PARTY MEMBERSHIP: OUR COURTS REALLY NEED TO GET IT RIGHT

To say the least,the attitude of our courts in cases bordering round party membership have been far from satisfactory since the new Electoral Act came into being on 25th February 2022.They appear totally oblivious of the fact this is a new law and court cases springing up in the first electoral cycle will form precedence.Courts have made very controversial decisions with regards to the mandatory and explicitly clear requirements of the Act that a party maintains a register of its members and that the register be presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission at least 30 days before the party primaries.Section 77 (2) and (3) of the Electoral Act read as follows:

77.(2)-Every registered political party shall maintain a register of its members in both hard and soft copy.

(3)-Each political party shall make such register available to the commission not later than 30 days before the date fixed for the party primaries,congresses or convention

With the absence of any proviso stipulating extenuating circumstances,the presence of the word 'shall' in these sub-sections shuts the window on any work-around.The only argument worth listening to is that the Act is silent on the consequences of non-adherence and as such,none can be fashioned out for it but then the Mischief rule of legal interpretation or the Heydon rule as some would call it,would come into play.Curbing the practice of hurriedly leaving a party just to contest elections on the platform of another is one of the things this Act seeks to achieve. 

The first high profile case regarding membership I came across was that of the Allied Peoples Movement V Peter Obi & the Labour Party.The Court of Appeal was elaborate in its probing of other issues but kept things light on the issue of whether Peter Obi was a Labour Party member having joined after the party had submitted its register to INEC.

Though the court rightly ruled that no copy of the register of members submitted to INEC was tendered in evidence in dismissing APM's appeal from the Federal High Court,asking APM to pay both Obi and his party N200,000.00 each in costs said more than anything that the court thought it a frivolous action.It may be incompetent but certainly not frivolous.APM had a good ground but just went about it the wrong way.

When the APC raised this same issue of Obi having joined his party after its register was submitted to INEC and could not be deemed a member of the Labour Party per the provisions of the Electoral Law,the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal ruled that 'Membership of a Party was a Party Affair'.That is erroneous to say the least.The Supreme Court has held that the concept of 'independent candidate' is alien to Nigeria.Section 131 (c) of the constitution says that only a member of a party can be presented for election as President and going by the provision of Section 77 (3) which essentially answers the question 'Who is a Member',anyone whose name is not on the register of members submitted to INEC at least 30 days before the party's primaries is not a member of that party.The validity of a candidacy per the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act is what is being challenged and that is way past the realm of 'party affair'.These are not criteria laid down by a party's constitution but the laws our land.

While bantering with some APC friends of mine ahead of the judgment of the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal,I told them the real issue there wasn't whether or not Abba Yusuf won the election because anyone who was in Kano during the elections knows he did,it was whether or not he was an NNPP member in the eyes of the law with the APC having tendered a certified copy of the NNPP register of members from INEC.To my utmost surprise,it declared it a 'Party Affair' perhaps in line with the legal principle of judicial precedence.The Presidential election petition tribunal which had earlier ruled similarly on Peter Obi is effectively a Court of Appeal comprising justices from that cadre of the judiciary while State Governorship Election Petition Tribunals are comprised of High Court justices.

The tribunal based its decision in Kano to deduct 165,663 votes from Abba Yusuf in what has been widely perceived as a Get-him-out-at-all-costs mission on non-compliance with Section 60 (2) of the Electoral Act which requires a presiding officer to sign and stamp a result sheet but that infraction is remedied by a proviso in the form of Section 63 (2) which says the returning officer must rule out those unsigned/unstamped result sheets as not being part of the collection assigned to the presiding officer for them to be void.

Its always sad to see the real winner of an election get booted out for reasons other than whether or not they were the choice of their people but the Court of Appeal's reliance on Section 77 cannot be faulted.The APC unlike APM in Obi's case,presented a copy of the NNPP's register from INEC; the one bonafide custodian of the list of registered members presented at least 30 days to a party's primary.It is legally impossible to present a 'better' list unless of course INEC denies the tendered list as emanating from it.

