Yesterday marked a watershed moment in our country’s history, as the APC, Africa’s largest political party, finished its presidential primaries for the 2023 general elections, with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerging as its flagbearer.
Ordinarily, this would not have been a big concern given Tinubu’s role as a major co-founder of the All Progressives Congress. Allow me to take everyone’s attention back to the beginning of this historic adventure.
Remember that before the 2015 general elections, the President had run for president several times without success until Tinubu brought in his alliance, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Former Head of State, General Mohammadu Buhari, won the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary election in 2014, polling 3,430 votes to secure the ticket.
Buhari defeated Musa Kwankwanso, who received 974 votes in the primaries, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who received 954 votes. While Owelle Rochas Okorocha received 624 votes, late Sam Nda-Isaiah received 10 votes with 16 invalid votes.
Take note that the people Buhari defeated in the APC primary election are still alive and well, and are running for president in their respective parties.
Back then, how did Buhari defeat the moneybags in the hotly contested APC primaries, led by the tough and tenacious Atiku Abubakar and Kwankwanso ? Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu used his political savvy to overcome them.
It was widely assumed that Tinubu had been outsmarted by the cabal in the run-up to the APC national convention in March, which elected Abdullahi Adamu as the party’s national chairman. Recall that Tinubu backed three chairmanship aspirants at the time.
Adamu, who had never hidden his desire to keep power in the North (yes, there is a viral interview in which Adamu said there was nothing like power returning to the south), was dragged into the race three weeks before the convention date after the acting caretaker chairman, Mai Buni, did everything possible to scuttle the convention in order to smuggle in Goodluck Jonathan as the APC presidential flagbearer.
Not to mention the years-long battle that began when the erudite Adams Oshiomhole was given the door as APC national chairman, so the strategy to derail Tinubu’s campaign was grand.
With the emergence of Adamu,the cabal then stepped in and resumed their attempts to bring back ex-President Jonathan; evidently, their objective was for GEJ to serve only four years and then pass over control to the Northern elite.
Gej was promptly pulled into the contest, his APC membership was backdated to 2019, and he was freed of all court encumbrances to pave room for his entry and ultimate appearance as the APC flagbearer.
Meanwhile, Tinubu continued to go from state to state, meeting with everyone who cares, including traditional leaders, street shakers, political leaders, institutional icons, and so on.
In a nutshell, TINUBU acquired the promises of the individuals who mattered in Nigeria, whether they were in the APC or whatever party was secondary.
Then, almost out of nowhere, Osinbajo, who had been holding forth his MANDATE, was recruited in as the ANOINTED candidate, a putative PLAN B, which never bothered Asiwaju. “When a dog barks, the lion does not turn around.” tho disappointed, the Lion kept marching.
According to Timaya ” If life give you pain please pop champagne oo…Don’t give a damn, don’t you complain oo”
Tinubu’s nasty stories began to flood the internet, claiming that he had bladder troubles, that he has this and that, and that the propaganda was rampant as if it were the general elections. Still, “A lion is unconcerned about the opinions of a sheep.”
Again like Timaya would say, “You no wan work you say Chukwubiko…You go expect manna to fall from heaven oo…Person wey dey carry last you dey complain” Tinubu soldiered on.
Following that, the primaries were postponed when INEC was pressured to change their schedule. “Operation Stop Tinubu” was in high gear, but Tinubu, like a lion, was not disturbed. When a lion roars, he does not catch his prey. When a dog barks, the lion does not turn around. Tinubu continued to move and strategize without making a noise.
Like Timaya would say”Hustlers don’t complain, we just figure it and slide…Say we ready for the rainy day, only God dey my side”
They had previously considered disqualifying Tinubu at the screening stage , but that proposal died on the vine. The final nail in the coffin for the CAMEL came on the eve of the primaries, when the National Chairman, Adamu unilaterally endorsed the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan as the APC consensus candidate.
This move nearly swallowed Adamu as delegates, who happen to be the “chairmen” at the time, demanded Adamu’s resignation immediately. It was an earthquake, and the national chairman went incommunicado, while the Northern Governors, who played a key role in Tinubu’s victory, insisted that power be transferred to the South.
When Adamu was unable to be found, they went after him. The Northern Governors were the heroes here; they supported Tinubu, who supported them throughout their moments of crisis. When Tinubu visited every terrible incident that occurred in the North, his opponents mocked him.
“Some said money miss road, make he dey donate upadan dem go chop him money finish dem tell am say Northern Interest na the highest, they kept talking like a leaking tap. Tatafo.”
If you play with a lion’s paw, the brains of a fox will be useless. Don’t get in the way of a moving train.
Matters Arising
Yesterday’s primary was a referendum on democratic ideals, and the APC as a party comprised of party members supported Tinubu because of his compassion and leadership qualities. Tinubu’s win came against all odds as he fought the HAWKS in the presidency, the Cabal, and the backstabbers to emerge victorious.
This implies that Nigerians will have the option to elect the people’s choice as their future president, and they will no longer have to worry about a cabal dictating the country’s progress and advancement.
Tinubu has demonstrated that determination, focus, humility, perseverance, and tolerance pay off. It would be disastrous for a particular region to retain power for 16 years back to back. The corridors of power would be controlled by a single region.
This means that, for example, the ministry of finance and other ministries will be congested with a specific region, which will be detrimental to the quota system.
Nigeria is still not prepared for a monopolistic society. Consider an Ijaw man as president for the next 16 years. Na from Aso Rock gate the security go dey speak Ijaw, even inside CBN and other ministries na only Ijaw you go dey hear.
Now Tinubu needs to take a break and go back to the drawing board to ensure that he carries every region as this is a rebirth. Once the Jagaban can recreate the magic he performed in making Lagos the fifth largest economy in Africa, then we are good to go as a Nation.
We must celebrate this victory as it was a clear case of democratic tenets in action , it reminds us of the June 12 victory when Nigerians accepted to change the status quo from oppression and deprivation.
Before I put down the pen, I’d like to share the first stanza of Timaya’s smash single “Gra Gra”… This post was inspired by the song, which is about working hard to attain your goals and comes highly recommended for self-motivation.
“Me I no dey do gra gra do gra gra I no dey gberaga..Right now I no dey do gra gra do gra gra I no dey gberaga
You no wan work you want to chop oo…You no wan strive you want to flex oo
You must to serve before you be boss oo…You no wan suffer you wan enjoy oo
Right now me I’m chilling in my Chulo Chulo way…God know say I work hard to be where I dey”
My name is Osigwe Omo-Ikirodah the principal of Bush Radio Academy.