One would have predicted correctly the reach and firmness of the political webs of the revered ‘Lagos Landlord’ Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, examining his style of nurturing students of his political school of thought, who also grew to be emerging godfathers in their own individual capacities. If influence denotes enthroning and dethroning political leaders, without an iota of hurdle, then Tinubu embodies influence.
Chief Ahmed Tinubu’s pattern of building a political network of powerful politicians can be likened to when a cocoa farmer put into plantation either young cocoa seedlings from nursery beds or cocoa seedlings bought from a research centre. And then, takes the seedlings out of the nursery beds with a spade or a hoe and strategically plants them across the farmland for them to grow and start harvesting. When it was time to harvest, he plunged cocoa pods and choose to also cut-down the cocoa tress to make fire woods as he thought he has no business with posterity. A political godfather who intends to leave a good legacy behind will tread with caution, think about the next generation making it to the zenith while he is alive and play an admirable role in nation building. I do not know, honestly, how to describe one who believes in stealing the time of the younger generation while he plays god.
The two terms Lagos state governor and a former Senator, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, widely called by his chieftaincy title, Jagaban among his loyalists is a politician whose political webs have stretched to reach nearly every important place at all levels and institutions of government in Nigeria. So, it is needless to say that a personage like Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a force to reckon with, because it is evident that he is one of the few political king makers who enthrone and dethrone with ease – decide the how, when and why often-time from their bedrooms.
Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not only popular for his landmark in politics, making of a political structure and mentorship of a huge number of protégés who are mostly governors, ex-governors, ministers and Head of Federal Agencies. Also, he has always been in the media for different reasons that may sound unpleasing to his disciples who don’t want their illusion tampered with. The raged Mr. Abdulmumin who refused to take questions relating to Tinubu’s wealth, a question that could have meant nothing more than its basic interpretation to an ordinary Nigerian, on a live program on AriseTV is one out of millions of political ‘boys’ who had taken classes on Tinubu’s political philosophy.
Nearly everyone living in Nigeria understands why the Asiwaju of Lagos is the most talked about aspirant in the 2023 presidential race. Tinubu is assumed to have everything an average Nigerian believes works for Nigerian politicians, in spite of the fact that the last time he contested for a political office was 2003, which is about 19years ago. While some feel he should be rewarded with presidency for birthing some politicians through his anointing and tutelage, others feel the obvious ailing Tinubu has the pre-requite knowledge and enough leadership experience to pilot Nigeria that has suffered misgovernance perhaps since inception. Both pre-assumptions somewhat defeat logic.
I know, Tinubu would have wished to have the criteria to become a president limited to money and ‘influence’, if those were his wishes and they are the reality, then I think we should be prepared for a Tinubu-led-administration which is likely to be a continuation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government in functions and pattern.
We are lucky to have some populace who are concerned about his age, inconsistent academic profile, different corruption allegations. These issues are as relevant as they appear, and I hate that there are efforts to bury them.
Jagaban the King Maker now wants himself crowned!
It will not be completely out of place to mention that Tinubu contributed immensely to the victories President Muhammadu Buhari enjoyed both in 2015 and 2019. He played a key role in the alliance that was formed at that time, the funding, strategies and negotiations that led to the emergence of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as the President. He has also been in business of playing similar roles in virtually all the states in Nigeria. As for Lagos, we could describe his direct involvement in the state politics to be sheer imposition; he does it with so much temerity. Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu wakes up to decide who becomes Lagos State governor, his dictates are like pronouncements of a dictator in a military regime. His political power to determine who the governor of Lagos is and what he does must have been the reason why some persons prefer to call him Lagos Landlord. Indeed, he is the Lord of the land in Lagos!
He may be more powerful in Lagos, he is still the same oracle speaking in other South West states, including where the opposition party rules.
Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Jagaban is no doubt a king maker. I suppose his attempt to become a president might be an effort to do for himself what he has done uninterruptedly for over a decade for his proteges, making many of them governors, past governors, ministers and head of different government agencies. On the other hand, this may be the terminus of his relevance in politics. But the question that begs for an answer is if the 69years old ailing Tinubu have a retirement plan!
Nigeria is far under-developed when compared to the western world where a lot of things that enable quality governance have been put in place. The energy we currently need at different levels of government is that of the youth. Is there a nexus between age and leadership efficiency? Before President Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence as the President, may be, I could have said no. Clearly, age stood between President Muhammadu Buhari and what people thought he would do differently.
We may need the wisdom of the old, but we definitely need the youth ideas, innovations, energy and power to re-position the country. President Muhammadu Buhari has stayed in the United Kingdom over health issues for more than 200 days since he assumed office in 2015. Perhaps, that record is waiting for Tinubu to be broken, by the time Aso Rock receives another senior citizen. What campaign is doing to his health that makes him fly in and out, begging to be kept off camera over his dysfunctional bladder would double if he seats on the affairs of Nigeria as a president.
As quoted in the palace of the Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemj, Tinubu mentioned that youths also deserve to be president, but that would happen after him. I think that words attested to the facts that he could not deny the youths being the panacea to many problems we are confronted with, yet he feels that should happen after he is given the affairs of over 200million Nigerians for gratuity.
He likes to even play politics the dirty way, if he has to. I am not pertubed by the utterances of the demigod in Bourdillion, he has a track record of playing it dirty when the fight was not even his. However, the concerning part of it is that Nigeria is on the verge of collapse. The ailing Nigeria does not need an ailing president.
Gerontocracy in Nigerian leadership is an acute cruelty to generation that will still be around for another 30years or more. Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a respected godfather amongst his loyalists, that status he has enjoyed for decades does him more good than an attempt to preside over a nation that is waiting for resuscitation once it escapes from the captive of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Oluwaseyi Oyetunbi
MSc Political Science Student, Obafemi Awolowo University.
Oyetunbiseyi2018@gmail.com