The fact that the Electoral Act is a new law and that the courts are laying precedence with these fresh batch of cases cannot be over-stated.There is a need to apply the law as appropriately as possible because whatever a superior court decides in law is binding on a lower court.The ridiculous notion that it is a 'party issue' when the validity of a candidacy as laid down by our laws and not a party's constitution is questioned needs to be corrected in the best interest of justice.

ENFORCING THE BAN ON UNAUTHORIZED POLICE PROTECTION: A CASE FOR THE PRIVATE SECURITY SECTOR

The Minister of State for Police Affairs,Imaan Suleiman Ibrahim on Monday at a 2-day retreat at the Ministry said the police high command will execute President Tinubu's directive for the withdrawal of all policemen on VIP special duties.No one will be blamed for taking his statement with a pinch of salt because that is not the first time Nigerians have been promised such.Muhammadu Buhari shortly after being sworn-in as President in 2015 issued the same directive which was never really complied with.

Three years later the AIG of the Zone 5 Police command in Benin,Rasheed Akintunde was in the news for saying only 20% of Nigerian Policemen are involved in their core duties of protecting lives and properties while 80% are on guard duty to prominent people.We had barely digested that when another revelation came just a few days later.The Police Service Commission put the total number of police personnel guarding VIPs and other unauthorized persons at 150,000.Asides robbing Nigerians of quality enforcement of law and order,the practice of security operatives being available to guard whoever can afford it has not allowed the private security business in Nigeria grow past uniformed guards manning doors and heavily built persons moving around with clients as body guards.

This is an industry with a global value of about $230 billion.One can't help but think how these businesses would create jobs and boost the economy in a place like Nigeria.Once the right laws are in place to permit the right persons to carry firearms and create further steps to generally ensure a more conducive climate for these businesses to operate,the sky will be the limit.Guards with military or policing experience earn up to $100 an hour in the US while those in the UK get as much as £1000 daily.Our companies may not charge as much but they would sure make a tidy profit providing services to a clientele no longer dependent on our communal resources; the Police,Army and DSS in this case.

An expected outcome of such a move would be the high and mighty agitating more than any of us ever would,for a more secure Nigeria because of the very 'costly' implications.As is the case overseas where these companies thrive and depend on profits to survive,they keep evolving to tackle prevailing security challenges.Clients will ditch them if services aren't top notch and they are very much aware of that.President Tinubu's transformative antecedents are a strong reason why I supported his Presidency bid and he proved true to type when he reeled out an elaborate blue print on tech.

With Nigerian start ups like Flutterwave becoming multi-million dollar companies and billions of dollars of foreign investors' money now up for grabs as seed funds for tech start ups in an increasingly digitalized world,it is only right that strong emphasis is placed on that sector.Of all the candidates on display,only Tinubu did that.The security industry is also one with a potential for exponential growth and I can only hope a visionary like him will see that.His directive that policemen be withdrawn from unauthorized persons needs to be implemented to the fullest.

We have seen cases of some of these VIPs even adding military men and DSS agents to their entourages.A second directive was issued for withdrawal of policemen during President Buhari when embarrassing videos and photos of them acting as errand boys to some VIPs became rampant.This necessitated police investigations into long-being-asked questions as to the sources of wealth of two of such persons.It is no secret that quite a number of people inappropriately enjoying the protection of our security agents are widely known as criminals eager to show off wealth and affluence as is customary to do in their world.

That quite sadly, will inevitably rub off on the younger generation we intend to dissuade from towing that path.They are now inspired by not just latest Mercedes Benz purchases and dollar spending at night clubs but also by these role models driving round town in long convoys of policemen,soldiers and DSS operatives.The merits of vigorously enforcing this ban aren't just economic,there are other far-reaching ones as well and it is my hope that this administration sees that.

