Open letter to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

WEDNESDAY COLUMN BY USSIJU MEDANER  

info@medaner.com, justme4justice@yahoo.com

To anyone paying serious attention to Nigeria politics of late, the 2023 election is all about the APC candidate. It is understandable why all opposition and critics are bent on throwing stones at Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. A cross section of Nigerians consider it an honour to be associated with the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu presidential project despite the make-believe antagonism built around his candidature by the opposition and a few of his enemies. It is either they are with him or are envious of him. And for those opposed to his candidature, there is a growing response from a greater population of Nigerians who know it is a project whose time has come and have solidly lined up to support his presidential aspiration.

Even the strongest of the opposition and the greatest of the critics of the Asiwaju project are silently in awe of the personality and capacity of man who has become the only stumbling block and an insurmountable one, to their aspirations.

The Asiwaju story did not begin today; it is a story of all times, dating back to the gloomy days of the fight for the soul of our dear country’s democracy. The days when compatriots stood at the expense of their lives against the power that be to rescue Nigeria and pave the way for the democracy we all enjoy today.

Many still recall your strong voice in that struggle; both intellectually and financially. The story is told and will be told again of your relentless contribution to the efforts of NADECO and the sustenance of the struggle within and outside Nigeria. 

Prof. Wole Soyinka, a great son of Nigeria once described your efforts in sustaining all exiled elements of the struggle financially through his business ingenuity, commitment and belief in the struggle.

It was only natural that you became one of the first beneficiaries of the ‘war’ you fought. After all, a labourer is worthy of his wages. At the return of the country to democracy in 1999, we all recall how you became the elected governor of Lagos state deservingly. 

As governor of Lagos State, you threaded a developmental path alien to our system. Notably, you created a “first’’ in many desirables, pioneering most of the policy directions that are currently sought after by states across the country, and even the federal government.

Lagos state, known for its assuming unmanageable population size and its consequences received, under your watch, a long term development plan that has since then continued to transform the state to the enviable status it enjoys today, not only in Nigeria but globally.

It is unimaginable how the IGR of a state could be increased by a quantum stride as you did with Lagos state in such a period of time when others are living absolutely on the benevolence of the government at the center.

I cannot have space to list all your achievements in Lagos state, nor the ‘boys’ you transformed to men across the country over the years, and who have become the backbones of the country’s survival across all the critical sectors of the country today.

One thing that would not cease to amaze me, of all your bold actions and reactions to issues, is how you began imagining, constructing and overcoming the coastal area of the Atlantic ocean to build a globally acclaimed city that you name the Atlantic City.

Your antecedents are parallel to non-other. You stand without equals and rivals in the position of builder of men and nation. That is why most people follow you and the same reason many on your team are currently taking too many things for granted. You are too high up the ladder for anyone to consider you not to get to the top.

The Asiwaju project, I boldly tell you, has a great and the best team gathered already to win the 2023 election and to lead Nigeria beyond May 2023.  But then, we have seen in history great teams losing critical games for a lack of operational coherence and unity. Therefore, Asiwaju, you must not allow this to happen to your team and your dream.

Asiwaju, people are leaving the fold. It is unspeakable of your strength and capacity that members of the campaign council are having reasons good enough to exit the platform. you need to ask pertinent questions; why? What did we not do right? What could we have done differently? Are there more disgruntled elements within our folds who are staying but not happy and may even work against us from within?

At this point, it becomes sacrosanct that you know that there are individuals who believed in the journey and stood by it from the very beginning, even when the road was rough.  Elements who at the expense of their lives and safety, in those days when many were sitting on the fence or supporting others, stood by you, but today, no longer have a say in the process.

These people spend their personal resources to be part of the processes, be at all rallies, but when they wish to make input, their calls are not picked nor their messages responded to.

Why would anyone be disgruntled with a project as viable as the Asiwaju project? You need to find out and address that as soon as possible. It is never too late. As a party and a candidate, we must redress our action, call handlers of the campaign process to order, and accord your people the recognition they so deserve. We must make use of our people. Open our doors for inputs; make people feel important. We need these people far more than the crowds at rallies.

The Asiwaju project has got too many people where it matters to have a problem turning out people to vote for the ticket. Politics is local, it is about structure, about presentation, about reach and acceptance; you have ticked them all. There are people where it matters struggling to carry the Asiwaju banner; let hear them, let give them the opportunity. That is politics.

I cannot teach you politics and the game of politicking. You are an expert at that Sir; and that is why I am quite sure you would understand what the challenges are no matter how minute, even more than I do with this observation of mine. Certainly, Sir, you cannot be everywhere, you are a principal at delegating authority and allowing people to do the work, but this time, it is also necessary that you consider an oversight on some critical responsibilities you have delegated. Many of your campaign Directorates are doing very well and even beyond expectation but the same cannot be said of all. 

Sir, you are a master at delegation and once again you have proved it, now at a larger scale, involving new individuals across the nation, to spearhead various arms of your campaign structures. The increased population has nevertheless created usefulness issues, as some leaders are beginning to use their position to exert undue authority, sidelining useful members and creating undue friction in relationships down the ladder. 

Now, there is the need for a full peer review of the Directorates and individuals who have been picked among equals to oversee activities of the campaign; to what extent have they organised members across grassroots and polling units, and harmonise with others units to bring gains to the campaign. 

Currently, there are too many sycophants and praise singers on the prowl and occupying positions on many campaign structures. The system, at present, has unfortunately built a pattern that punishes people of character and capacity to interrogate issues while celebrating sycophants. People selected among equal to lead chapters of campaign structure and units have duly arrogated power to themselves, personalise the campaign and shut out many who literally possess grassroots values and are more useful to the campaign. Elections are local, rallies are good but we need total connectivity to the grassroots and men that control the people at the ward level. We cannot afford to shut them out.

It is time we returned to the table to effect a comprehensive SWOT analysis of the influence of the Directorates and the campaign so far on the party control of the polling units.

This is not the time for us to create and fuel unnecessary internal battles and rancour. Leaders unduly arrogating authority, shutting others out and rumours of already shared political positions that are sending worrying messages to many committed and loyal members, would not aid our struggle as a party.

This is the time for all our Directorates to wake up, build synergy and multi-operational fronts of cooperation that will maximise the efficiency and the effectiveness of the campaign. You must let them all know they are a team on the same side, and fighting the same enemies. This is not the time for us to play the game of criticising others, calling out ourselves, name dropping to amass recognition from the top. It creates within our cycle more ills than solutions that will help us. Why would some people boldly create and spread the fake news of the Kogi Governor backing out of your campaign? Definitely because they see the crack and trust gap already created and took advantage of it.

There would always be something and some issues to spy, but beyond them, and at this critical time, we need more of focus at our target trophy than at any other things.

Everyone is important to our campaign. Everyone cannot be a leader, we have picked among equal those that lead us. Let’s play the game as equal and as a team.

I stand tall to say and to repeat my belief in the Tinubu/Shetima ticket capacity to lead and transform Nigeria; to build upon and improve the foundation the current Administration has laid. This coming election is APC again and yours. But those issues must be addressed – and promptly too.

GOD BLESS THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA!