Bola Tinubu and the presidential journey to Oke Langbodo, By Gboyega Amoboye

The political storms are gathering. The clouds are getting darker and brighter as if about to rain elections. But in reality, not to be until 2027. Never since 1960 has the velocity to the next election accelerated so fastly, two years ahead . But here we are. Its either those who want to break the convention of rotational Presidency between North and the South are too eager or President Bola Tinubu is sleeping with two eyes open. But blame no one. The Christian hymn says “Christians seek not yet repose”. No stake holder wants to take 2027 for granted.

The great teacher, Dr. Tai Solarin’s prayer was ” May your way be rough”. The journey to Oke Langbodo is rough and deadly but the end justifies the means. To those who may not be familiar with D.O Fagunwa’s Oke Langbodo, the correlation could be found in the Greek mythology of the search for the Golden Fleece by Jason and the Argonauts.

While the political ‘fighting Romanus’ and life challenger, Atiku Abubakar is leading an onslaught, including his southern acolytes against the market leader, President Bola Tinubu, is skillfully manoeuvring their land mines. Jimmy Cliff say,’Thee harder they come, the harder they fall.” Future will tell if this will be applicable in 2027.

While that great politician and Statesman, Chief Anthony Enahoro said he was too big a fish to swim in small water, Atiku’s fish is ready to swim in any water even ‘roforofo,,’ . ‘ As a hare whom hounds and horns pursue, pants to the place from whence at first she flew’ says Oliver Goldsmith, Atiku has moved from People’s Democratic party to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, hitherto existing only in the ‘catalogue’.

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Just as ADC is swelling in number so also in liabilities. According to ‘Wise you’ anyone can love when the sun is shining. In the storms is where you learn who truly cares. A former Senate President Brigadier- General David Mark( rtd) has been installed the National Chairman of the ADC. The question is, going by his antecedent, what will he bring to the table? What will be his manifesto? Has he forgotten that as Babangida’s Minister of Communication he told Nigerians that ‘Telephone is not for the poor?’ Has he forgotten his despicable role in the annulment of June 12 1993 Presidential election?

Yes, the economy has taken a jostle since President Bola Tinubu announced his renewed hope economic policy on coming to power in 2023. His immediate action of subsidy removal and floating of the Naira has made people uncomfortable but its fire is being doused with palliatives and social interventions. The President has been acknowledged to be steering effectively, the ship of state away from the rocks where it has been plunged by previous administrations.

Incidentally, the same Atiku and Peter Obi had in 2023 also promised to remove the subsidy because it was generally agreed to, especially by notable economists, that the economy had been run aground by the Muhammadu Buhari government. Owing to this, a former CBN Governor and the Governor of Anambra State said he sympathised with Bola Tinubu and wondered how he would cope with the ruins.
Jesus said, let he that has not sin cast the first stone?
But who among those collating against the President did not contribute to the economic mess? Couldc Atiku Abubakar be exonerated from blame? Was he not the vice-president to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo whose government frittered away national patrimony at give away prices? If there is anything he forgot in power, may be to preside over sales of refineries in line with his previous campaign. Was David Mark not the president of the Senate for years? What laws did they make for checks and balances as overseers of the government? Was Rotimi Amechi not Buhari’s Minister of Transport for years, ironically in the same APC he is now denigrating? Indeed, if there were anyone to praise at all, he should be President Bola Tinubu, who was never a member of the buccaneers but elected to clear their mess. For instance, the President has explained that he had neither held a political appointment nor received a contract from any government since 1999. This has never been controverted by any member of the opposition, which means it is true.

