19th July, 2014
By Ogunmola Badmus
As Osun State gubernatorial election approaches, opposition propagandists have begun harping on their regular line of deceit, “Tinubu is the owner of APC”, “Do you want them to make decisions for you from Bourdillon?, “Do you want them to take all your state funds to Lagos?” etc.
For me, its pretty shocking how propagandists have managed to sell the story that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu owns and runs APC. A falsehood that some have come to believe but one that is not only false but lame. The truth is no one man can own a political party.
Any political party, no matter how small cannot be owned and managed by one man, speak less of a mega platform like the APC.
APC is a product of a merger and the political actors that formed the party have got big ‘egos’. APC is no different from the Manchester City squad under Roberto Mancini. A team with many egocentric players like Mario Balotelli, Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez etc cannot have one rule over the others, it has to be team work or the dressing room will collapse.
This is similar to APC. How can Tinubu own a party that has General Muhammad Buhari, Atiku Abubakar, Bukola Saraki, Nasir El Rufai, Bisi Akande… the list is endless and these men have got big ‘egos’. I don’t see how Tinubu can boss Buhari or Atiku, at most he will make suggestions for the party which they will all deliberate upon.
Also commonly and loosely flung around, is the relationship between Tinubu and Lagos State governor Babatunde Fashola. Just like they claimed that Tinubu runs APC, they said Lagos State governor Fashola was a stooge and would only carry out orders barked down by Tinubu… Wishful thinking.
Over the years, propagandists and voters have found it is not true. That false line of thought has since diminished because they found that Fashola is a man of his own. Soon they’ll learn same of APC.
The propagandist should please tell Nigerians how many political appointees, chairmen or House of Assembly members Tinubu has in Kano, Rivers, Nasarawa, Edo, Osun and other APC states etc. Men like Gov. Rabiu Kwakwanso had a face-off with the Presidency over the appointment of the Emir of Kano. Similarly Gov. Rotimi Amaechi also had a rift with the Federal Government over the appointment of the state Chief Judge and the activities of former Commissioner of Police Joseph Mbu. While Gov. Adams Oshiomhole and the presidency has also been sparing since he was barred by from entering Ekiti State ahead of the 21 June gubernatorial election. And other APC governors have had a go at the opposition PDP at different levels, how exactly can Tinubu control these men?
They should tell us how many contracts or homes he has in all APC states, yet they say he controls the party. We must not forget that the APC is a collection of Progressives, people of like minds. Men and women who sought genuine ways of moving Nigeria forward. It is not a party about one man. They are all members of a platform and share common progressive interests. So its lame, very lame for anyone to say Tinubu owns and runs APC.
In my view, Tinubu has only saved Nigeria from a one-party state and has managed to bring some competition, a healthy one at that. We shouldn’t be fooled, Tinubu does not own APC. The next time anyone tells you he does, ask them to explain how many LG Chairman he has in Kano? House of Assembly in Kwara or Political Apointees in Rivers or Edo?
Tinubu’s clasping achievements as a governor and political leader is the biggest threat to the opposition, PDP. Most of the achievements of Fashola are product of Tinubu’s idea including BRT, LAGBUS, LAWMA etc.
Tinubu proved his worth as a good leader by leaving a worthy successor behind unlike what is obtainable now at the center with President Goodluck Jonathan who happens to be a product of chance.
Jonathan’s predecessor, Late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was a man of honour and integrity. He upheld the rule of law and had the wellbeing of Nigerians at heart. During his time as president, the opposition party won cases in court but that is no more.
Jonathan is a stark contrast to Yar’Adua. He is hell bent on having power at all cost and always ready to blame the opposition for everything including insecurity, protests, strike actions etc. That’s not healthy for democracy and that’s not the attribute of a true leader.
I leave you with the words of Harry S. Truman “Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and create a country where everyone lives in fear.”