http://www.tellng.com/contentdisplay.aspx?page_id=10&id=145

more laurels for the asiwau of the opposition

The political profile of Bola Tinubu, former Lagos State governor, as well as that of his party, the ACN, is on the rise prompting many to believe that he may galvanise the opposition to upset the PDP in the next general elections

By JULIANA EZEOKE

Saturday, November 27, was a special day residents of Osun State and especially members of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, across the country would not forget in a hurry. That was the day Rauf Aregbesola, governorship candidate of the ACN in the 2007 election, was sworn in as governor of the state, having been declared winner of the election by the court of appeal in Ibadan after more than three years of legal tussle. The Government Technical College, Osogbo, Osun State capital, venue of the ceremony was aglow with excitement as members of the party and its supporters went wild in jubilation. As George Ojo, the state chief judge completed the swearing in ceremony, hundreds of brooms, the symbol of ACN, went up in celebration of Aregbesola, whom supporters eulogised for his doggedness and patience. There was no doubt that it was a moment the ACN and its members had been waiting for. The calibre of dignitaries at the occasion emphasised the significance of the event for the opposition party. Four serving governors, Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti State governor, Babatunde Fashola, Lagos, Adams Oshiomhole, Edo and Segun Mimiko, Ondo, were present.

For Bisi Akande, the national chairman of ACN, Bola Tinubu, former Lagos State governor, Chris Ngige, former governor of Anambra State, Lam Adesina, former governor of Oyo State, Niyi Adebayo, former governor of Ekiti and Bukar Ibrahim, ex-governor of Yobe State, it was not just a celebration of victory, it was an indication that their party, the opposition at the national level, is on the ascendancy politically.

And for Aregbesola, the major celebrant of the day, it was a long battle that ended in his favour having recovered a mandate stolen from him by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for over three years. A grateful Aregbesola attributed the victory to the judiciary, which he praised for asserting its independence and courage. Said he, “Nigeria now has a judiciary made up of men and women of courage and principle who money could not buy.”
But the victory in Osun went beyond courage and impartiality of the judiciary, Aregbesola and thousands of ACN supporters. Many believe it was a victory that was almost single-handedly driven by Tinubu, former Lagos State governor, whose political profile has been rising in recent times. Tinubu has been fingered as the architect of virtually every victory won by the opposition particularly the ACN and the Labour Party in Ondo, Edo and lately Ekiti and Osun states, all in the defunct Western Region. Wealthy and courageous, Tinubu is seen by many as a crafty politician imbued with strategies to tackle political foes, no matter how ferocious. He puts his money where his political interest is, and waits for the dividend.

With the court victories, in those states, the ACN, backed by Tinubu’s political machinery and resources, is fast eroding the political influence of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South-west zone. The party is gradually becoming a formidable opposition to the ruling PDP and may rout the latter in the next election. But Tinubu’s political rise did not come as a surprise to close watchers who have followed his political history for some years. For those conversant with his political prowess, the former governor’s ability to hold on to what he believes in and fight opponents courageously could be the main source of his strength.

Tinubu’s journey to political stardom is full of twists and turns. Being a politician of the “progressive” hue, he had teamed up with the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, in the battle to uphold the June 12, 1993 election won by Moshood Abiola of the then Social Democratic Party, SDP, on which platform Tinubu also won election to the Senate. Following threats of arrest, harassment and detention, Tinubu fled Nigeria during the Sani Abacha era. He returned in 1998 and was elected the governor of Lagos State on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, in 1999. He held the office for eight years before vacating it in 2007.

