Abimbola Adelakun

On Tuesday, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of the erstwhile strongman of opposition politics, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, expressed her frustration at how her husband was “thrashed” by the President Muhammadu Buhari government he helped put in office. Even a minimally savvy observer of Nigerian politics would have figured out that a palace coup has consumed the so-called Jagaban of the game.


Asiwaju Tinubu’s position in the All Progressives Congress is no longer what it used to be, and his profile as a master politician gifted with a deft understanding of Nigeria’s political roulette tanked long ago. He has denuded from a quick-thinking opposition figure to one of the many gadflies milling around Ask Rock. These days, his comments on political issues seem like a forced attempt to be relevant. One looks back at the time he was such a political force that could put his wife and children in offices without even a whimper from any of the voices that now complain about Buhari’s sin of nepotism and wonders how the mighty fell so hard. Was the man ever a brilliant political strategist or his success was as a result of the coincidence of historical events that neatly aligned in his favour?

Senator Tinubu wants us to believe that her husband helped Buhari to power out of sheer love for the country and nothing else. Despite her husband being sidelined, he still loves Nigeria and is giving his best from the place where he has been consigned. If Tinubu’s motive was all patriotic, why complain about his not being at the centre of things? Why not simply chalk up all the humiliation to the larger sacrifice we are asked to make for the sake of Nigeria?

Here is what Remi has perhaps not considered: Buhari sees her husband as duplicitous and has outplayed the old fox.

We can all remember all the politicking and insensitive shenanigans that took place during the 2011 elections between the old APC (then known as the Action Congress of Nigeria) and Buhari’s then party, the Congress for Political Change. Then, the calculation was that both parties would band together, field Buhari for President, and the ACN would supply the Vice President – Tinubu as the VP, nonetheless.

The idea did not fly for both parties because – it was insinuated – they were both Muslims and Nigerians were not going to be excited by a presidential team composed of two Muslims. Both parties went their separate ways with the ACN picking a former EFCC boss, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, as its own presidential candidate.

The elections came and went, and it was amazing to everyone how the ACN candidate was badly beaten in the South-West, the ACN stronghold. Apart from Osun State where he won, he lost everywhere else. It was strange that the party did not mobilise her teeming supporters to vote for its candidate. In my mind’s eyes, I still see poor Ribadu looking at the election results from the South-West the morning after the election and wondering what happened. He probably knew he did not stand a chance of winning the whole nation, but, at least, the South-West should have been a shoo-in.

Then, came the post-election analyses, speculation, and putting together of pieces of different puzzles to understand what happened. The story then was that Tinubu abandoned his own party candidate to support the incumbent, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, of the Peoples Democratic Party who thought if he lost the South-West to Ribadu, and was not guaranteed the North, it could result in an electoral run-off. To ward off that possibility, he allegedly “bought off” Tinubu to “deliver” his party and since the ACN wasn’t going to win anyway, Tinubu did the most practical thing: he deliberately lost his stronghold. When Ribadu, betrayed and humiliated, finally packed whatever was left of his dignity to join the PDP, he alleged that he was leaving because his party traded him during the 2011 elections.

Ribadu’s allegation sounded like the bitter rant of a scorned lover, and a man who was going to join the band of men he had previously written off as irredeemably corrupt is not the most credible person. The account of Tinubu being “bought off” by Jonathan remained mostly speculative; just strands of historical possibilities reconstructed from both whispered rumours and the insight and clarity we sometimes achieve in the wake of events. It would have remained that way if, Tinubu himself, in a moment of human slip – and perhaps a hubristic perception of his omnipotent power – had not admitted that, indeed, he betrayed his party candidate.

In March 2015, while campaigning for Buhari at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos, Tinubu unwittingly confessed that he sold his party’s candidate on a silver platter because Jonathan made him believe then that he was a breath of fresh air. Tinubu did not admit whether he was compensated or not, but we can guess that his motives could not have been purely altruistic. Politicians do not give out such huge favours like that if their other hand is not stretched for a recompense. One suspects that Tinubu did not support Jonathan a second time for two reasons: One, it would have been awkward to betray his party a second time. Two, he saw a clear path to the Presidency and although he jockeyed to be the ACN vice-presidential candidate, he failed. Had he succeeded, he would have been just one heartbeat away from the Presidency itself, his ambition all along.

Looking back now, Buhari, from the time he joined the APC, must have planned to mitigate Tinubu’s prostitution of his political capital. Tinubu’s 2011 and 2015 conduct must have taught Buhari that a man who betrayed his own party’s candidate will do something equally mischievous if he were not rendered redundant. In order not to have to beg Tinubu for his re-election, he fired Tinubu as kingmaker and compensated him with the cynical task of reconciling the party.

The Buhari unravelling would not have been as painful if the man had not thrashed everyone else along with his sponsors. The Nigerians that voted his opponent, along with those that even had no voter card, are all currently being invoiced and forced to pay for Nigeria’s poor choices of candidates in the 2015 election. Issues such as corruption, security, and building up the economy were some of the biggest concerns of 2015. Buhari does not have much to show in those areas other than sterile figures whipped out from their propaganda playbook. The economy has regressed; from Benue to Taraba to Kaduna, human lives and property have been wasted; the country is directionless; the administration’s so-called fight against corruption has lowered the bar of integrity for itself so many times that the whole affair looks like a poor joke. In short, we have all been thrashed by Buhari.

Tinubu backed a dying horse because of his ambitions. Nigerians of all shades too bought the myth of a messiah who would do wonders for their country. All of us are paying for it right now. While Tinubu’s punishment is that he has been rendered irrelevant, millions of other Nigerians have watched their lives and the things that make them meaningful dwindle to almost nothing.

