By Tunde Abatan, tunde2013abatan@gmail.com
08165660227
The choice of a Muslim -Muslim ticket by the Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress,APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed a new dimension last week during the unveiling of Senator Kashim Shetimma as the vice presidential candidate of the party.
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The appearance of perceived ‘fake’ ministers of God at the event and it’s denial by the presidential candidate has thrown in more challenges for the Tinubu presidential campaign.
It generated enough furore such as it is important not to be ignored.
Yes, the Tinubu campaign organisation either wittingly or otherwise tried to score a point to demonstrate the liberal mind of the candidate and the support he enjoys among the clergy, ,the claims and protestations of the Tinubu team to defend their style, portrays lack of tact and cohesion among and within and team
What is however curious is the desperation of the campaign organisation to justify the invitation of hitherto unknown senior men of the Christain faith on one hand and the obvious conduct of the ‘fake’ bishoprial merchants caught pants down on camera trying to share their loot.
One significant point that is quite obvious in the whole scenario is that there was indeed an attempt to hoodwink the public of Tinubus respect for the Clergy, though it is debatable whether he needs it at this point.
Secondly,the exposure of the strange and ‘fake’ clergy is an indication that either some smart Alec’s in the organisation are trying to make money from the system or trying to impress the Principal of its capacity to neutralize the campaign against the negative reception of the public to the Muslim Muslim ticket.
It also shows that the campaign organisation has become so unwiedly that it could not manage it’s brief and by extension run a well coordinated and effective campaign.
This in effect could be attributable to lack of leadership and cohesion in the campaign organisation.
Worst still,the issue has also thrown up possibility of fifth columnist working from inside to cause much confusion in the organisation and by extension the party thereby denying it the cohesion needed to run a credible and effective campaign.
This will inevitably make its principal and candidate score low among the voting populace.
This is feasible because by extension the effective structure and organisation of a party campaign is a semblance of what the team can give if eventually Tinubu wins the election.
Having said that, it is necessary to take a second look at the propriety or otherwise of criticism of Tinubus choice in view of his claim of a prerogative of. candidate to use to achieve victory.
The end justifies the means he seems to be saying.
In other words,Tinubu and it’s think thank feels that what is important is the liberal heart of the President and not the vice president.
He may be saying in effect that given the Total power in the hands of the President as stipulated in the 1999 constitution,choice of a vice president does not matter since the office is but a shadow of the President.
The logic of those in support of this choice is predicated on the inactivity or otherwise of the office of the vice president especially given the way Muhammadu Buhari has used power in the last seven years.
Yes,those in support of Tinubu are also quick to point at the relevance and blanket power former President Olusegun Obasanjo gave his vice,Atiku Abubakar during his tenure.
Obasanjos regret of late nothwithstanding on Atikus choice,it is important to note that it’s successful management of Nigerias diversity during the tenure.
Thus in any regime, it is necessary to adopt relative policies to achieve the harmony, unity,peace and stability the Obasanjo government achieved in it’s eight years tenure.
Today,the level of economic degradation,insecurity, mistrust and disunity which Nigeria has sunk in the past seven years is enough for Buhari himself to recently admit that his worries now is the maintenance of the countrys unity after his tenure.
Yoruba Issue:
Tinubus chances in next year’s election and style of campaign has also in a way become an albatross for the Yoruba who craved for the Presidency.
While the insecurity in the South West as a result of activities of the Fulani herdsmen and bandits coupled with Buharis carefree attitude in handling same emboldened the former who reigned and ruin with impunity, dislocating farmers through land grabbing and banditry in an area hitherto regarded as the peaceful among other parts of the country.
Today,the Yoruba had to choose between support for Tinubu, who inadvertently helped Buhari to power after he has failed thrice in 2015 and other candidates.
Yes,Tinubus latent posture may not fit into Yoruba progressive philosophy especially in view of Buharis performance in the last seven years.
Since Yoruba are naturally tolerant of religious beliefs,it is important to note that latent fears about Muslim -Muslim ticket is thus a function of the effects of Buharis provincial and bigotry, especially the way he has ran the country and mismanaged it’s diversity.
But then,the audacity and impunity in the way the choice of running mate is being rammed down the throat of Yoruba especially the elite, is a constant source of suspicion of Tinubus kowtowing to fundamental Islamic interests which has shaped the policy thrust of the Buhari government and it’s effect on peaceful co- existence and unity.
This is without doubt that before now previous governments approach has guarantee relative stability in South West since the return of democracy in 1999.
But then,should the Yoruba reject Tinubu because of fears of pondering to Buharis Islamic irredentism and support another Fulani in the mould of Abubakar Atiku from another party?
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Given,Atikus declaration sometime last year not to undo Buharis much criticised Open grazing, widely rejected by the Southern governors, is it wise for them to reject an old foe and replace with a new one who has nurtured and display a desperation for power in the last twenty years?
Could Yoruba afford to place their destiny in the hands of another Fulani for the next eight years and watch while it’s institutions and geographical enclave is serially raped by maurading conquerors desperate for land grabbing and intent on political subjugation?
If Atiku is not the choice, could the Yoruba afford to give support to another South eastern politician and leader given former President Goodluck Jonathan’s disdain for them after helping him to power in 2009 through public protests and appeal with nothing to show for their solidarity?
Will the Yoruba jettison Tinubus style of identifying and bringing up competent technocrats who helped him in laying the foundation of a greater Lagos- turning it into Africa’s 4th largest economy?
