By Olatunde Abatan
It is now an understatement to say that these are very interesting times in Nigeria. The level of discourse on vital issues and how Nigerians decipher and react is dangerously taken the country back to the issues which has led to constant instability in the polity occasioned by misgovernance.
Today in Nigeria,the way our leaders handle these issues stands history on its head.
History,has a way of repeating itself and for Nigeria,the way of our contemporary leadership is making a repetition of History possible. Such is the situation that our leaders out of sheer incompetency and brazenness are poised to repeat History.
Towards the end of the first tenure of second republic President, Aliyu Shehu Shagari, precisely in 1981, powerful transport minister and cousin to Shagari,Dr Umaru Dikko, came out from nowhere to tell Nigerians that the countrys presidency was not for sale.
Dr Dikko was obviously referring to moves by then National Party of Nigeria,NPN,financier and big wig,late Moshood Kashimawo Abiola to join the presidential train.
Shortly,after that development,Abiola known for his legendary philanthropy,stormed out of the party he helped to form ,fund and build. While building the NPN,Abiola attracted not less hostility from his Yoruba south West folks.
The rest is now history.
Two years ago, precisely on May 6,2019,Kaduna state Governor,Mallam Nasir El Rufai,again like Dikko,also a native of Kaduna,stirred the honest nest.
He told a group of young businessmen and politicians who gathered under the aegis of elitist, Bridge Club, declared in a lecture titled.”An evening with HE Nasir El Rufai…that all it takes to retire political godfathers is going directly to the people.
It was obvious them that ,El Rufai,was referring to All Peoples Congress,APC,strongman, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu,who many belief is holding the party in Lagos and indeed South West in his armpit.
It is on record that Tinubu and his anointed candidates have ruled Lagos since 1999.
El Rufai’s curious advice was for Tinubus ‘opponent’ in Lagos politics,Dr Muiz Banire,a founding member of Tinubus political dynasty, now being seriously threatened even from within his fold.
El Rufai went further to advice the young businessmen and politicians in the state and region,to gather at least N2 billion to fight the Political behemoth as he did in Kaduna where he boasted” I’ve defeated and retired four political godfathers”.
The message was not lost on the gathering and unfolding events in the party have since proved the battle had reached its head both for its soul and political relevance of Tinubu prior to 2023 presidential election.
Another burden which Tinubu is trying desperately to extricate himself and for which he incured South West Yoruba wrath is Buharis volte face in Restructuring-an issue close to SW political heart,six years into his presidency and amidst farmers/herders clash.
Strangely, at the height of the ethnic crisis,between Yoruba farmers and ibtiberant Fulani herdsers which led to loss of life,Tinubu never uttered a word ostensibly to play for political correctness.
He jumped into the boat and sent N50 million relief materials to Kaduna and other states affected by the destruction without a word to console his home constituency.
But perhaps the most damning signal to Buharis bid to join the likes of El Rufai in retiring Tinubu politically was his statement uttered in the Arise television interview aired Thursday June 10.
From all intent and purpose, the broadcast of the interview was deliberately positioned and planned to coincide with Buharis visit to Lagos to commission the Ebutte Meta station of the new Lagos-Ibadan Railway project.
Like he declared when he first came in 2015 that “I am for nobody but for everybody”,a statement which was then interpreted to mean drawing the lines for Tinubu. Buhari told a bemused nation that,” for instance,You cant sit here in Lagos and determine the fate of zoning arrangement in APC”.
It was a very shot but straight hit at the political soul of Tinubu often referred to as strongman of Lagos nay South West politics.
This statement also call to question the essence and relevance of the rather undefined National leadership title bestowed on Tinubu.
Yet,that Buhari delivered the message as aired the day he came to commission the Lagos-Ibadan Railway project, in Lagos was done for effect to score political point.
Ironically, the exponent of “how to retire godfather himself” has been off wheather with Buharis cabal…having also seen a clear signal of his rejection to carry the party’s flag in 2023.
Buhari for effect of the import of his statement, also rubbed it in that recent conduct of the APC re-registration in Nigeria is part of efforts”to restructure the party from bottom to top with the membership registration card”.
What is more, to all intent and purpose,the political horse of APC,has already bolted from the stable leaving Tinubu in the cold especially with the earlier scheming in the party in the region.
For now, only a grand political reengineering can restore the relevance of Tinubu in South West especially considering Buharis provincial and deceitful politics which could have caught Tinubu and others unawares.
Another pint worthy of note about Buharis well calculated move to strip Tinubu of his potency for 2023 is couched in Buharis declaring without any pretence that he cannot leave his Fulanis kinsmen in neighbouring Niger Republic alone.
This,he has done with sighting of strategic projects procured with foreign loans.
This also points to a political integration at a later date with a reliable successor.
In all , the moves, speaks volume of his mindset and the calculative political steps he may likely take in the unfolding months to the 2023 presidential election.
For Tinubu and other serious stakehokders in APC south West, Buharis deceptive, unpretentious and audacious allegiance to his kinsmen across the borders is a strong warning signal of the shape of things to come in the race towards 2023.
With the resurgence of strong Yoruba nationalism in the clamour and agitation for Odua republic,it is doubtful whether the waning fans, political reach and influence of Tinubu in his native South West can remain as it was few years back.
Definitely,the centre cannot hold again and it is doubtful whether the Falcon can hear the falconer.
Time will tell.
