In my five years of analysis of national and international issues, I have never praised Bola Tinubu. Rather, I have been his relentless critic. Why? Because of his refusal to use his vantage position to fight for true federalism and restructuring of Nigeria. Whosoever remembers what the blood thirsty Sani Abacha did to the Yoruba nation during his murderous five year rule would not cease to call for true federalism and restructuring of Nigeria. He jailed Olusegun Obasanjo, sent the likes of Wole Soyinka, Bola Tinubu, General Alani Akinriade, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi and other prominent Yoruba indigenes on exile. As the time of his controversial death, Generals Oladipo Diya, Olanrewaju and Adisa were on death row on the grounds of a fantom coup. The evil intention of Sani Abacha was to decimate the Yoruba nation and make them of no consequence in the Nigerian polity. No doubt, Abacha was insane. He jailed MKO Abiola, the winner of the June 12 1993 elections. He killed Kudirat, his wife. His killer squad narrowly missed Pa Abraham Adesanya in an assassination attempt in broad day light in Lagos. There were others he killed in the south west like Suliat Adedeji that the nation hardly remembers.
I have written repeatedly that the only safeguard against the emergence of another Sani Abacha or a worse character is true federalism where each region will be the master of its own fate. The current political contraption which is a legacy of praetorialism and military adventurism in power is a luxury that Nigeria can no longer afford. It is anti-thetical to development, stifles local initiatives and fosters a pauperising mono-cultural economy.
Earlier, I had warned Bola Tinubu that in the second term of Muhammadu Buhari he should expect any shock treatment apparently because of the clannishness and the sectional nature of the Buhari government. This has been vividly demonstrated in key appointments made by the government and in other arears. But the Yoruba people must not abandon him to his fate, especially when when such efforts are designed to rubbish him and the Yoruba people.
Thus far the APC is in control of five of the six Yoruba states and their best bet for now is to embark on good governance that will galvanise the people’s support for Tinubu and the APC in the South West . This is the surest way to prepare for 2023.
The reckless and unguarded utterances of El-Rufai against Asiwaju Tinubu during one of his recent engagements in Lagos is something that must be taken seriously by the Yoruba people who should do everything possible to protect the dignity and respect of their leaders from ‘external’ assaults like the one that has just been recently witnessed from the flippant Nazir El-Rufai who has consistently demonstrated that he does not have respect for elders outside his Fulani clan. Indirectly referring to Tinubu as a godfather that must be tamed is unfortunate. Read his ‘Accidental Civil Servant’, you would be amazed at how he disparaged President Olusegun Obasanjo-his boss and the man that brought him to national limelight. El-Rufai is naturally an ungrateful person. Without the unique and strategic role played by Asiwaju in 2014, there would have been nothing like the APC-an instrumentality that paved the way for El-Rufai being the current Governor of Kaduna State.
Despite my unrelenting criticisms of Bola Tinubu, I must make the following submissions about him so that the likes of El-Rufai who do not have respect for elders should know that he is not a personality to toy with:
1. As of today, Tinubu is the undisputed political leader of the Yoruba nation. It should be stressed that since the 1940s the Yoruba have always had an undisputed political leader. The following are these leaders: Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Pa Abraham Adesanya(that Abacha attempted to kill) and currently, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
2. Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu was one of those courageous Nigerians that fought the military adventurists to a standstill by seeking the validation the stolen mandate of MKO Abiola by the northern fraction of the Nigerian decadent and backward power elite. A little analysis of the dynamics of the power elite and power configuration in Nigeria will be necessary. Arguably, the Nigerian power elite are the most useless and corrupt in the world. When it comes to stealing and looting the national treasury, they are always united. But when it comes to producing the President of Nigeria, they are most divided. The Northern elite believe that power should be conceded to them because of their population and relative disadvantage in the economy and education. Somehow, this argument is tantamount to a stupendous paradox. In the 59 years of Nigeria’s political independence, the southern elite have only ruled for seventeen and a half years. Despite forty one and a half years of ruling Nigeria, the northern elite have refused to develop the region. Currently 12 million of their school age children are out school. The region has the highest cases of leprosy, river blindness and it is the least developed educationally and economically. Given this tract record of dismal performance, one becomes curious as to why the northern elite should even have the guts to continue to demand for power. Under the current government, Northern Nigeria has become the most dangerous place in Nigeria in addition to other serious socioeconomic challenges.
The news making the rounds now is that El-Rufai is strategising to become the next Nigerian President in 2023. For me this speculation is arrant nonsense that I do not want to address. Buhari is a Fulani man and he will be succeeded by El-Rufai, another Fulani Man! This is a sheer comic relief.
3. Bola Tinubu is the brain behind the APC today. So, no member of the party that has a sense of history and that is well cultured can not disparage him without putting the party in great danger.
From the above, do I claim that Tinubu is a Saint without his weaknesses and flaws? That would be ridiculous. Of all the Nigerian contemporary political leaders, Tinubu is the person I have criticised most and I will continue to blast him with vigour until he starts advocating for true federalism in Nigeria. But in spite of all of the Tinubu’s flaws, he could never be compared to the eccentric Nazir El-Rufai in the political development of Nigeria. Go to Kaduna State and see for yourself how far the state has developed since he became Governor. Under him and because of his poor management, the Kajuru Local Government has become a killing field. Bini Gwari has become one of the most dangerous place on earth. The alimaijiri, the street boys still continue to roam the streets of Kaduna State in their millions.
All the above challenges and many more are what El-Rufai should be facing and not coming to the Yoruba land and start making reckless and unguarded utterances.
As a scholar, I can not anchor my positions on ethnic sentiments. Both Tinubu and El-Rufai belong to the power elite that ride roughshod on the Nigerian masses daily. While recognizing this fact, one should be courageous enough to call to order any errant member of the elite when the red line is crossed. And this is what El-Rufai has just done. He needs to learn some manners and docurum as the Chief Executive Officer of a state in Nigeria. By all standards El-Rufai could not be compared with Asiwaju, who for now is the undisputed political leader of the Yoruba nation. El-Rufai definitely needs to be taught some basic home training, respect for elders and gratitude to his mentors. This is just the point.
