The question of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s political fitness to withstand the heat from the cabal and enemies within, as the bid for the presidential ticket and ultimately defeat the opposition party flagbearer, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has become a national debate among pundits.
In the last few weeks, Asiwaju has been under intense political pressure and distractions from within and outside the party, especially from some one-time core loyalists and beneficiaries. While Atiku has secured the People’s Democratic Party, PDP ticket, the All Progressive Congress, APC is yet to decide who will fly the flag. Nigerians are however saying that, of all the 23 aspirants put forward by the ruling party, only Asiwaju can withstand and defeat Atiku in a transparent, free and fair election.
It is no longer news that there are cabals who are plotting to ensure that Asiwaju will not get the party ticket to contest for 2023 presidency and that these cabals hell-bent to ensure that the party structure adopts a style of primary that will deny Asiwaju any advantage over their preferred loyalist who will keep them in power, even after President Buhari’s term. Summarily, there is a big gang up against Asiwaju from all fronts, and the opposition party, PDP is poised to clean out from it.
However, Asiwaju, as maintained by those who are close to him and who understands his political calculation is not a man that can be shocked by betrayal or disappointment. All the weaknesses, shortfalls and imperfections of his boys have been presumed many years before they come to pass and he’s made alternative route out of the mess they may put him into. Many of his loyalists who have pitched tent against him before and are now back with him, have all confessed that Asiwaju is a phenomenon that will take more than the cabal to get him to his knees.
As the possibility of clinching the party ticket at the ongoing primary looks bleak for Asiwaju, but make no mistake, the Jagaban has got the grip of so many other sectors beyond party loyalist and common plot within the party. He has made alternative provision to be on the ballot whether he contests under the APC or not. So it will be safe to say that Asiwaju and Atiku Abubakar will be in for another hot battle in 2023.
So what advantage do we think Asiwaju has over Atiku?.
The fraternity of billionaires whose investments are in Lagos State have rallied support for Tinubu, to occupy the exalted seat of the presidency in 2023.
These indigenous investors see Tinubu as a bridge builder across regional, ethnic and religious lines that is capable of uniting the country. They have identified him as an exceptional manager of resources and a seasoned administrator who can safeguard their investments with business-healthy policies at national level. One of these investors confided in City People that the businessmen of, we are convinced that the nation needs him in the next dispensation.
According to the source “It is only reasonable to consider a candidate who has the track record of creating enabling environment for big businesses to thrive and who have built a sustainable structure for over 20 years and successive government still finds it flexible enough to fit into and maintain the pace of growth. “No businessman with his business interest in mind would consider any other candidate aside Tinubu. Especially when the opponent seems to be one of his product”.
Atiku on the other hand only sees himself as one of the billionaires, he’ll rather keep up his pride and run the race alone with support of his party subordinates
This means that Asiwaju has won the voting bloc of billionaires. One down… more to go.
Asiwaju must have understood the principle of casting bread in the water, and reaping them in multiple fold after many days. One thing no one can take away from Asiwaju is his selfless gesture of building people. He has built more nation builders than Atiku Abubakar and this can be evidently seen in the today’s political space. It is not a debate that 70 percent of President Buhari’s minsters from the southwest were those there were raised and groomed by Asiwaju. When push comes to shove, Asiwaju has the human resource in the political space to build a team with at the poll than Atiku.
Beyond his networks in the Nigeria Police and royal fathers, Asiwaju surrounds himself with secular intelligentsia, the experts, scholars and learned fellows. He builds the people around him to fit into contemporary clime at all times. During one of Asiwaju’s annual colloquium, renowned Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka who chaired the event, spoke about how Asiwaju, during the military junta, mobilized fund for new business initiative that can sustain the struggle for democracy. He narrated how Asiwaju told them how to start rice farming abroad and be feeding Nigeria. According to Prof. Soyinka Asiwaju volunteered to take the proposal to Taiwan, and Prof was tasked to write the letter. These are the class of people that cannot be bamboozled with empty promises. They analyze all stated intentions and see through the lies. These people cannot the dictated to, on electoral matters, and most of all, these are Asiwaju’s friends.
One of Asiwaju’s core strengths is his closely knitted relationship with religious leaders. He doesn’t joke with them and they don’t joke with him. As he meets with Sheiks, Ulamas, and Imams, so he’s meeting with Pastors, Prophets, Bishops and Primates across the country. Asiwaju is not doing this because of his ambition, he has made it compulsory for himself to see religious leaders as part of his responsibility. Aside from the fact that he allows his wife, Yeye Oluremi Tinubu to operate in the capacity of a Pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), his respect for all religious leaders has no measure.
Tunde Bakare, a known political critic and general overseer of a Lagos based Latterain Bible Church had, during one of his sermons, extolled the southwest leaders and challenge any advised traducers not to undermine the only Yoruba leader who can stand the might of the northern oligarchy.
Will it shock you to say Asiwaju has a strong support base of members of other parties other than PDP? Of all the registered political parties. Asiwaju, who is known only to make friends and not enemy has been playing a fatherly role in grooming political parties which are registered to field candidates. When push comes to shove, these political parties will come in handy in the alignment of the coalition to withstand any force. In all honesty, Asiwaju has done his homework and has done it diligently.
In all of these, it is crystal clear that Asiwaju has cleaned out all other factors that influence elections beyond party politics.
READ ALSO: POLITICAL GISTS: REAL REASONS GOV. WIKE LOST
Send Us News, Gist, more... to citypeopleng@gmail.com | Twitter: @CitypeopleMagz
