2023: MY OPINIONATED VIEW ON THE WRONGFUL CLAIMS THAT ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU IS TOO OLD, SO HE SHOULDN'T CONTEST AS NIGERIA PRESIDENT
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| Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the author |
Such statement I consider to be the world's greatest fallacious arguments of all times, one uttered by too many shallow minds with judgmental ineptitude and with envious tendencies taken too far.
Written by: Comrade Deji Adebayo (ESP)
I have at several symposia, interactive sessions, public chit-chats and chat fora both online and offline, charged and engaged those who shares the aforementioned opinion or perceptions that Tinubu is over-aged or too distressed to become Nigeria President; to please not utter such derogatory statement that may inhibit progress, but they should rather proffer solutions to Nigeria's problematic accrual instead of rendering such an obviously envious verbose utterances in public.
At several instances, I ask them to provide a younger and as much prepared candidate who is ready and has proven to be of good character, integrity and qualitative standing in whom Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (ABAT) can trust with the leadership of Nigeria at a sensitive time like this when our democracy is rapidly growing. None, have I ever encountered with a convincing solution or instructive answer to my probe. Hence, their actions and in-actions vindicates and justifies ABAT as a man of probity that Nigeria best needs at this point in time and an era of growth and development of our dear nation's democracy.
We all knew the story of how we started this gradually ageing and ever-consistent democracy in the history of Nigeria since 1999 to date. Therefore, I will not bore us with the achievements of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who carefully transformed Lagos State from her stunted growth and relic remains - post-military era - and ensured stable governance within the federating unit with a resultant rapid economic growth, security architectural advancements and revolutionary infrastructural progression. This is the standard at which I assume our yearnings as Nigerians - home and disapora - should be pivotally hinged upon.
MY EAGLE-EYED VIEW
In the year 2011, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu trusted a young, dynamic and energetic Nuhu Ribadu to be capable enough to rule Nigeria and presented him to Nigerians. This was at a time Tinubu himself was younger and ever-capable to lead Nigeria but will not put his interest above national development because he has proven to be a great politician who leverages on time and opportunities. What happened afterwards remains history and a rhetoric to many today. Did the Nigerians who claim Tinubu is too old today encourage the Tinubu himself to aspire? No, is the answer because as at then, they never even reckoned with him or thought Jagaban will become a factor in Nigeria politics in less than half a decade.
The oligarchs and kingmakers from the North and South who were fully behind PDP as at then will never even allow any other kingmaker to join their league not to talk of a Tinubu who was merely a former Lagos State Governor and their laughing stock until the table turned the next election. Dear reader, please do note that in 2011, Tinubu was 11 years younger and was 59 years old then. Even if anyone says he lied about his age, kindly provide me his real age in year 2011 with evidences and we will extensively discuss it.
Fast forward, four (4) years on, this singular personality has mustered more influence from being an opposition party political juggernaut then with just four (4) states under his control out of 36 states to becoming the rallying point and pivotal kingmaker that ousted a SITTING PRESIDENT of AFRICA'S LARGEST POLITICAL PARTY owing to his strategic political moves that lurred many bigwigs into the ruling All Progressives Congress party.
We were alive hale and hearty at that time when Tinubu was up and down crisscrossing every nooks and crannies of Nigeria in solicits for votes, canvassing for support for the then new APC and putting all his trust 100% on 'Mr Integrity'. He started from the personality repackaging from mere Photostudio shoot works to his choice candidate's Chatham house speeches and finally to him occupying Aso rock. What happened next, I could recall was the controversial statement from the inaugural speech of the president that "I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody" one that we could all now read crystal-clear meanings to as the contrast and/or opposite of the hidden intentions of the so-called marauders in the presidency.
We are in the early hours of March 2022, experiencing the greatest Nigerian politician ever, since our return to stable democracy in 1999 to date becoming an household discourse; one that has raised the social envy by many who has chosen to throw tantrums at him - Tinubu, a man divinely endowed to lead our nation and/or country out of the acrruing economic problems among other misfortunes that we are currently facing in the country.
Like our saviour Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) fate, exactly the same way the Israelites of old will rebel against their leader, Moses, at the bank of the red sea when it seems there was no way forward, some public outcriers and distorted opinion leaders tilts towards same attribute of hypocrisy of the Pharisees and their cohorts as recorded in the holy books. Many acts this way because Tinubu has achieved in his lifetime a greater socio-political relevance and a feat that they and their apologists have never and cannever in their lifetime achieve.
Tinubu in the year 2014/15 exerted all his trust in the incumbent President whom he believed will emerge, perform and place Nigeria in her rightful position as a man of integrity personified.
I can authoritatively avow that 'No one' should hold a Tinubu responsible for the actions and in-actions - good or bad - of a septuagenarian at the helms of affair of this country, simply because ABAT believed, trusted and supported him wholeheartedly to become Nigeria's President. For the same reason, if Tinubu has chosen to present himself for service to his nation and father's land by yielding to the popular call-to-serve by the multitudes in Nigeria - including my humble-self, how is that a crime for crying out loud?
