- It is my personal brief to beseech you as you prepare and head out to Eagle Square to elect the flag bearer of our party to positively consider the personality and ambition of one of the aspirants to the Office Of the President from our party as the best to lead the party to victory in next year’s Presidential election and the most suitable to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. I will buttress this position with the following points:
OPEN LETTER TO ALL THE DELEGATES OF THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS BILLED FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES/SPECIAL CONVENTION
Dear Delegates,
There is no better way to put the fact that loyalty to one’s political party is a gainful adventure than the fact that you, our adhoc delegates hitherto seen as the “junior” delegates will be voting to the exclusion of all other persons at the Presidential Primaries/Special Convention of our great party, the All Progressives Congress that is slated to begin on Monday 6th June, 2022. Indeed, you lot will be king.
UNIFICATION
Nigeria at this juncture needs a unifier as leader and president. Nigeria needs a totally detribalised and open-minded leader. The country needs a person who takes his neighbor as his friend not just for the purpose of photo-ops or politics. In 1999, in Lagos State, a certain man appointed several non-indigenes into his cabinet including Opeyemi Bamidele and Dele Alake from Ekiti, Yemi Osinbajo and Wale Edun from Ogun, Femi Lanlehin from Oyo, Rauf Aregbesola from Osun, Ben Akabueze from Anambra and Fola Arthur-Worrey from Delta. That singular act was unprecedented in the history of Nigerian politics and governance and it yielded several positive dividends.
Today, non-indigenes feel very comfortable to settle and prosper in Lagos. As a matter of fact a young man, Chukwuemeka Ejekwu(Sabinus) paid special tribute to “homely” Lagos as one of the biggest factors for his success. We must allow this leader replicate the same belief of comfort and nationalism at the centre. We need a leader who will allow us belief in ourselves.
This man despite been a sound Muslim is married to a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. During his visit to Ondo State some days back he said, “My wife and I have engaging debates about our differing religious beliefs and we always come to the conclusion that God is one and God is love”. This capacity for religious tolerance is the product of a refined state of mind which I believe no other aspirant has.
The country is deeply split across religious and tribal lines as there is total lack of trust and brotherliness. I beg to say that it is only this man that we should trust to bring back our trust.
RECORD OF PERFORMANCE
The best way to examine the essence of man as relating to his promises of the future is to scrutinize his delivery of same in time past.
This man excelled in the private sector with employers as Arthur Andersen LL.P, Delloite,Haskins and Sells as well as been the Treasurer of Mobil Oil Nigeria. Mobil Oil was so reluctant to let go that they kept his space vacant for a while with the belief that he will return. He was almost indispensable.
He served as Chairman of the Finance and Appropriation Committee in the Nigerian senate between 1992-1993 and the records are there for all to see.
The man became Lagos Governor in 1999 and opened the vista of modern democratic development in almost all spheres governance that remains the standard till today. I will highlight some of his notable interventions as Lagos Governor hereinunder:
His steadfastness and sagacity in the face of President Obasanjo’s deceitful alliance with AD Governors prior to the 2003 elections. The man stood firm, retained Lagos and later rallied the other southwest states back into the progressives fold thereby forming the fulcrum that landed the grand alliance of the progressives in 2014-2015.
He launched a large scale revenue drive of Lagos taking it from a measly N600 million to N30 billion just between 1999 and 2003 to the effect that when President Obasanjo illegally seized Lagos Local Government allocations, the state was able to cope exceptionally well.
He separated the Ministry of Environment from the Ministry of Physical Planning and repositioned it to curb flooding and coordinate waste management and disposal.
He launched free health policy for people aged 18 and below as well as 65 and older, the ‘JIGI BOLA’ programme for free eye surgery and eye glasses, reenergized the AIDS control agency, the ‘ROLL BACK MALARIA’ programme and LASAMBUS for ambulance services.
He, believing in youths been the leaders of tomorrow started the “one day Governor” initiative through the annual spelling bee programme. He returned some public schools back to the missionaries, the effect today is that Lagos Schools are second to none in Nigeria today.
He facilitated access to the Lekki corridor for massive real estate investment. Today, the Lekki Free Trade Zone is the Hub of investment in Real Estate, Oil and Gas and Telecommunications in Nigeria.
He established the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) which was mandated to provide to provide 500 low cost houses annually.
He started the Independent Power Project (IPP) which continually supplied 270 megawatts of electricity to the National Grid.
SELFLESS PARTYMAN/LOYALTY
It has always been this man’s ambition to be president and there is nothing wrong with ambition. We all wish and pray that we get to the highest level of our capabilities.
I make bold to say that despite the fact that this man has not gotten his total due in the party, he has been very steadfast and loyal to the party.
In instances where his interests and preferences were submerged, he trudged on and supported other persons to aspire and realize their ambition.