With battle getting tougher and President Bola Tinubu is consolidating, Atiku and Obi are locked in the battle of wits in ADC. With Atiku outflanking Obi as the party’s presidential candidate, Obi appears to be at crossed roads. He either accepts to be Atiku’s running mate if not outmanoeuvred by Rotimi Amechi, or return to the Labour party or even PDP that has zoned presidential ticket to the south. Until then, he remains a wanderer. While Obi may be counting on Igbo and Christian votes again, Atiku may also be counting on Islamic and ethnic votes being championed by Mallam Nasir el-Rufai just as Rotimi Amechi is merely floating in the politics of SS. The votes of economic agitators too could not be taken for granted, but two years ahead may bring brighter fortunes to the economy to the advantage of the incumbent. Incidentally, Atiku and Obi have equally promised to remove fuel subsidy, the main cause of economic agitation, which means they agree that fuel subsidy was a drain pipe on the economy. Supporting the President are first-class economists, including Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, who argued that the economy had already been grounded by the previous administrations, especially that of Muhammadu Buhari. It may be recalled that when Ibrahim Babangida deregulated the economy in 1985, set up the Directorate of Infrastructure and Rural Development under AVM Larry Koinyan (retd) to manage the accrued excess fund. Similarly, when the fuel subsidy was partially removed by Sanni Abacha in 1995, the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) was set up under the then General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd). But President Bola Tinubu is paying the excess funds to state governments directly for even the developments and welfare of the people. Workers’ salaries are paid as when due, thereby ending the era of workers’ strike. In fact, people should be holding their state governors for good governance as financial situation has increased tremendously. Also, student loans are being provided to ensure that no state is educationally disadvantaged or student cannot go to school due to lack of funds.

There is the repackaged FCCPC as a rapid response to profiteering and cheating, with a seasoned administrator , journalist, and lawyer, Hon. Olatunji Bello as Executive Vice Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer. To the delight and admiration of the public, Tunji Bello has proven to be a round peg in a round hole. He has not only turned the place around but also become a great source of revenue for the government.

The former Chairman of Agura Hotel, the late Eze Maxwell Kanu, once told me the history of the hotel. He explained that when he acquired the land, his driver asked him why he left Enugu to waste money in a bush? His response was that, “You are a small boy. What I have done is for tomorrow. He said he met a Yoruba Widow from Gbagura in Ogun State whose husband was the original settler on the land. Eze Kanu said for voluntarily handing over the land to him and even praying for him, he decided to honour her by naming the hotel after her town with a woman’s statue as the symbol of the Hotel.

I read a similar story about the development of Dubai that the Emir told his son who could not understand why he was pumping money into an arid desert. Today both Agura Hotel and Dubai have become success story respectively. This is the power of vision. It is against this background that one could appreciate the legacy coastal projects from Lagos to Calabar and Sokoto to Lagos of President Bola Tinubu. ‘Very soon urban and economic development will be rising along the coastal roads=said a town planner.Only a visionary and transformational leadership could have embarked on such a gigantic projects in crises time.

Ordinarily, these should be electoral assets even in an ethnic and religious infested politics like ours.

But with Atiku and Obi likely pairing in 2027, how will President Bola Tinubu navigate the political land mines in the North and South East as there lies their strength?

But “don’t dare Babangida” was Eric Teniola’s article in the Punch when Ibrahim Babangida became President in 1985. In the same manner, whoever dares Tinubu would be doing so at his political Waterloo . His is a journey of meticulous planning for 20 years and records of achievements. That is why he could walk through the. APC Presidential nomination landmines in 2023 and went ahead to win the Presidential election.

While religious and ethnic politics may be real, political think tanks in the North are likely to support President Bola Tinubu who has just one term more for the North to spend two terms from 2031. With the death of Muhammadu Buhari, the North may decide to be people of honour and go ahead with his plan to
and support Tinubu for a second term. Also there are the young Turks like Governor Bago of Niger state for instance in the North who are waiting to inherit political power in 2031 and would therefore thwart every effort by aged Atiku to block their future. In the same boat of great expectations in 2031 is Governor Soludo of Anambra who might be aspiring to be a running with a presidential candidate from the north . This may be the remote reason for his support for President Tinubu who then would have become the chief king maker.

The President’s investment in roads, railways, human resources, poverty alleviation and human relations could not be overlooked. Christian votes that swelled Peter Obi’s votes in Lagos and Abuja in 2023 may not be absolute in 2027 because Christian leaders contrary to their fear have not been disappointed by the President in good governance especially his political appointments across religious lines.

In the South East APC. may not expect too much unless Nnamdi Kanu is set free just like the late Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu was welcome back from exile unconditionally at the eve of the 1983 Presidential election by the President Alhaji Shehu Shagari, to attract Igbo votes.

Nevertheless, the South South and South West are expected to remain solid for the President as PDP has been beaten beyond recognition and Peter Obi is losing steam. Until Atiku and Obi announce that the economic policies of the President would be reversed with a return of fuel subsidy and currency exchange rate to the status quo, President Bola Tinubu should lose no sleep as the election has been won and lost.