The Jagaban of Borgu is legitimately qualified, experienced and prepared for the topmost seat which he wishes to occupy. There is no where in the constitution of Nigeria, or any that I am aware of in the world, where there exists age limitations in which one is not qualified to run for any position as a politician due to over-age or otherwise claimed. Such attribute demonstrated by desperate and "bad-belle politicians" is wicked and a campaign of calumny.
Infact, from the way politics operates in Nigeria today, the reality is that if you must serve your country, you must either sacrifice your business or personal profits as a young Nigerian to aspire as President or better still complete your public service year and wait till you are retired to join politics and start learning the ropes till such is able to contest as President.
The reasons for this fact are obvious.
Those doubting me may give it a try by working to become as rich as Dangotes of this world while concurrently aspiring to become the next Nigeria President who will honestly fix our social vices, matters of concern and the accruing challenges that are bitting hard.
Of recent, an Anambra-based socialite woman who is aged over-a-century had in a viral publicity on social media declared her interest to become Nigeria's President, I so wish her well come 2023 just like I wish ABAT and every others who are aspiring without regards to who they are, provided they meet the INEC laid down electoral guidelines. May I declare that, no one has such power or authority to deprive any aspirant of their good intentions for the country basically for being over-aged or for gender reasons.
An attempt to do such is obviously going to be an absurdity and an inhumane escapade for that matter.
The dream of Tinubu's popular aspirations as Nigeria's Next President come 2023 shall be accomplished - Insha Allah, by God's grace (amen).
MY CANDID ADVICE TO ABAT AND TINUBUISTS
To be frank and sincere, going the extreme way and preparing for the worst situation that may occur in 12 months or thereabout, I will rather prefer and proffer a Tinubu who looses at the poll with integrity and joins other legends to also become reckoned as a national hero for attempting to revamp the lost glory of Nigeria. Just like Pa Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo who was the President Nigeria never had as it is better for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to aspire and contest as President come 2023 than for him to be fidgety or take a rash decision to quit the race because of the shallow opinions of some Nigerians whom I consider to be envious of his political sagacity and great plans for a better Nigeria within his 8-years double term as President.
We should recall that Nuhu Ribadu was once an anti-Tinubuist. It will not escape our memories forever when Yesteryear, the then Nigeria President will send Ribadu and his team as a federal witch-hunter authorised by the President under the disguise of EFCC to hunt down a spotless Tinubu up until Ribadu himself realised and repented from the devilish escapades of the so-called anti-graft agency against the person of Tinubu; and the gentle man honorably reversed his moves. Today he has become a believer in Tinubu.
This is enough for an open-minded and progressive Nigerian to learn from such noble decision of Nuhu Ribadu and many others like him who once hunted Tinubu and placed a bounty on him but later became Tinubu's allies for their discovery of God's greatness and embedded grace in ABAT.
The Balogun of Owu land, High Chief Aremu Okikiola Olusegun Obasanjo who recently clocked 85 years of age, was once in the same stand point with Ribadu in this regard but he later worked with Tinubu to accomplish a mutual political goal to end the continuous PDP Presidential reign in 2015. That's what a President does and sincerely ABAT is of that presidential class.
Dear reader, you may not be on the same page with me on my position thus far, but if you are honest ONLY with yourself, you must have picked one or two points from my vertebration.
I wish to end this self opinionated discourse with the fact that NO PANEL OF INQUIRY or COURT of jurisprudence has since indicted or convicted Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as an accused or a criminal either way. This actually negates the many rumours from propangandists on the personality of ABAT as recently been portrayed on social media soon after ABAT's declaration of commencement of his consultation visits to stakeholders for endorsement of his presidential aspiration.
So, why judge ABAT in our individualistic court of public opinions?
Is it that this man is merely an accused but not as propagandists will adjudge him a criminal for no reason on the media or that ABAT is a man that is worth his salt and knows how to play his way when many of his contemporaries who were governors in Nigeria as at 1999 had today become his followers and those who couldn't follow suit or oblige among them had gone into political oblivion and/or extinction less than two decades of leaving governor's office to a new helmsman.
We have seen many past Nigerian governors jailed, many had died to safe their shameful face for their corrupt practices. Have you thought deep to ask that why not Tinubu who the media portray to be more corrupt and evil to have suffered the same fate, if this was true?
Perhaps, Tinubu's politically regal tendencies has existed for long pairing him with past Nigerian presidents who have erred on many grounds but have never being brought to book because they were once President.
No governor had escaped such grevious corrupt practices claim in the past. Even when the certificate saga at the wake of the millenium came shaking the political realm in Nigeria to the roots, a sitting Speaker of the House of Representatives was impeached, yet a Tinubu was never impeached or indicted or convicted for 8 years.
Yet, some are today ludicrously still clinging on such deliberate attempt to make difficult Tinubu's ambitions for President whereas God's project cannot be halted.
I am not by any way supporting corruption or anyone being above the law, but all said and done, my submission is that rather than we envy or degrade the person of Tinubu, why not let us focus on the growth and development of our dear country by supporting a man who is divinely endowed, tutored and prepared as Nigeria's next President come 2023; to become the first we will have with such characteristic on the oval seat since 1999 to date.
Support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President being the flagbearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress party ahead of the 2023 general election.