Bola Tinubu: The Man Who (Re)Built Nigerian Opposition



He might not be the darling of all, but Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a two-time governor of Lagos State, has carved a niche for himself in the 14-year history of the rebirth of democracy in Nigeria. His persona excites as much awe as fear from the people, especially the political class.

He has through his doggedness and can-do spirit earned a name for himself as one of the foremost politicians of the nation's fledgling Fourth Republic. Although Tinubu's participation in the politics of the Fourth Republic was not his first foray into politics, it was in the current dispensation that he made a name for himself.

As a senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District in the aborted Third Republic, the dispensation did not last long enough for him, just like many others, to make his mark. The annulment of the June 12, 1993 election by the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida-led junta, put paid to efforts to return Nigeria to civil rule after almost a decade of military interregnum. In the heat of the civil protest that trailed the annulment, he teamed up with others in the defunct National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) to rally the people behind the campaign to force the military back to the barracks. Like many leaders of the anti-military group, he was forced to flee to exile, especially under the late Gen. Sani Abacha dictatorship that resorted to state brutality to subdue the opposition.

Whatever Tinubu might have done to advance the cause of democracy before the Fourth Republic, has paled to insignificance with his avowed commitment, in the extant dispensation, to champion the cause of sustaining one of the cardinal principles of democracy: the people's right to choose. In this quest, he has become the face of the alternative force in a nation that for all intent and purpose, has been tending towards a one-party system since 1999.

With the return of democracy in 1999, Tinubu joined his comrades in NADECO and others in the now comatose Alliance for Democracy (AD) on whose platform he won the Lagos State governorship election. The AD was the ruling party in the South-west, controlling the administration of the six states in the region. It was a domination that brought the party under intense pressure, especially given the fact that the then President Olusegun Obasanjo of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got into power without the support of his Yoruba kinsmen. Like AD, Obasanjo, whose presidency was hobbled by its lack of support from his kinsmen, was also under pressure to redress the situation.

Obasanjo bid his time and in the run-up to the 2003 general election, he deployed guile and diplomacy to outwit the leadership of the pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, to ensure that the Yoruba supported his re-election. In the election, the PDP swept the polls and of the six AD governors then, only Tinubu returned for a second term in office. Tinubu survived the Obasanjo onslaught as he saw through his shenanigans during his negotiations with the Yoruba leaders such as the late Chief Abraham Adesanya, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Olanihun Ajayi.

His victory was to redefine the relationship between the duo during their second term. A chagrined Obasanjo never forgave Tinubu for outfoxing him. At every point in their official interaction, he did all he could to frustrate the Tinubu administration. When Tinubu made moves to build the first independent power plant in Nigeria, the Obasanjo administration frustrated it.

The frosty relationship between them was to further deteriorate when Lagos made moves to create more local government areas in deference to the yearnings of the people. The state, after going through the constitutional process, finally created 37 additional local government areas, which the Obasanjo administration refused to recognise. The creation of additional local governments in the state turned out to be a battle of wits between Obasanjo and Tinubu. To force Lagos to revert to its 20-local government structure, Obasanjo directed the seizure of funds to local governments in the state, totalling over N10 billion, from the Federation Account. Not even a Supreme Court judgment, which described his action as illegal, could make the former president back down.

The duo were to be locked in a fresh political battle, reminiscent of that of 2003 in the 2007 general election. By then, Tinubu had pulled out of AD to form the Action Congress (AC), which later metamorphosed into the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Obasanjo, as the outgoing president wanted to ensure the continued domination of the PDP in the South-west, to consolidate his position as a respectable leader of the party.

On the other hand, Tinubu was set to reclaim the geopolitical zone from the rampaging PDP machinery. In the end, PDP retained its five states with ACN retaining Lagos. But it turned out to be a pyrrhic victory for the ruling party because with an uncommon determination, Tinubu engineered and encouraged the legal battles that finally led to the reclamation of Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Edo States from the PDP.

From the scratch, he built the ACN to a formidable political party that within a short time became the major opposition party in Nigeria. He deployed his resources, energy and political acumen to give the ruling party a fight in the political space.

In his avowed determination to ensure the defeat of PDP, he tried to form an alliance in the run up to the 2011 general election with Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, another respectable opposition leader. Under the scheme, the ACN and Buhari's Congress for Progress Change (CPC) were to work together. But the alliance, which began rather late, failed due to irreconcilable differences between the two party leaders.

Nevertheless, they were not discouraged. What Tinubu and Buhari failed to pull off in 2011, they did in 2013. With their encouragement, focus and determination, they were able to bring the major opposition parties in the country to come together. They adopted a novel, though complicated process that eventually led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which in its short existence has been nibbling at PDP's stronghold.

Starting out with 11 governors after its formation, APC recently increased the number of governors in its fold to 16 following the defection of five aggrieved PDP governors to the party. APC has since turned the PDP, the behemoth that had a stranglehold over the political space in Nigeria since 1999, into a minority party in the House of Representatives. Effectively, as the PDP grows weaker by the day, the APC waxes stronger.

