugwu wrote this piece to cast aspersion on the person of
AsiwajuBola Ahmed Tinubu. To tell it like it is, she is right. Asiwaju
is enabled. The cosmic has given him a task which he must accomplish.
This man of humble and inauspicious origin is on a mission. To dislodge
the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is a task that must be accomplished.
We have had a long run of ill-luck in leadership in this country. God
has heard our prayers.
Asiwaju is a perfect match to the PDP behemoth. He is a dogged
fighter per excellence. He has the capacity and the financial war chest
to dislodge the PDP. Tinubu is like any powerful man of action who is
not given to emotional flowery rhetoric. He is indeed a compelling
presence. The merger with other political parties to form APC has proved
that Tinubu is not in love with himself. He is not completely consumed
with the pursuit of unchallenged personal power. He is the shining light
of sweet reason.
I have watched in some quarters as slander and fabrications, like an
acid rain of scorn, descend on him. But I believe that he is the vehicle
that God is using to chase the PDP scammers out of power. Isaiah 41-2- 4
reads: “Who was it that brought the conqueror from the east, and makes
him triumphant wherever he goes? Who gives him victory over kings and
nations? His sword strikes them down as if they were dust. His arrows
scatter them like straw before the wind.
He follows in pursuit and marches safely on, so fast that he hardly
touches the ground! Who was it that made this happen? Who has determined
the course of history? I, the LORD, was there at the beginning, and I,
the LORD will be there at the end.” In an era when most politicians lack
the pluck to take the plunge, Tinubu has saved our country from being a
one party state. He triumphed over every antic spruced up during
Obasanjo. Tinubu’s pre-eminence in national politics stem largely from
his ability to identify and work with talents.
Unlike most Nigerians leaders, he is more accommodating of all shades
of opinion but resolute in given practical expression to strategies and
tactics formulated from various ideas and suggestions after
distillation of the varying stands of thoughts by the members of his
gifted team. He has achieved a sort of positive apotheosis as he was
vaulted onto the national stage by some benevolent destiny. He is a
genius of the party apparatchik.
Senator Ganiyu Solomon captured the essence of this man when he wrote
that Asiwaju is our long sought after quintessential Nigerian leader
whose vision, dreams and aspirations tower above non-progressive
sectionalism, myopic tribalism and ethnic jingoism. He said his
philosophy and orientation and socialist background have no doubt
prepared him for what the future has begun to throw up. Solomon is of
the view that Tinubu has his eyes on the future and this is evident in
his choice of people for leadership position because he sure wants to
look back in his old age and be complacent that posterity has a good
place in stock for him.
His political foes believe that Asiwaju has a capacity for lying,
intrigue and secrecy. But he is simply a man who understands power and
possesses the capacity to command. Men like him are more fanatical and
their imaginations are fired by heroes of all times. Deeply ingrained in
his consciousness are the ideas of independence, honour and physical
courage. Tinubu’s love of freedom, his ferociousness in battle and his
somewhat reckless bravery suits the current Nigerian political space. As
a governor he operated in pressure cooker atmosphere when he took the
fateful decision to challenge Olusegun Obasanjo.
A lot of people thought that was a self destructive course. But there
was something symbolic about his defiance. With that singular action he
has done good to the state of our democracy. Multi part democracy would
have been a mockery by now. That achievement will live in popular
memory for all times. In one of his numerous interviews, Tinubu
disclosed how he challenged Obasanjo over his “excesses”. “One day he
told me ‘you are my representative in that state’ and I said no, you
were elected the same day I was elected. Our functions are different;
our responsibilities are clear in the constitution. He was angry. Forget
your military days where you appoint administrators. Please let it be
flushed out of your mind.
He said he will throw me out. It was in his office and I told him one
on one that this is the office of the President of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria, you are a tenant here sir, you can’t throw me out. Without
us in the state, you cannot be president. Yes, it got that bad. The
truth must be told and that was the first. The second one he said I
should not enter the Villa. I said you don’t dear do it, unless I come
to your bedroom sir, this is our house. I wanted to have an audience
with him, he didn’t give me the audience but I told him the piece of my
mind.” His journey in politics started during the era of defunct Social
Democratic party (SDP).
He scored the highest number of votes to defeat his closes opponent,
Mrs. Kemi Nelson of the National Republican Convention (NRC). His
senatorial district was the most populous in the country. Tinubu made
his mark in the senate as the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee.
On the floor of the senate he canvassed vigorously for the termination
of military rule. He argued that failure to do that could spell doom for
the country. When the June 12 election was annulled, he stood solidly
behind MKO Abiola to the end .With the June 12 struggle, Asiwaju proved
that by doing something useful for the society; you strengthen the
fabrics of our shared humanity.
Martin Luther King once said that everyone can be great because
everyone can serve. He fought alongside NADECO members for the
actualization of that mandate. Members of the coalition can still attest
to his dedication, courage and financial commitment to the cause of
that struggle. To prove that he wasn’t in the struggle for monetary
gains, Tinubu said he never collected money from Abiola. “I can tell you
not to diminish Abiola; I don’t owe him but N25, 000 that he gave me
when I was to represent him in Jos. He said he had no money but the rest
of the funds were the money that I spent on my own.
I was not in custody of his funds. I put in my private funds.” As the
governor of Lagos state, Tinubu’s cabinet was made up of erudite minds,
seasoned politicians, technocrats and professionals, to fuel the fire
of development in the state. There were the likes of Towery Coker,
Professor Idowu Sobowale, Dele Alake, Raul Aregbesola, Professor Yemi
Osibanjo, Lekan Pitan, Tunji Bello and Raji Fashola, who has the
continued with the transformation agenda put in place by his government.
During his eight years as governor Tinub showed that he is an
experienced administrator. He laid the foundation for the massive
reconstruction going on in the state at the moment.
source: the sun
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