WHY AFRICA ISN'T YET RIPE FOR A GRAMMY CATEGORY

"Don't doubt me,I go bring home grammy"

These were the words of Abolore Adegbola Akande better known as 9ice.Any avid lover of Nigerian music when 9ice recorded Street Credibility with 2face Idibia would agree there was really nothing special about these lines because just about every one of his peers was promising or aspiring to a Grammy in their own words.It was so coveted a prize the wins of 'Foreign Nigerians'; Seal and Sade Adu were celebrated as ours.We rooted hard and were heart-broken each of the 4 times Femi Kuti was nominated and lost in the World Music Category.

The Afro-Beats genre had been popular overseas since the days of his late dad,the great Fela Anikulapo Kuti thanks a whole lot to the ingenious instrumentation so it was easy for him to tour the world and keep the global spotlight on himself in a way his colleagues who were doing contemporary music couldn't.But then over time,modern day Nigerian and indeed African music has evolved albeit under the Afro-Beats moniker.Artistes have gone from trying to make the most of features by music super stars intrigued by our sound to recording high-selling albums and Billboard certified hits.People aren't just listening to us play instruments any more.

Burna Boy not only won us the much elusive Global Music Album category with modern day Nigerian music,his last 4 albums have been nominated back to back.Wizkid's Essence is currently double platinum (2 million units sold) in the US and paved the way for his collaborator,Tems who went on to feature on Future's Wait4You; effectively winning the Grammy alongside him when the song won Best Melodic Rap Performance.

Burna Boy is nominated in that category this year for Sitting On Top Of The World featuring 21 Savage making him the 1st 'truly' African artiste to be nominated in a main category.That is a huge win.Nigerian music is 90% of African Music or even more as 12 out of the 19 Most streamed African songs ever being Nigerian songs will show so pardon the heavy emphasis on Nigeria.

Yes,African Music has grown beyond these shores but is it ripe enough to own a category at the Grammys?.No,not yet.

Opening up Global Music to include a Global Music Performance category in addition to that for an album is really just as far as the Grammys should have gone for now.There is the legendary Angelique Kidjo who is all but certain to win any Global Music nomination and a Femi Kuti who has been a 'customer' of the Grammys for reasons other than that he is making waves but a careful look at the nominees for the preceding 4 years will reveal that just 2 other African acts worth mentioning have been in the fray-Burna Boy and Wizkid.

They were the only ones who really stood a chance and both are not only ranked the 2 biggest African Acts in the world but also the best.That says that only Africans that have conquered the world make it up there not just to complete the numbers.Though Arooj Aftab's Mohabbat beat Wizkid's Essence to Global Music Performance in 2022,it didn't go platinum and didn't make it to Billboard 200 like Essence did.

The Grammys is transcendental and anyone in Africa who has ever dreamt of winning it has always known they would have to pull off something extraordinary.Wizkid in addition to having a double platinum track in the States and first African song to be on Billboard 200; top 10 as a matter of fact, also has an album with Gold certifications in the US,the UK,the Netherlands,Canada and Switzerland.Take out Mama Kidjo and that is the only level of quality from the motherland capable of disrupting Burna Boy's Global Album Grammy choke hold.The exploits of the African Giant are well known and need not be told; he is the biggest African artiste for a reason.

Excluding Queen Angelique Kidjo who will enjoy 'honourary' status till she retires,how many other African artistes asides Wizkid and Burna Boy can truly be referred to as Global artistes?.I can only count Rema who doesn't just have the first African artiste-led track to reach 1 billion spotify streams in Calm Down featuring Selena Gomez but also has the most streamed African album in Raves & Roses & is being heavily played across the world.Yes,African Music has gained the world's attention but a lot still needs to be done in comparison to Latin Music; the other 'foreign music' to own categories in the Grammys in addition to having its own seperate Grammys; the Latin Grammys.