As the nation approaches another election year in 2015, the electorate is assured of a choice: it is either PDP or APC. This largely has been due to the unwavering commitment of Tinubu who has given his all to nudge the opposition in the right direction. For his foresightedness and unrelenting determination to deepen Nigeria’s democratic space, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is THISDAY’s Man of the Year.


www.thisdaylive.com/articles/bola-tinubu-the-man-who-re-built-nigerian-opposition/167728/

Why does this writeup look tattered.

akposking: Why does this writeup look tattered.

perhaps, because it's written by a yoruba?

man of the year is Tinubu Nigeria is in trouble.

alj harem: man of the year is Tinubu Nigeria is in trouble.

Like him or hate him, 2013 politics revolves around him, he have set d agenda 4 2014 and set d pace ahead of 2015. D future of dis republic depends of wat he and his cabals do from now on. So beat it!

We have governments that are democracies on paper but not in function. They are democracies in form but in substance. We have governments that only know democracy primarily through breaching it. In short, many nations suffer auuthoritarian governments in democratic clothing... But TINUBU is not like this, he has shown the real democracy when he was the former governor of lagos state where he stood by his words!. I think its high time we gave him a chance in nigeria. CHANGE MUST BE MADE!!!

Obago! Tinubu Is The Man Of The Year

So many ppl might dispute this fact but if u are truly unbiased, This man deserves the man of the year.. he is really trying in playing an important role in the polity of today!! I really applaud d man for his visions and workings towards achieving it
.
Nigeria shall b great!!!

A very well deserved award! All the meetings, threats, sleepless nights, countless miles flying for Nigeria to be great. Tinubu could have retired and rested like most politicians in the class of '99. His hunger for a better Nigeria wouldn't let him. One-by-One-by-God, he won back stolen mandates in the south west and added Edo to the fold. All performing governors. In the space of one year, 6 has become 16. God increase his health and mind for us!

alj harem: man of the year is Tinubu Nigeria is in trouble.

Yes. In trouble from terrible leadership at the FG level. Not from Tinubu. He's only doing his best!

Congratulations to Tinubu for escaping a jail term in Kirikiri maximum penitentiary last year. We hope he won't be that lucky this year. We hope they build a special prison for him and his likes.

....

Jagaban of Borgu emirate....keep flying high.

Haters goona hate anyway...that is what they are paid to do...hating

Is it a government that can't imprison a minister whose crimes are so glaring and obvious that will come and hold a great individual like Tinubu? Park well, jor!

Cross Legge: A very well deserved award! All the meetings, threats, sleepless nights, countless miles flying for Nigeria to be great. Tinubu could have retired and rested like most politicians in the class of '99. His hunger for a better Nigeria wouldn't let him. One-by-One-by-God, he won back stolen mandates in the south west and added Edo to the fold. All performing governors. In the space of one year, 6 has become 16. God increase his health and mind for us!

Not easy....

Some people would have taken the easy way out....if you can't beat them...join them mindset.

Contrary to your opinion
www.nairaland.com/1514668/revisiting-unholy-activities-asiwaju-bola

ilugunboy: Jagaban of Borgu emirate....keep flying high.

Haters goona hate anyway...that is what they are paid to do...hating

Gba o!! Hehehehe!

alj harem: man of the year is Tinubu Nigeria is in trouble.

If not Tinubu, suggest someone. Maybe the man that "brought facebook to Nigeria" and even went to Abeokuta yesterday to beg Obasanjo for his ill-advised response or the domestic appendage that goes about fighting elected governors.

Like TB Joshua said, Tinubu will fall this 2014, or do u want me to mention most of them?

I Just LOVE this man! He is actually my mentor!

Clerverly: I Just LOVE this man! He is actually my mentor!

Tinubu your mentor? No wonder your DNA is corrupt

The facts stated in the article aren't in doubt. Ut I doubt his party will bring the change Nigeria wants. I am happy because competition is good, especially in the kind of democracy Nigeria has. In fact, I hope Labor Party or APGA ()step up to make a 3 major party system.

Tinubu defined 2015 election, he has strategically layed waste to the PDP and made GEJ soft. U may not beliv it but don't be surprised OBJ and Tinubu will work 2geda 4 2015. It is a well deserved award!

Tinubu is ThisDay Man of the year? Man of the year for incorporating disgruntled and angry PDP members into APC? Man of the year for calling on OBJ to help APC "navigate" Nigeria? ThisDay is a joke.

Honestly,it"s a joke.

alj harem: man of the year is Tinubu Nigeria is in trouble.

well. In the land of the blind....the one eyed man is the kabiyesi.

How one man can fool so many amazes me
if some of his followers know his portfolio built from Lagos money. they would have a rethink

Sincere 9gerian: Tinubu is ThisDay Man of the year? Man of the year for incorporating disgruntled and angry PDP members into APC? Man of the year for calling on OBJ to help APC "navigate" Nigeria? ThisDay is a joke.

See this guy oo... So This Day is now a joke because they gave Tinubu man of the year .... But all this while when ThisDay was the mouthpiece of PDP.. they were serious then abi??