The sight of elephant is beyond what can be described with a mere wave of hand-if its weight is not intimidating, I feel its humongous size is an uncommon attribute among its fellow animals in the jungle. I am not set to sing the praise of any politician from dawn to dusk, but there is a witty saying that a child who has attained unprecedented feats should be carried shoulder-high to the seventh heaven.
The nomenclature Tinubu, in contemporary Nigeria, has grown beyond just a name, I pray you won’t throw verbal missiles at me, it will be apt to posit that the name has actually metamorphosed into an institution and brand as he has over the years carved a niche for himself in the Nigerian political space.
Tinubu burst into political scene in the aborted third republic when he won the Lagos East Senatorial seat under the platform of Social Democratic Party in 1993. Later, Asiwaju joined force with other notable Afenifere leaders to launch the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) to mount stiff pressure on the draconian military junta of General Sani Abacha who was always disposed to clipping the belligerent wings of opposing forces. Since that time, he has been an invincible monster who had fought and won many battles in polity, one of the very many dust-ups he had won was against the almighty Olusegun Obasanjo over the creation of additional 37 Local Council Development Areas for administrative and economic convenience, but Baba Iyabo claimed that such creation was against constitutional provision. No one ever crossed the path of OBJ and went scot free-a price has to be paid.
Consequently, Lagos State allocation was withheld for many months in a bid to cow and have him fall at his feet, but at times, it takes a rampaging lion eternity to hunt a masterly monkey on a tree with several branches. Tinubu remained unperturbed and strongminded in the bitter skirmish, yet he shored up lagos internally generated revenue from 300 millions naira to 7 billion naira to cover up for the confiscated allocation.
Jagaban is the founder of the new Lagos ridden with various aggressive infrastructures and development under his berth as Lagos State governor, His achievements and giant strides in the different sectors are beyond mention-he established the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA); he invested heavily in the educational sector, improved Lagos State Internally Generated Revenue, established new 37 Local Council Development Area (LCDA) for economic and administrative developments. He built several state of the health facilities in different part of Lagos, The sound Judicial system Lagos state enjoys today was reformed by Tinubu with the help of his former Attorney General, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, he brought in a lot of investors, his monumental achievements are just too numerous to mention.
What most people don’t know is that position of leadership does not come with cheap prices- you must be ready to weather THE BIG OCCASIONS. Asiwaju is a political field marshal who had scaled through many snares set against him by multifarious bellicose forces even in his own stronghold, I believe, a discerning mind who is in constant touch with Lagos state policking would know the morbid characters the likes of Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, Bode George, Musiliu Obanikoro had acted to pull him down-but he retired them even before they are tired.
Tinubu is a man of unquantifiable and rare political astuteness, sagacity and acumen. Take it or leave, he is a demonian politician whose vision transcends human’s imagination as he sees opportunities where people see dangers. It only takes a wise and brave mind never to be swayed by the horrendous wind of opposition both at federal and state levels as he was the only AD governor who secured re-election in 2003 out of the 6 AD governors previously elected in 1999. The worst political tsunami was, when some of his close ranks in Lagos State were lured into the PDP through juicy appointments.
I can boldly assert that no politician in the whole of contemporary Nigeria plays the brand of politics Tinubu plays. He believes so much in investing in people and according the freedom to wield their political and intellectual dexterities. And that is why he has been waxing stronger politically. On countless occasions, I had had to argue with several doubting Thomases that it is only death and death that can shortlive the BAT reign in Lagos and beyond because Asiwaju is a political veteran who understands the essence of grooming people. Among his many qualities is, his ability of never reneging on promises and agreements-even in extreme circumstances.
Over the years, the lion of Bourdilon has built for himself a political empire which can not easily crumble as he has succeeded in using people to build for himself a formidable fortress through the instrumentality of effective human management and relations.
The measure of an accomplished leader is (quite) not about his years of reign or imperium, rather about the number of successful brains and minds he has groomed and mentored to great heights-Tinubu is unequivocably, an embodiment of a rare gemstone among rank-and-file as the likes of Professor Yemi Osinbajo (Vice President, Nigeria); Alhaji Lai Mohammed (Minister of Information and Culture); Babatunde Fashola (Minister of Housing, Power and Works); Femi Pedro (Chairman, SMEDAN); Kayode Fayemi (Governor, Ekiti State); Adam Oshiomole (National Chairman, APC); John Odigie Oyegun (Former National Chairman, APC); Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (Former Minister of Defence, state); Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila (Leader, HoR); Senator Gbenga Ashafa; Abike Dabiri (Chairman, Nigerian Diaspora Commission); Idi’at Adebule (Deputy Governor); Kayode Opeifa (Executive Secretary For Transportation, FCT); Tunde Fowler (Chairman, FIRS); Tokunbo Afikuyomi; senator Ganiyu Solomon, senator Olamilekan Adeola Solomon (Senator, Lagos West); Dr. Muiz Banire (Chairman, AMCON), Wale Edun ; Akinwunmi Ambode(Govornor, Lagos State); Ben Akabueze (SA to the President, Budget and Planning); Rauf Aregbeshola (Former Governor, Osun state); Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe (Former Minister of works); Senator Adeleke Mamora; Alhaji Sikiru Bayo Osinowo (Senator-elect, Lagos East) and many others are beneficiariesof his political benevolence and magnanimity.
BAT, as he is otherwise called today is the only former governors among his 1999 contemporaries who still holds strong political sway till date, at least we can remember former governors such as: Chinwoke Mbadinuju (Anambra State); Abubakar Hashidu (Gombe State); Jolly Nyame (Taraba State); Saminu Turaki, (Jigawa State); Lucky Igbinedion (Edo State); Peter Odili (Rivers State); Victor Attah (Akwa Ibom State); Donald Duke (Cross River State); Boni Haruna (Adamawa State); Attahiru bafarawa (Sokoto State); Adamu Muazu (Bauchi State) who have either gone into political oblivion or exile.
Ibrahim Mohammed Funsho
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mdfunsho@gmail.com