African Music needs to have at least 5 artistes going platinum in the biggest music markets in the world and selling out big arenas before we should talk about an African Music Performance category otherwise a Grammy would go from that prestigious plaque every African artiste wet dreams about to what is up for grabs for even one hit wonders doing shows at obscure night clubs in Malta or Finland in the name of touring.If just a handful of artistes are known by music lovers outside Africa and are recording hits people play then I am sorry but we can't really say we have arrived yet.Its best to allow the Grammys retain its mystic quality and not drop it in the realm of standard-issue.

MEGA PARTY: HOW FEASIBLE IS THE MOST REALISTIC WAY OF OUSTING THE APC?

Soon after the 2011 general elections which the PDP won by a landslide,Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in the media calling on all opposition parties to form a mega party.By 2013 he had reached out to every component of what is today known as the APC and sold to them the idea of a coalition that would produce the most popular opposition figure and perennial contestant; Muhammadu Buhari as presidential candidate.That singular move cemented his status as one of the greatest politicians in the history of this country and not a few of those that voted him into power in the 2023 election hope we will all benefit from his wisdom.

The NNPP's leader and former Kano Governor,Rabiu Kwankwaso met with the PDP's presidential candidate in the last election,Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday and that had tongues wagging.With the PDP now the opposition amidst a Labour Party and New Nigeria Peoples Party that have both grown some teeth,it appears the only way to not split but pool the votes of everyone dissatisfied with the APC is by borrowing from the Bola Ahmed Tinubu hand book-form a mega party.The APC currently controls 20 states while the PDP has 13.Each of the new players; NNPP & LP have 1 each while the only major party that refused to join Asiwaju's coalition in 2013; APGA also has 1.If one considers that Wike's man is in place in Rivers which effectively makes it an APC state then even after conceding Kano to NNPP,the APC is in control of 7 out of 10 of the most populated states in Nigeria.So it is not just about the number of states the party has but also the 'quality'.Note also that as is the norm,we would likely have governors crossing over to the winning team with none in any other direction.While a mega party may be the most viable option of ousting the APC,its feasibility is another thing altogether.I will highlight 2 main factors.

THE NATIONWIDE STRUCTURE OF THE PDP

Frankly speaking,the APC was mainly comprised of 3 parties; the ACN which was more or less a South Western party,Buhari's CPC which was without a doubt a northern party and an ANPP which had become comatose no thanks to Buhari depleting its ranks in its strongest base; the north to form his own party.None could realistically do it alone so it was easy for Tinubu to sell the idea of unification especially after guaranteeing his biggest ally,Buhari the 2015 presidential ticket as we had all heard even before the party was formed.

The PDP whether we like it or not is still big and remains the only opposition party with a nation wide structure so it might be difficult to convince them they can't do it alone.Would they enter into an alliance without not only insisting on producing the next presidential candidate but also on having the main say in how the mega party is run?.

INDIVIDUAL EGOS OF KEY PLAYERS

Before the 2023 presidential election there were negotiations for an alliance between the camps of LP's Peter Obi and NNPP's Rabiu Kwankwaso which ended in a stalemate because of the refusal of either to drop their presidential ambition for the other.Even with the already very clear indication that Obi enjoyed way more support and that no one could sell Kwankwaso's ambition past Kano,he did not align himself with him.Those who excel most in politics are those who manage to balance dreams with reality.Tinubu did not insist on the APC's presidential ticket in 2015 despite forming the party because he knew then that a northerner was best for their collective goal of ousting the PDP.He didn't even do so when he held the keys to the ACN in 2011 because he knew at that time,a northerner stood a better chance at opposing Goodluck Jonathan than a fellow Southerner.A lot of individual interests would need to give way for them make the most of any arrangement.Here we have 'small' parties who cannot even agree amongst themselves before you factor in a PDP which would likely want to boss them both.

For our sake,i pray the Tinubu administration succeeds so we wouldn't have to look elsewhere in 2027.Otherwise we will most likely with eyes wide open embark on a journey to no where.

