There is no denying the fact that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been a builder of men and women in society. There is also no denying the fact that since he left office as the 12th governor of Lagos State, he has remained as influential and remarkable. The truth is that nothing moves in Lagos without his say so. Though he tried to extend the same influence to the national level, that attempt has not been successful; the reason is not farfetched: not many people agree with his political wisdom.
To have a pearl of political wisdom is not the same as having ideas and vision. His ideas and vision have been largely tailored to suit his advantage—not for the Yoruba’s as a race. The height of the Asiwaju’s political wizardry was attained when he successfully worked with Muhmmadu Buhari to clinch the party’s ticket and eventually become the President. Since then, his own obdurate pride, overbearing attitude and –some say—excessive greed has ruled his every action—even working against his interest.
But the most potent weapon that has turned against him is karma. Many of his previous actions have gone unnoticed but with the recent gale of revelations, destiny seems to be catching up with him. His actions have germinated to haunt him. For example, not many were aware of his activities with a certain Alpha Company. But now through a combination of fate and destiny, they are now becoming public knowledge. More importantly, scores of his associates whom he helped ascend to prestigious positions and now removed are “singing” badly.
Reports say that monies secretly routed “in the night” into accounts traced to him are now made public “in the day” for everyone to see! Had the bible not warned us that every secret deal shall be made public? Now that his presidential ambition has been made public several other potentially damaging revelations are coming out. But this is subject for another day. The question is: why are they coming out? The Asiwaju is not a small personality. By level of his political and social achievement, he ought to remain an elder statesman instead of venturing into murky political waters.
The events that signalled the commencement of his political waterloo began with the disastrous 2018 Lagos state guber race where he committed the biggest blunder of his career. It is said that it was simply because of his own political ambition that he summarily aborted the blossoming career of his erstwhile political godson, the immediate past governor of the state. That blunder plus his branding of Godwin Obaseki as a dictator exposed him to further public ridicule—like the proverbial adage that says “he has taken more than enough for the owners to see”, i.e., caught in the act! It is now widely believed that he is the one not behaving as a “party man”! Worse, the “blueprint” he claimed are actually his future presidential ambition! QED.
For now, the story out there is that: you cannot prosper by destroying others. This position is made stronger with the knowledge of his wife being a four-time senator and other siblings cornering juicy contracts! “A hunter who has one arrow does not shoot with a careless aim,” says an Igbo proverb. With all these in the bag, the Asiwaju ought to have been more politically discreet than recklessly throwing stones into the market place. Did the bible not admonish us that if one out of ninety-nine is missing, you should go looking for it? No one is a pushover. “It is by the strength of their numbers that the ants in the field are able to carry their prey to the nest” (Success is achieved through cooperation) No matter the views expressed, what happened to the former governor was sheer injustice and a reckless one at that.
Unless that impunity is corrected, the Asiwaju may well kiss his ambition goodbye. That political fiasco is now a reference point in our nation’s political history. Though there are people who will still tell him that no one is indispensable, that is a lie from the pit of hell! A stitch in time saves nine! Those people are merely doing so to further their own interest—not the Asiwaju’s. For example, one of them has been a commissioner since 1999! There is an extent to which people should play hypocrisy or bootlick.
To prove how disastrous that outing was, the Asiwaju in a recent outing to mend fences with some northern establishment, he was said to have met a brick wall! Surprised, the same northern establishment asked him: “Were you not the same person we asked to forgive one of our own and you refused?” The Asiwaju was reportedly dumbfounded. But more is to come. His former “boy” who presided over the nation’s apex tax institution has been singing badly—and this is not to his advantage! With mounting cases of corruption, the Lagos State Igbo establishment in Idumota, Ladipo market, Computer village, Mushin spare parts market, Alaba International Market, Mile 2 and Maza Maza market are said to have come to the reality of their voting power.
Infact, this reality is said to be giving the APC sleepless nights. The Igbos are now gearing up to use that numerical strength to claim the state with a candidate of their choice! They are said to be pushing for a “popular figure” who has been sitting quietly like the “the fig tree in the desert waiting patiently for the arrival of the rains—which will surely come anyway!” Moving up southeast, it is common knowledge that there is no love lost between the Asiwaju and the Igbos.
The south south is no different where his undemocratic video has completely alienated him from the people. In the southwest his support base has eroded with almost all his political sons deserting him, the recent being the minister responsible for interior duties with whom don’t see eye to eye as reported. Forget about the three northern bases of north-central, east and west where he is regarded as “untrustworthy”. So the question is: How will his presidential ambition be realized? Looking closely, it is not difficult to see that it’s going to be a hard road to travel—unless he does the correct thing.
