By Chief Akinwumi Akinfenwa
The Nigerian political landscape has become electrified since the embargo on political campaigns was lifted in September. It is time to assess and reassess the major Presidential candidates applying for the job.
The first candidate the probing searchlight falls upon is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Why and how did I arrive at the conclusion captioned above? The reasons are not far-fetched; they are manifest to discerning minds.
Based on the points enumerated below, I came to the conclusion that BAT is not the rightful candidate for the Presidency. Please read through and form your own opinion too.
1. He is a Mystery Man with so much controversy surrounding his person. Who are his parents? Where is his birth place? When was he born? Which schools did he attend and who are his classmates? Where and where did he work?
For someone who wants to occupy the number one position of President of Nigeria, he is too opaque for the electorate. The electorates have the right to know those simple and fundamental facts about who they will vote for as their President.
2. In the same vein, the inconsistencies and outright falsehoods in his several records leaves much to be desired of one who wants to occupy the highest position in Nigeria. The position demands a person with moral fortitude, probity and forthrightness. The highest position in the land should not be occupied by someone whose everything about him is enmeshed in so much controversy.
3. The way and manner Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is running Lagos State is a pointer to how he will run Nigeria if he is made the President. The growth of the civil service is deliberately halted and stunted to make room for the outsourcing of jobs that are supposed to be handled by civil servants, to himself and hangers-on.
The civil service is castrated to ensure consultancy outfits they have vested interests in takeover the jobs.
4. He has serious health issues that will hamper his mental and physical capacity and capability to discharge the onerous functions of the office of the President effectively.
Since the campaigns started, he has made many serious, unpardonable gaffes that shows his inability to articulate issues intelligently and with proper mental coordination.
Nigerians cannot afford to have another disaster of a President who will spend most time on medical tourism rather than attending to serious issues affecting the lives of Nigerians.
Nigeria is at the brink and needs a steady hand with wealth of experience to steer it away from the pending political and economic disaster that APC government has led it into.
5. His wrong perception of what public office is all about is another good reason why he is unelectable.
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu sees public office as an avenue to feather his own nest rather than see it as an opportunity to serve the citizen. When he was the Governor of Lagos State, he superintended over fleecing the state of many choice properties and converting them to personal belongings.
Many Governors were in charge of the state before him and they never converted those cherished heritages for pecuniary profit, but when he became the Governor, he bought over the official Governor’s Lodge and converted it to his own personal property and that’s where he stays till date in Bourdillon, Ikoyi. He acquired many juicy state properties and sold them to himself and his cronies at ridiculously low prices.
Pertinent questions to ask are, if other Governors before him had such appetite, will Asiwaju Bola Tinubu meet any property on ground? If Asiwaju is made the President of Nigeria, what will happen to our commonwealth? Will what happened to Lagos State, not be replicated on a nationwide scale?
6. His mercantilist approach to politics and false sense of entitlement which was exhibited on national television through his now trending “Emilokan” slogan.
He threw caution to the wind and revealed what he planned to do with Nigeria if he’s ever made the President of Nigeria. He sees being the President as his own turn to help himself and his cronies to as much of the national cake as possible. But times are hard and Nigeria needs someone to bake the cake, not share the cake.
7. The policies of present APC government of Buhari has reduced Nigeria from being one of the fastest growing economy in the sub Saharan Africa to the poverty capital of the world. At different fora, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has made it know that he will continue with Buhari’s policies.
So, the job before the next President is onerous and gargantuan that it requires a man who is selfless, focused and ready to serve and not to be served. We need a servant leader that will galvanise Nigerians to rebuild everything again.
8. His shady past of mingling with drug Lords and traffickers has become an albatross hanging on his neck till date. His ugly past in Chicago has become a recurring issue that refuses to go away. The past has continued to hunt him till now.
With such sordid past, coupled with a lot of inconsistent data and facts about the person of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the likelihood of Nigeria becoming a haven for drugs and other heinous crimes is high if he becomes our President.
9. At this time Nigeria needs the goodwill of the whole world, it will be the greatest mistake to elect someone with cupboard full of skeletons. Rather, we need a President whose humble background we know, whose trajectory to fame and prominence is transparently documented for the people to know. At this time, Nigeria needs a President who will be well respected in the comity of nations.
10. The level of disdain Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has exhibited for Nigerian journalists shows his disrespect for the electorate.
All over the world, journalism is regarded as the fourth estate of the realm and journalists are seen as the watchdogs of people’s interests in the society.
Since he has chosen to apply for the job of President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, ought to see every invitation to Town-hall meetings as an opportunity to throw light on those things he wants to do for the people and how he plans to go about getting them done.
Journalists will equally seize the opportunity, to ask the candidate pertinent questions that will help the people know the candidates better and make up their minds on wether to vote for or against such a candidate.
Such fora allows the electorate put the candidates from different political parties, side by side, to help them make informed decisions.
He refused bluntly, to talk to the local press, but found it convenient to junket to Chatham House in UK, to make bad history, as the only Presidential candidate to bulk-pass questions to his aides. He ended up embarrassing himself and confirming to the world, that he is not prepared for the job that he is applying for.