SCRUTINIZING TINUBU'S CHOICES FOR NASS LEADERSHIP...

President-Elect Tinubu and his people started preparing for the 2023 elections just months after President Buhari was sworn-in for a second term in 2019.He was choosing allies,building bridges and assessing strengths and weaknesses before most of the candidates had even made up their minds to contest.That speaks volumes of the man's ability to prepare adequately for a task.That quality along with how President Buhari made a mess of the National Assembly Leadership elections in his first tenure by sitting idly and refusing to choose a path early for his party by rooting for the candidates he felt he would work best with meant no one was suprised by media reports that the Jagaban had chosen his preferred National Assembly leaders.

In 2015,a villain ex-Governor who was being stoned in his home state conned his way to the leadership of the senate and became a national hero only because he was using the senate to fight back a President who was hell bent on destroying him.Many did not see that,they only saw a brave warrior who refused to be intimidated by Buhari.The lessons of that point in time will always be available to the political class for reference.

Moreso a Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has to deal with a National Assembly where a 2/3 majority will no longer be a stroll in the park considering the amount of lawmakers from other parties.The total amount of opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives exceed the APC's 179 members and the APC's 60 out of an available 109 senatorial seats all but ensure the National Assembly will not be a family affair.

Below i have tried to discuss in as much detail as possible,the people Tinubu has identified to help him navigate the challenges likely to be posed by a polarized National Assembly and the politics behind his decisions.

GODSWILL AKPABIO FOR SENATE PRESIDENT,BARAU JIBRIN FOR DEPUTY SENATE PRESIDENT

The choice of former Akwa Ibom state Governor,Godswill Akpabio for Senate President all but confirms one thing-Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not bow to the North.The North West is the largest voting bloc in Nigeria and the weight the region carries has always influenced the choice of political bed mates by those from other regions.

When analysts were busy speculating on who Tinubu's North Western VP would be,he shocked everyone by going to the North East.This is the first time since 2007 that the North West has not either produced a President or his Vice and being a man of great political acumen,Asiwaju was going to hand over the Senate Presidency to stay on friendly terms.He was going to endorse unarguably the most loved APC politician in the NNPP Kano, Sen. Barau Jibrin who would serve as not just an olive branch to the North West but also as the most viable means of opposing the NNPP with a view to recovering the largest state in Nigeria; Kano.But No.

Jagaban obviously doesn't think anyone is entitled to anything and has chosen to carry everyone along so Akpabio from the South South is his pick.Godswill Akpabio may not be as white as snow but he is dogged and committed with the right incentive is in play.These attributes made Buhari and his people reach out to him in time for the 2019 elections and the APC ended up winning 2 LGAs in a PDP strong hold and getting over 175,000 votes.He was rewarded with Minister despite being a new member of the party.

Akpabio will be expected to not just run a senate hoping to get APC votes alone but one that will look to make a lot of friends from other parties and possibly get them to jump ship.He has the experience,clout and most importantly, political connections having being a 2 term Governor in the major opposition party and a Minister in the ruling party.We may see a lot of division created in the opposition parties to enable cross-carpeting members fulfil constitutional requirements.

In line with Jagaban's philosophy of shedding heavy reliance on the North, Akpabio will also be required to make in-roads into the South South and make the APC a major player across all 5 states.

TAJUDEEN ABBAS FOR SPEAKER,BEN KALU FOR DEPUTY SPEAKER

The North West was a definite choice for Speaker if it didn't get Senate President.It was only a question of who.Alhassan Ado Doguwa is a known favourite of Tinubu and he went on to indicate interest in the seat despite having accusations of murder and arson hanging on his neck but of course the optics of endorsing him have to worry any sane person.If you add the fact that Tajudeen Abbas has been in the House of Representatives since 2011 to the fact that he represents Zaria Federal Constituency; primarily consisting of Zaria Local Government Area; the LGA famous for giving Buhari 111,082 votes in 2019 in Kaduna state which is the 2nd largest state in the North West after the Deputy Senate President's Kano,his choice is a no-brainer.

