2023 And Tinubu @ 70

“Without Ambition, One Starts Nothing. Without Work, One Finishes Nothing. The Prize Will Not Be Sent To You. You Have To Win It.” ——Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

The story of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; former Senator of the federal republic, erstwhile governor of Lagos state, renowned politician and aspiring president of the country come 2023 has so many angles waiting to be explored by friends, foes and knowledge seeking social scientists.

Notwithstanding who is narrating it and how that person encountered Tinubu, one thing is certain, Tinubu’s political greatness is assured.

This is because Tinubu had deployed his God endowed talent and wealth to ingrain his name on the political firmament of this country. Unlike his several co-elite friends on the political turfs whose large heart is seasonal, Tinubu’s large heart is of all time, and strategic. From this writer’s personal experience, Tinubu discerns a talent and courts such long before he needs them, even when he may never need them. That is Tinubu for you.

My first encounter with him clearly explains the enigmatic Tinubu. The talent hunter that sees beyond the immediate. It was in 2003 that our paths crossed, deliberately out of his choice. Prior to our meeting, l was serving on the Editorial Board of Vanguard newspaper and also writing a weekly Friday column. At the time, the column was a torn in the flesh  of then President Olusegun Obasanjo’s civilian administration. Obasanjo’s tyrannical grip on the country did not leave out his Owu-Abeokuta, Ogun state community where he supplanted the democratic wishes of the kingmakers to install recently demised Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu. He infamously tored the kingship election ballot papers and haughtily damned the majority kingmakers that voted against his wish to go to hell. The rest is history.

Pardon my necessary digression since the raison d’etre of today’s piece is the celebration of Tinubu and not the beaming of searchlight on Obasanjo. 

Surprisingly, the serious issues discussed in my then Vanguard newspaper column must have attracted the attention of Tinubu. And obviously in one of his then conversations with Aremo Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun state, elder statesman and incontrovertible living journalism legend alongside our revered Vanguard publisher, Mr. Sam Amuka (Sad Sam), my name/column came up and Aremo mentioned his fatherly relationship with me. The decision for me to formally meet Tinubu was probably taken at one of their meetings.

Then one night while driving home from Apapa, my phone rang and it was Aremo calling. I picked the phone and he requested l should meet him at Isaac John in Ikeja. I respectfully asked what was going on there and he said, ‘Bola wants to see you.’ He told me he was going to wait for me in front of the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja so that we could get there together.

From somewhere around Agege where l was when his call came, l immediately turned my car and headed towards Ikeja, encountering  slight traffic on my way.

As I was almost getting there, Aremo called again and requested to know where l got to and when l told him l was nearing the agreed point, he told me he was seated in one black Mercedes’ Benz Coupe and that once l signify my arrival he will lead while l drive behind his own car. 

It was when we got to where Tinubu was that l realized that the man behind the wheel, and most likely owner of the Benz Coupe, was the popular Bonsue Fuji exponent, Adewale Ayuba.

Aremo led us in to meet Tinubu at his gorgeous dining table. One striking thing about Tinubu during our first meeting was his spartan food consumption as reflected in the sparse food items in his plate.

Upon greeting him, he started relating with me as if we had met years back. That is the relationship building skill of Tinubu. We discussed contemporary issues of that time before he later introduced me to his then Chief of Staff, Mr Babatunde Fashola, who surprisingly succeeded him as governor. He gave him clear instruction to arrange visa of any preferred country of my choice for me. Why he offered me is a revelation, amongst others to be unfurled in my upcoming book: “My LASAA Days,” to be released very soon.

From then on, l have always been in touch with the patriarch of progressive politics, even after leaving Vanguard for the Editorial Boards of two other newspapers before being appointed MD/CEO of Lagos State Signage & Advertisement Agency (LASAA) in September 2015. Again, courtesy of my commitment to Tinubu’s cause, as always.

Sometime in 2013 when l traveled to England for my routine annual vacation, l didn’t know that Tinubu was in town but only read very nauseating rumors about him online. I called home (Nigeria), and was informed that Tinubu was in London. The next day in the morning, l took off to his house in Cavendish. When l got there, without appointment, l pressed the door bell and the voice from the other end was that of the Lion of Bourdillon himself. ‘Who’s that?’ I answered ‘Bolaji Sanusi’ and without further questioning, he released the lock and said ‘come upstairs.’ l went upstairs where he opened the door. One ‘aburo’ that followed me could not believe the great Tinubu’s simplicity thinking he was going to meet a gorgeously dressed man but here’s Tinubu standing before him, without airs. The guy left with smiles after benefiting from his large heart.