He shelved his senatorial ambition and pushed forward Ganiyu Solomon to enable a Babatunde Fashola Governorship in Lagos, he shelved his Vice Presidential ambition and pushed forward Prof Yemi Osinbajo to actualise a Buhari Presidency.
If a man has made such sacrifice and paid such due to the party, it behoves you our dear delegates to reciprocate with your votes at the convention.
COURAGE
My man has not had a chance to offer his voice to National issues that he will shy away. He speaks his mind and speak truth to authority right from the time of NADECO till President Buhari’s government. He is not one to smile with the President and then go to the backstage to complain to his associates that “his hands are tied” or that a cabal is waging wars against him.
He has offered his ideas to the Government of the day and several of them in absolute criticism. He is not afraid to tell his friend, President Buhari about the missteps of his government and of course the fierce friend that can tell me the truth to my face is far better than the ever smiling dove that backbites me.
Nigeria needs a courageous leader, someone who will not be daunted by our enormous challenges. We need a man who can sit with any man, look them in the face and stamp his authority. Nigeria needs the courage of a man who listens because as the saying goes, it takes courage to stand up to talk but stronger courage to sit down and listen and we need a listening President.
CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE
This man’s influence cut across several strata of the society and the polity. He has sown seeds everywhere. He has upgraded the destinies of several destinies especially members of our party, the All Progressives Congress.
Amongst traditional rulers exist several testimonies of deep long term friendship and comeradeship. The clergy speak very kindly of him despite his not been “a man of God” so to speak.
It is also a thing of pride to note that most of the leaders of our party are have in one way or the other benefitted from the goodwill of this man, it is a clear distinction from other aspirants whose main supporters are members of the opposition party.
On the Occasion of the 2023 elections, the seeds he has sown will germinate and by the grace of God he will reap bountifully. God is very fair, so is nature and providence, there is no way long term hard work and seed planting will not be rewarded over emergency camaraderie.
Dear delegates, please do not give the presidential ticket of our party to the opposition.
AGE &HEALTH STATUS
There has been several dust raised about the health status and the age of this man but he has come out severally to say that he had a knee surgery recently and that will not hamper his efficiency and functionality.
The presidency is not indeed a bricklayer’s job (no offence to artisans, they contribute greatly to our economy and will flourish greatly under this man). The office requires abundance of energy but requires more the ability to seek out and delegate functions to reliable aides.
The youths are indeed the leaders of tomorrow but we need the experience and exposure of this man to lead us out of our current doldrums.
UNDERSTANDING OF OUR PECULIARITIES
The foremost peculiarities of the Nigerian State today are disunity, insecurity and financial laxity. Our leaders do not understand how to go about the economy. I make bold to say that there is no frontline financial expert in the Government of President Buhari.
I have spoken about how our man will foster unity. I think that with unity and the restoration of our patriotism and true belief in Nigeria, some major parts of our problems would have been solved. Some other parts will be solved by the rejigging of our economy which will bring some level of sufficiency and calm frayed nerves. It is certain that an hungry man will be an angry man.
This man on his own is an expert on financialism and we have seen his track record to that effect. With due respect to President Buhari and to other aspirants in the All Progressives Congress, the time for borrowing money to execute all our undertakings and putting square pegs in round holes is gone,Nigeria has all the material resources and personnel to be a great nation.
REWARD SYSTEM
News came some days ago that the Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party for the forthcoming election is an appointee of the Federal Government and a close associate of one of the Federal Ministers, this has been the story of our party, rewarding outsiders to the detriment of qualified party members who had worked their socks off to get victory for the party.
The reward system of the party is shabby but our man has promised to change the situation and there is no other aspirant who can deliver this than one who is not just a founding father and who understands the magnitude of the sacrifice that party members have made over time but one who also understands the principle of reaping where one has sown.
RUNNING MATE/RELIGION
The issue of running mate has been a recurring decimal with regards to the ambition of this man with people saying he cannot but have a Muslim running mate from the core north and that a Muslim/Muslim ticket will not fly.
It is appropriate that you seek clarifications dear delegates as it is within your rights.
I make bold to say that a man who has a pastor wife and has sponsored the more people for Christian pilgrimage than any other living Nigerian politician is comfortable working with any tribe or religion. He has also etched his good deeds in the various religious and tribal divisions that whatever formula he will arrive at will take care of the general interest of Nigerians religion and culture wise.
Let me state my personal opinion on religion and leadership and it is the fact that oftentimes, there is no mutuality between good leadership and faith. It is the same way that I think a Pastor will not make a good leader that I think an Imam is best suited to his leadership of the Muslim Ummah.
Dear delegates, it is clear that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu towers above all the other Presidential aspirants of our great party. Kindly do him the great honour of electing him as our party’s standard bearer and you will not regret it.
GOD BLESS THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS
GOD BLESS ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU
GOD BLESS THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
Opeyemi Ojo Olayinka writes from the Central Business District, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and can be reached on tubabainc@gmail.com