Abbas may not be reputed to be a mobilizer or outstanding leader of men but he provides the North West its consolatory slot.The one thing analysts doubt he has the ability to do unlike Akpabio in the senate,is protect efficiently the interests of the APC amidst 181 opposition members.

Unlike President Buhari's 2019 choices which had a North Westerner as President and Deputy Speaker and a South Westerner as Vice President and Speaker,Tinubu's choice of Ben Kalu from the South East means Tinubu's government if all goes how he intends,will have a national outlook.Every region is represented in the top heirachy of government.Personally i think Rep.Miriam Onuoha from Imo state would have been a better choice for Deputy Speaker considering the fact that she is a woman.That would have added a little something extra to the nationality of his government but either way,the intentions of Jagaban have been noted.He wants to run a Nigeria that will carry everyone along.

Though there have been reports of several aggrieved candidates in both houses forming alliances to sabotage the President-Elect's choices as endorsed by the APC,it is left to be seen how things will play out.But going by antecedents,it is never safe to bet against Jagaban in a game of politics so barring a miracle of humongous proportions,these men are all but in already.

EMIR SANUSI REVIEW: ABBA YUSUF MUST PLACE KANO FIRST BY SEEING THINGS AS THEY REALLY ARE

I remember the only time i had ever seen deposed Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi in person.I had just discovered a mechanic in April 2017 who told me of a work-around i had never before heard of to elevate the rear of my car.The whole process cost just a fraction of what i would have ordinarily spent and i was ecstatic.I left the car with him and couldn't wait because i had some where else to go so i boarded a tricycle.I didn't notice anything special happening along the Murtala Mohammed Jumaat Mosque Road in Hausawa,Kano though they actually was.It was only when we got to the entrance of the mosque that i noticed Emir Sanusi doing an open top procession.

Whether or not it was a calculated move to bond with his people i still cannot say but he wasn't heavily guarded by either conventional law enforcement agents or his palace guards.He was so unlatched,pulling up to his side was very easy but no one seemed the least interested in doing that.No one was cheering and as a matter of fact,no one was as much as giving a second look.It dawned on me more than ever that Sanusi wasn't adored by his people.

I read an African Report article on Thursday and it told me more than anything else, just how far the story of the incoming NNPP government's promise to review Emir Sanusi's dethronement had travelled and just how keen even those outside these shores were to watch it unravel.Whatever the incoming Abba Yusuf administration does,it must put the interest of Kano people first.I wrote an article calling on the outgoing administration to do same when it suspended the probe of Sanusi for misappropriation of funds due to the intervention of 'prominent persons' and i am sure Ganduje regrets back-tracking on that today.

He cannot convince anyone he did not create additional emirates and placed them at par with that of Kano just to spite Sanusi when they fell out before of course, Sanusi's eventual dethronement.It doesn't matter what Ganduje has to say in his defence,that is what everyone believes and as far as they are concerned,Kano funds that could be better utilized are now used to operate a structure put in place only to belittle an Emir.I may not be the most knowledgeable in matters of tradition but i know for a fact that the North has the highest reverence for traditional institutions in Nigeria.The turban of an Emir being tied to drop low and cover his mouth emblematizes the need to guard his utterances.

A monarch must never place himself in a position where he will engage in a back and forth; via the media or otherwise, with a political office holder or his aide.He must be heard advising a government as a father of all and not criticizing it.Like i always say,there is no such thing as a modern day traditional ruler.Governors and Presidents go to bow at their palaces despite having the power to unseat them when the sanctity of the institution has not been desecrated.