I was there with him till evening and told him l was leaving for Nigeria the next day. He insisted l should stay for few more days, and for four more days, l was going to his house everyday. Sunday Dare, current Minister for Sports was the personal assistant staying with him with one younger aide. I discussed virtually everything l wanted with Asiwaju and he actually laughed over the rumors making the round back home. In line with his routine daily exercise regime that l witnessed, he did seven miles on his static bike everyday, putting a lie to the rumor about his legs being bad. I wrote about this in my column of that week in 2013.

It was during that time in 2013 that l met, for the first time, my incumbent Lagos state Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu, who met me in Tinubu’s house on one of the days that l went there.

Dignitaries from Nigeria flooded his house, yet, it is only abroad that you can get the best of time with Tinubu.

At one time or the other, one has been opportuned to work with mentors/egbons like Dele Alake and Tunji Bello; and sometimes with his knowledge alone, to achieve the Asiwaju objectives.

Now Tinubu has signified his intention to succeed President Mohammadu Buhari come 2023.

Hate or love him, no right thinking man can deny the fact that he’s not seeking such coveted office for the sake of going there for mere experiments; he has the experience since his days in government in Alausa, Lagos seat of power, and the larger percentage of Lagosians have consistently attested to how phenomenal his accomplishments as governor were. He also have the exposure having worked for multinationals, home and abroad. His solid financial re-engineering of Lagos revenue base and ability to fish for competent successors amongst others cannot be denied.

Nigeria has had enough of experimentally unprepared leadership. From Gowon to Murtala, Obasanjo, Shagari, Buhari, Babangida, Sonekan, Abacha, Yar’Adua, Jonathan, the presidency was either acquired by force or gifted by those with little or no collective interests of Nigeria at hearts. And at the end of each experiment, the country has been left worse off than the reagents of such experiments met it. 

Asiwaju, after Awolowo, like l observed in an article l did during his 69th birthday has become the main issue in Nigerian political firmament. He’s a brand that one can ignore at a grave political price. Just early last week, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, during the inauguration of his $2.5billion Dangote Fertilizer Plant in Ibeju Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos described Tinubu during his address as the ‘ASIWAJU of Nigeria.’ This coming from the richest man in Africa underscores the high premium placed on the Tinubu political brand. 

Anything Tinubu touches becomes an instant hit in our body politic. Until he was made the Asiwaju of Lagos, not much significance was accorded the title: Until he was given the title of Jagaban of Borgu, not much was known of that traditional chieftaincy title beyond the shores of the North. Borgu land, because of Tinubu, is now in the consciousness of Nigerians. When he assumed the title of ‘national leader’ of the ruling party, the sobriquet becomes one of high political significance. From the Presidency to the smallest political office, down to the various traditional rulership, Tinubu, at seventy, is a man that is highly revered.

Not only in Lagos/Yoruba land, but across the country, the name that readily comes to mind when the Asiwaju title is mentioned is Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Also, the hitherto ignored title of ‘national leader’ of his political party ascribed to him has become a title of envy amongst leading partisan minds/divides that always attempt to equal Asiwaju’s high profile political status in life. He has become a political enigma with a midas touch.

The high personality of immense significance and value that Tinubu has become in 70 years of his monumental existence is commendable.

With regards to Tinubu’s desire to succeed President Mohammadu Buhari in 2023, those that are up in arms should sheath their swords and remember the ‘God factor.’ This supersedes/neutralizes orchestrated evil plots by any human against fellow human beings. The wish of God shall always triumph over human machinations, at all times.

This is where the words of that American essayist and philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson readily comes to mind when he said: “Without ambition, one starts nothing. Without work, one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.” Tinubu has started something, taking a great leap, by professing his ambition to become president before any Nigerian under this dispensation. Unlike others, he has started working towards the realization of this ambition. 

Constructively, no other aspirant under the current dispensation has exhibited his level of political work rate and preparedness. Obviously, he is prepared to win the presidency having realized that power is not served a la carte. For the foregoing reasons, his enemies should save their breath because the Tinubu brand has come to stay beyond Tuesday March 29, 2022 when he’ll clock 70 years on earth.

Asiwaju Tinubu, Happy 70th birthday and may all your heart’s desires come to pass. Amen.

*Sanusi, immediate past MD/CEO of LASAA, wrote in from Oba Akran, Ikeja. Lagos.

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