Despite everything, Senator Tinubu still thinks that Buhari is a candidate to beat because some poor indoctrinated masses love him and want him returned to power. If I were her, I would work against such a possibility. If her husband still has any joker left, he had better bring it and ensure Buhari is not re-elected. If Buhari is returned to power in 2019, she and her husband’s problem would no longer be mere thrashing. With power in his hands and no other presidential contests in his future, Buhari will probably have Tinubu jailed!

http://punchng.com/dear-senator-tinubu-buhari-has-thrashed-us-all/

Madam pele o
Unfortunately tinubu have no other option than to continue supporting the dullard even into the pit.

Political jagaban turn Fulani slave

magoo10:
Madam pele o
Unfortunately tinubu have no other option than to continue supporting the dullard even into the pit.

No be Abimbola Adelakun and co dey hail BAT for back page those days; I beg make we all enjoy the negative change..

Tinubu

If Bola Tinubu will keep his ambition aside these Fulani men will stop manipulating him.
It pains me to see Asiwaju with all his political acumen being tossed back and forth with the promise that they will hand over to him. Even a child knows that Buhari will never WILLINGLY hand over to Asiwaju.

What can I say, desperation is the mother of Compromise. They just know he's desperate to rule Nigeria so they have a mumu button to be pressing anytime they need him.

Stupid people
Buhari is the cause of Nigerians problem both seen and unseen ones

Tinubu no get shame. Those cabals in Aso Rock are wiser.

Once their Buhari wins again, this time Tinubu must explain how he made his billions

The Hausas will never let go of power at the top, unless we vote them out. Tinubu, on the other hand would be used and dumped, and if possible tried and prosecuted. Now, he looks more confused, irrelevant and short of ideas.

Ogbon agbanju ma pa Ologbon lara ni...

Omooba77:


No be Abimbola Adelakun and co dey hail BAT for back page those days; I beg make we all enjoy the negative change..

yes o change is here even if na negative let them enjoy

If we send BUHARI out of the aso rock now, another animal from north will emerge as president and spend another 8years... The questions is when is South south, south east and south west will become president... Cos I know south have the solution to this problem... Believe me, after Yaradua, North don't have any beta candidate again...

Was he thinking that south west would be carried along. ...after shouting SAI KINIKO


Why didn't they see the handwriting on the wall like south East


But wait a minute...how can you be in ACN and be supporting PDP covertly. That is too bad and that might be reasons he wasn't trusted

nototribalist:
Tinubu no get shame. Those cabals in Aso Rock are wiser.

Once their Buhari wins again, this time Tinubu must explain how he made his billions

I wonder how he escaped that explanation sessions

magoo10:
yes o change is here even if na negative let them enjoy

what is diz one saying ..so dey shud keep enjoying abi...

Simple message to christian folks:
Exercise your voting rights in 2019, bearing in mind that anyone you decide to vote for won't change your predicament until you turn back to God. Until we do away with the life of immorality and unrepentant sinfulness, we will surely continue to suffer alongside everyone in this country.
How can you believe in God, and continue to do the things He says you shouldn't do, and you think there wouldn't be any consequences. We are suffering the wrath of God and it could get worse, if we don't desist from our sinful ways. The rumors you hear are true; the killings are not ordinary and our freedom is at stake.
I don't see any other reason why this country will suffer when we have so many Christians in it. Let's change our ways, and this country will be better.

E never see thrasing. Drug dealer Tinubu sold his people and didn't get paid

nototribalist:
Tinubu no get shame. Those cabals in Aso Rock are wiser.

Once their Buhari wins again, this time Tinubu must explain how he made his billions

exactly. Tinubu has lost it just like awolowo did. Afonjas look at how the north keep using you people. Na wao.

ok

@ konoplyanka,

At least it's not me saying it. It's a Yoruba who was part of the AC camp.

-Lord

we

Asiwaju should please read this piece; it's a bit insolent for a trained Yoruba man to use some language as the writer used BUT the piece is laden with truths.
This is Asiwaju's final chance to help Nigerians and the Yorubas

If not that the bad state of things in this country is also affecting me, I for just dey one side dey laugh at people wey bring this negative change.
Mind you that Buhari is still going to win 2019, because the entire north will vote for him and south west will still vote for him because of political calculations. So we are in for a very long ride and he has promised to take us to the next level, so my people brace up for harder times.
Sai barber!!!!

Apc trash us all, no be only Buhari.

PDP will try all tricks in their pocket to get back to power. Sorry PDP, whether I am indoctrinated or not, you had 16 years with nothing to show for it, except corruption and mismanagement. I'll give PMB 8 years, if he decides to go for second term. Period.

Tinubu that couldn't stop Saraki from becoming Senate President, na Saraki suppose be reconciliation chairman

Skull miners demigod being tossed like a tissue paper. That's none of my business anyway.

There aim is to reduce him to a nobody, creat many equals of him, thereby rendering him politically useless.

Luk at me now. I didn't vote buhari bc I've been around for a while. As military ruler he was a figure head as idiagbon held sway n we all refer to ochichi idiagbon, buhari was rarely mentioned by us d massas. Now I'm suffering over d mistake of dis lazy generatn which don't take their history lesson serious. God dey.

rottennaija:
PDP will try all tricks in their pocket to get back to power. Sorry PDP, whether I am indoctrinated or not, you had 16 years with nothing to show for it, except corruption and mismanagement. I'll give PMB 8 years, if he decides to go for second term. Period.

Hahaha hah... Who's is begging you against voting Mumumadu?

Sai Barber 2040.

jesicajonna:
what is diz one saying ..so dey shud keep enjoying abi...

yes o they should enjoy the change abi what do you want me to say.