I supported Sanusi's enthronement on the basis of equity and the need to spread it across the ruling families whenever the chance presents itself but i was quite vocal also in the need for him to conform to the demands of the position and relinquish it if at all he can't.Those of us that supported him then were no doubt in the minority as reference to the ensuing protests that greeted his appointment would prove.People eventually let go because the deed was done by a very popular Kwankwaso administration that had endeared itself to the people of Kano.The consequences of that act were felt most after Kwankwaso had left office.

It is a well documented fact that Sanusi sent his daughter Shahida to represent him at the inaugural Chibok Girls Lecture in Abuja in 2017 instead of any member of his council.She did not only brag openly about being the first female to represent an Emir,her father via a video message,eulogized her before the audience for slapping a boy once.It is no secret,this is in the public realm.

Ganduje may have gotten it wrong with the creation of emirates but he got Sanusi's dethronement spot on.Just like there cannot be a digital Hawar Daushe horse procession for Sallah,there cannot be an activist or feminist Emir.

I call on the Abba Yusuf administration to in addition to feeling the pulse of Kano indigenes regarding Sanusi and also considering the imprioriety of switching Emirs in their lifetime,to also thoroughly scrutinize the corruption allegations against Sanusi.He did not appear before the committee set up to probe him to defend himself neither did he send it a written defence.

The innocent; especially those passionate about exposing corruption and waxing sanctimonious about fixing societal issues would ordinarily jump at a chance to defend themselves against such damning allegations.Why didn't Sanusi do that?.Very basic questions as to how N113M was spent on travels not budgeted for amongst other expenditures totalling N3.4bn were left unanswered.At the very least,government has to consider the costs of maintaining the expensive lifestyle of an Emir.Such blatant flamboyance amidst so much suffering is never a good look.

Engr. Abba Yusuf must shed whatever personal sentiments he or any one he is loyal to may have and worry about what is best for Kano people.They deserve it.They voted for him en masse against a party in power and stood so solidly behind him after voting had ended,it would have been practically suicidal to rig the results.Let the best interests of Kano people come first.

POLITICS IS NOT FOR SAINTS, IT IS MEANT TO BE PLAYED BY MEN LIKE ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu wasn't lying when he said he made Muhammadu Buhari President in 2015.Tinubu as National Leader of the ACN did not just float the idea of a merger in the press,he reached out to the other components of what is known today as the APC; notably Buhari's CPC and an agreement was struck in 2013 for the retired army general to run on the party's 2015 ticket.Buhari faced far more richer opposition in Former Vice-President and wealthy businessman Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and then Governor of Kano,Engr Rabiu Kwankwaso who had both just moved into the APC with loaded GMGs (Ghana Must Go) and were also vying for the 2015 ticket but Tinubu ensured they didn't buy over the delegates and kept his promise to Buhari.He was the leader of South West politics and it was with little or no effort that he delivered what Buhari had lacked in his failed attempts at the Presidency; the bloc vote of a region other than the North in a Presidential election.

You may however be right to say Tinubu wasn't doing all these from the goodness of his heart.It all looked like the pieces were falling in place perfectly for him; Crown a President who will forever be in his debt and have him deploy everything at his disposal to back him after 8 years.There were no flaws.

Buhari finally became President and things took a wild turn not just for the 15 million nigerians that voted him but also for the man that got him that far.Buhari handed the reins of the party entirely to party chairman,John Odigie Oyegun and denied Tinubu any wriggle room as Party Leader.When the Kogi gubernatorial flag bearer,the late Prince Abubakar Audu passed away before the state elections,what looked like an easy stroll to the ticket for his running mate and Tinubu boy,James Faleke turned out not the case.A certain Yahaya Bello who finished second was instead asked to run.Then came the Ondo APC gubernatorial primary that produced Rotimi Akeredolu SAN as winner.Tinubu's preferred candidate was Olusegun Abraham,an international businessman and despite getting party leaders to label the process as 'corrupt and laden with irregularities', all efforts to hold another primary were thwarted by an Oyegun strongly backed by President Buhari.Tinubu had had it.Or so we thought.

