Tanimomo’s Piece of Mind (TPoM): SABAT-Lagos plus 2015 General Election: Bad Market…Good Market?!
by ahjotnaija
Mr. Tanimomo is a scholar resident in Germany. He guest-blogs on http://www.ahjotnaija.wordpress.com He is author of the popular bi-weekly: Tanimomo’s Piece of Mind (TPoM).
Except for speaking on the recent removal of the cross-carpeted Ex-Governor of Adamawa state, Senator Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (SABAT) has for a while been quiet in political circles. Some have said his quiescence is a ram-nesque way of retreating to fight better, others have argued that the former governor is counting his loss after the Ekiti election. Personally, I wish he would not emerge from his withdrawal and political hibernation. I do not like the political carriage and mafia-like characteristics of the man, and it is even annoying when he assumes his Messianic Toga and the deliverer of the Nigerian people pose.
Truth be said, SABAT has never been a model of administrative excellence. For example, when I was admitted into into Lagos State Model College, I was very proud to be. Understandably, things had been falling apart in the education sector. However, things fell further apart as soon as SABAT became Governor. Several industrial actions followed. Model College was in for an even freer fall, from the bad grass to a worse grass. Well, this would be a story for another day. A possible good-news might have been that SABAT repaired the Baale Animashaun-road in my area. Alas, it did not take long, in fact only weeks, before the newly constructed road was potholed.
Really no one cares any longer, our emotive parts of our brains work better that our logical. That is why it is easy to whip-up tribal and religious sentiments. Anyway, SABAT-days as Governor have been erased by his successful switch to godfatherism and though his days in the Government House were only hurtful to habitants of Lagos state, his foray as a godfather may hurt the whole country and coming generation. So much must be said.
In 2011, SABAT, it was believed, was responsible for the sweeping victory of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the South-West general elections. (Un-)fortunately, accusations soon followed, his wife replaced Mamora, his son-in-law was elected into Ekiti state Assembly, other instances of political nepotism were cited.
Yes, we heard about the big cases of nepotism and others which flourished under SABAT-watch with attending consequences for the coffers of the state. Lets take the state House of Assembly representative from my area as example: The gentleman did nothing than to sponsor a few tens of youths on a Computer Appreciation Programme (CAP). Can someone please tell this politicians this is the second decade of the 21st century?!
During the last elections, we heard that powers from above importuned voters to re-elect our representative to forestall the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from having a seat in the State House, lest they use their leprous legs to fall the cheese! Two years later, the astute politician who had done nothing for the area knew the importance of being in the good books of the bespectacled Lord and Godfather. So when the mother of SABAT, the Iyaloja of Lagos died, he took the pain of mounting a humongous sign-post at Oregun junction to mourn the dead! He did remember to indicate that the mourner is *Your-son-in-law*.
Other untold and unpopular stories abound of how the influential Bourdillion is in running the affairs of the defunct ACN. Some also claimed that the US-trained accountant was instrumental to the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan in the last elections. That na lie, by the way! The President rode on the gullibility of Nigerians to the highest office in the land. Nigerians willingly voted for him and if it had anything to do with the bespectacled godfather, it was only within the caucus of his political pawns he plays with.
The 2015 elections are fast approaching and SABAT body language has been that of a person bent on having his way in the scheme of things. Some have also suggested that he seems to be interested in either becoming the president or the vice-president. If this is the case, then it would be fatal for the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Nigerian democracy at large.
Handlers and lovers of SABAT argue that it is time SABAT ate of his hardwork; one of which is stamping PDP out of Lagos in 2003 and in many part of South-West in 2011. Factly speaking, SABAT did what an average political hustler would have done, he only did his with extra passion and fervor. Truth is, SABAT, is best at this singular thing, namely politicking and godfatherism. It makes perfect sense and pitches the APC as a serious political contender ready to cause changes in the political landscape. He is best advised to keep this larger-than-any-political-office-status.
Talking about the incumbent Governor of Lagos state, Babatunde Raji Fasola (BRF). APC is best-advised to field him in the forthcoming national election, for obvious reasons. The lawyer (SAN) Governor has exhibited some phantom traits of tyranny as Governor, notwithstanding this deficit, he is a potential success-candidate nationally. SABAT and his handlers need take this into consideration. BRF abstinency in the Lekki toll issue and constant clashes with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) come to mind. However, the Governor cuts across as a well-meaning and serious minded politician. A friend once passionately argued that BRF does not *eat* money like other good-for-nothing politicians. Such is BRF appeal/acceptability, especially amongst the educated and thinking-fellows.
BRF became my favourite governor when some months into his tenure he was interviewed on a television show and he disclosed that he recorded all his plans for Lagos state on an electronic device! That already shows seriousness, commitment and focus in a country where even the President has no plan at all, where any elected official only waits to get into office to share-the-loot!
Is BRF so popular in the North, I do not think so, especially now that the North cries for the presidency to return to the region. We need remember though that notwithstanding these cries back in 2011, President Jonathan still managed some wins in the North. It is a pointer to the fact that a Southern candidate can still *corner* some winnings in the North if the campaign is rightly done.
Also, the cult-like following that General Buhari enjoys in the North should be exploited. The once-dreaded no-nonsense Head-of-State who now seems to too-willing to right some of his wrong-deeds of the past will be a good magnet in the BRF team for North.
By the way, I think BRF is presently being over-hyped in the media. This can be further exploited to his benefit. The truth of Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) being the singular well-equipped hospital in Lagos is too obvious but the media would gladly look away, because BRF has done at least something. BRF is not perfect, but sincerely the singular worthy candidate with the magic wind for the APC, really. He is at this crucial moment the easiest-to-sell-known-good-face with few-but-concrete-evident successes to-go-along. Really, BRF seems to be the man for the APC come 2015.
ajagunna 