Given the natural proclivity of average Yoruba for merit in private,public and political office,could they say same of either the Fulani or South eastern attitude which is to favour their kinsmen with positions and privileges while in power.
It is without element of doubt that former President Obasanjo ran a government fair and just enough not to allow any of the ethnic groups to dominate others thus effectively and judiciously managing the nations diversity.
Could the same be said of any of the candidates angling to rule the country in 2023?
It is without gainsaying the fact that the late 70s and early 80s witnessed tremendous growth in industry,commerce and manufacturing in South west region which regrettably is now in ruins as a result of the Structural Adjustment Programne,SAP of the Ibrahim Babangida regime which promoted importation of all manner of foreign goods and destruction of local industries .
It is also without argument that Yoruba accomodating nature both in and out of government has led to migration of other Nigerians to it’s region where her small and medium scale enterprises are now under serious threat due to dominating attitude of their settlers.
To gain power for the region and ensure Yoruba Presidency, Christain brethren have to ponder on the need to be circumspect in the decision to withdraw support for the APC or any other candidate because of an issue that has wrongly assumed a new life of its own in our journey to nationhood.
It is my belief that in spite of the events of our experience in the last seven years on Insecurity and other issues, we should not allow issue of religious balancing to de-emphasize the need to elect credible and competent office holders that will uphold issues of fairness to all and sundry to build our nation.
However, election of such leaders from whichever of our religion they emerge from must also be imbued with relative capacity and personal development insights and attributes .
This a candidate has to possess without causing much social damage to mutual Trust built over the years by the citizenry for peaceful co- existence.
Secondly, without sounding immodest, most of the Nordic countries like Denmark,Finland,
Iceland, Norway and Sweden , places less emphasy on religion but are today the most peaceful countries in the world coupled with relative stability and development on all fronts.
Thirdly, it has become imperative to address the fears inherent in this muslim-muslim ticket taking into consideration the inherent powers in the adopted Presidential system of government where all powers reside in the Presidency.
With the benefit of our experience in the last twenty three years, whoever is elected President personifies the office including making his vice relevant.
This is in turn is informed by his personal motives, attributes and attitude to nation building.
Leaders who are less provincial,exposed and devoid of bigotry are more qualified to ensure relative stability in the nation.
It will be recalled that the Yoruba struggle for leadership of Nigeria is as old as the country itself.
But at each point of the beginning of her struggles in 1959 when the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo attempted to clinch the Prime Ministers seat, it has been ditched by inability to be strategic in it’s quest for power.
Events leading to the attainment of self rule by the country was a titanic high powered struggle between the Western region and the Eastern Region led by the late Nnamdi Azikwe .
In all this, political craftsmanship and calculations came into play.
Azikwe it will be recalled through political manouvering left Awo and his negotiating team, stranded in Asaba while Zik unknown to them had entered into an alliance with the Northern People’s Congress,NPC and his National Council of Nigerian Citizens,NCNC thereby leaving Awo in the cold.
Again in the ensuing election in 1979, Awo also struggled but came second after the then National Party of Nigeria,NPN of Alhaji Shehu Shagari clinched the trophy through the controversial two thirds of thirteen states electoral heist.
Predictably, the ensuing alliance between NPN and Nigerian People’s Party,NPP to run the second republic also came crashing after barely twenty months of manifest differences because of realization of the Northern power block that alliance is nit needed to run a country in a presidential system of government.
With the turn of the aborted third republic,the late Moshood Abiolas candidacy received support from across the broad spectrum of Nigeria but the election was annuled plunging the nation into a crisis.
Yet,the return of democracy in 1999 saw the emergence of Olusegun Obasanjo,a Yoruba who was actually brought and helped to power by the Northern ruling political and military elite against Yorubas favourite,Olu Falae.
Yet in 2009,Yoruba liberal politics came into fore as notable Yoruba like Wole Soyinka,Femi Falana, Tunde Bakare through Save Nigeria championed the elevation of Goodluck Jonathan into the Presidency after indisposition of the late President Umaru Yaradua…then nobody labelled Yoruba tribalistic.
Today, the most virulent critic of Tinubu easily – the most visible of all the three notable candidates are Yoruba who always throw ethnicity aside when issues of Nigeria are concerned.
This is contrary to other major groups in the country who consider and push their ethnic group first and Nigeria later.
While notable Yoruba in the diaspora and sizeable others in the country are feverishly pushing for an independent Odua republic,opposition politicians at home are daily plotting against Tinubu who is closer and more position to address their grievances which necessitated their agitation to want to secede from the country.
Will the Yoruba close ranks and push for their own even if campaign for Restructuring for Tinubu remains a hidden joker when he assumes power.
At a time Christains in the North are demonstrating understanding of the need to support the Muslim Muslim ticket of the APC candidate as a voting strategy to get to power, even if to reduce in the interim Fulanis suffocating policies, Christains in the South should reconsider their stance more so when as stipulated in the obnoxious 1999 constitution, ten Christain vice- Presidents could not make any impact so far the mind and heart of the President who is ultimate, determine the direction of state policies and actions in governance while the Vee Pee is but a spare tyre with no direct impact on policy issues.
If it is not so,the three months tenure of vice president Yemi Osinbajo and his far fetch impact on direction of state policies would not be at variance with the cabal controlling then ailing President.
It is clear to all and sundry that Osinbajo incurred the wrath of the cabal which controls the mindset of and determines the policy thrust of President Buhari.
Politics and governance in Nigeria is about reality not much so about ideals which hardly rules the heart of previous and present players.