When Atiku Abubakar couldn't run in the PDP for the 2007 Presidential election no thanks to his battle with President Obasanjo,he teamed up with Tinubu who also was an arch-enemy of OBJ's to form the ACN.In 2016 it was Tinubu reaching out to the ever desperate Atiku to unite and either form a new party or decamp to their old party in the '90s; the SDP.Perhaps it was a bluff intended to make Buhari jittery and prompt him to extend an olive branch but the President didn't budge.

Leaving a house he built was never really an option and an open show of opposition against the President from within the APC would necessitate the enthronement of a new guard in the South West to demystify him completely.Tinubu made the best choice for his career; he was not only going to take whatever the President threw at him with a smile and bid his time,he was going to support the President and make it difficult for the man to declare war against him.

When he mobilized his political capital of Lagos to deny incumbent governor, Akinwunmi Ambode an APC return ticket,a committee was sent from Abuja to hold a fresh primary.But of course common sense prevailed as it would be unwise to fight a man as influential as Tinubu was in the entire South West with general elections just months away.Ambode's ouster was allowed to stand and Tinubu never took offence.He worked hard for Buhari in the 2019 elections and won him Lagos by every means necessary.

Like they say,no one knows the corners of a house better than the man who built it.Soon after the 2019 election,Tinubu set his 2023 machinery in motion.He was silently making allies and making sure he kept it difficult for Buhari to fight him openly.When Mrs Funke Olakuri; the daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti was gruesomely killed by suspected herdsmen,Tinubu said at his residence that he didn't know who did it but he knew it wasn't fulani herdsmen before ending his interview with the now famous "If so,where are the cows?" line.

When the South West was being ravaged by insecurity and other leaders of the South West were championing the establishment of para-military outfit, Amotekun and fighting the refusal of the Buhari administration to allow it,Tinubu laid low and pretty much sat on the fence when he was made to say something.When he was being blamed for the killing of End Sars protesters by soldiers in Lagos,he never directed them to the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces.He only denied sponsoring the protests and asked protesters why they were there in the first place.If he couldn't win Buhari's support,he might as well keep the hate at same level and not be made a blatant enemy.

By the time the APC 2023 Presidential primary came,Tinubu had made inroads to just about every corner of the party and was undoubtedly set to clinch the ticket.Insane money had been piled up while he was scheming behind the scenes and there was simply no way even a sitting President could fight him dollar for dollar without raising eyebrows.Tinubu and his people had identified what needed to be done and had gone about it before others even had one foot in the race.

The only available option to the President was to push for a consensus candidate.The APC primary was postponed by a week and series of meetings held but it was already too late.The lame move to push forth an argument that only a Northern candidate would be able to match the PDP's choice of Atiku Abubakar was met with stiff resistance by the Northern Governors who were supposed to back it.Tinubu had them in his kitty.

The primary finally held and delegates were said to have gotten $40,000 each with the intention to go higher if his foes wanted a dollar war.A video that emanated from the venue of the primary showed Northern APC governors queuing up to receive cheques.Tinubu achieved what everyone thought impossible-win the APC ticket against Buhari's will.

That Tinubu has still chosen to bow before Buhari despite the opposition to his aspiration tells you just how shrewd a politician the man is.With his campaign team on one hand headed by Gov. Lalong of Plateau state,a presidential campaign council was also established with Buhari as the head.The story about Buhari sponsoring Atiku's victory at the PDP primary was lent credence to by Gov. Wike who all but confirmed same at one of his numerous musical speeches and Tinubu is keeping his enemy closer to feel safe.His patience has not run out and his focus on the long run has not wavered.

With the APC in control of 22 states plus a foot hold in 9 others at the very least,Tinubu is the realists' favourite to win the 2023 election.It doesn't matter whether you hate or love the man,you just have to salute the man's political prowess.

Politics is not a game for saints,it is meant to be played by men like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.