In those years, his loyalists said his leadership style restored the glory of Lagos after many years of economic assaults by the military that made the state more dependent on federal allocation for survival. An astute political strategist that he is, Tinubu, fondly called Asiwaju by friends, displayed political dexterity that enabled him survive the massive incursion of the ruling PDP in the South-west states. He became the only re-elected governor of the AD in 2003. His ability to win the state for the second time against all odds pitted him against the PDP-controlled federal government. But the face-off peaked following the creation of additional 37 local council development areas in Lagos State against warnings from former President Olusegun Obasanjo. That step taken by Tinubu and which Obasanjo considered an insult on his person, led to a prolonged disagreement between the two leaders. To show his strength, Obasanjo wielded the big stick and seized the statutory allocations for the 20 local councils in Lagos, starving the state of funds for almost two years despite the Supreme Court ruling that the funds be released. The seized funds amounted to over N10 billion and it was not until 2007 when late President Umaru Yar’Adua came to power that the funds were released to Lagos. While the disagreement lasted, Tinubu continued to show courage and determination.

Although the federal government starved the state of funds, Tinubu did not allow it to pose a stumbling block to his agenda for the state. Instead, it was an eye-opener for him and probably made him devise other means of generating funds. To survive, Dele Alake, commissioner for information and strategy under Tinubu, in one of his online write-ups said the administration “had to task its intellectual ingenuity and come up with measures to strengthen the financial base of the state.” Some of those measures were to engage the Alpha Beta Tax Consultancy firm believed to be owned by Tinubu himself, which helped to raise the internally generated revenue profile of the state. Apart from re-organisation of the state’s board of internal revenue to enhance revenue collection capacity through greater autonomy, Tinubu’s administration reformed the tax administration process through the computerisation of the state’s tax assessment records, culminating in the introduction of the electronic tax clearance cards, eTCC. Though taxpayers continue to groan under the pangs of heavy taxation, the exercise, residents admit, has brought development to the state. Many actually believe that the current administration is only consolidating on the achievements of Tinubu, who laid the foundation.

But Tinubu’s profile had begun to rise after he successfully waged a battle within his political party, AD. Unable to cope with the ‘elders’ in the AD, he pulled out his followers to form the Action Congress, AC, which became ACN after merging with some opposition parties. His hold on the party was strengthened by his lone victory in 2003. He was not only instrumental to his party’s victory in 2007 elections, he particularly encouraged others, including some of his associates, to seek election in other states especially in the South-west under the platform of the party. Tinubu criss-crossed different parts of the country selling the new party to people in other political zones. It did not take long before people of like minds bought into the party’s ideals. Today, the ACN may not be a perfect match for the ruling party but it is believed that it is gradually becoming a strong opposition, which the PDP is wary of. In fact, with the recent court rulings in Osun and Ekiti states, PDP governors are said to be afraid that the party is gaining popularity and access into the states that were hitherto in PDP’s possession.
The PDP governors are particularly threatened by Tinubu. Many of them insinuate that Tinubu has been influencing tribunal decisions in favour of his party in particular.
Recently, some PDP members attempted to put pressure on President Goodluck Jonathan to jettison his seeming “indifference" to the party’s losses at the court of appeal. In a petition to the President, they alleged that Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun of the court of appeal is a Tinubu loyalist. According to them, the judge was Tinubu's nominee to the appeal court as candidate of Lagos. Such claims have, however, been dismissed by Funsho Ologunde, assistant publicity secretary, ACN in Lagos. He said that Tinubu fought to ensure free and fair elections in the concerned states and so when there were allegations of fraud in the elections, he also fought to get pieces of evidence to substantiate such claims. “The opposition governorship candidate in Ondo, who is now the governor, is not an ACN member. But because Tinubu believes in free and fair elections, he ensured that justice was done in Ondo. If that is what the PDP is calling influencing tribunal rulings, it behoves them to provide evidence to prove their claim”, Ologunde charged.

With ACN’s recent successes in Osun and Ekiti states, Tinubu said the ACN would soon regain its ‘lost’ South-west states. He said Oyo and Ogun states would soon fall into the waiting hands of ACN. Gbenga Daniel, Ogun State governor, is not one of those who underrate the political powers and influence of Tinubu. Daniel made it clear that the PDP would lose the South-west to the Tinubu political machinery, unless the crises in the PDP are resolved.

Perhaps unknown to Daniel and some PDP stalwarts, ACN is making an inroad outside its South-west base. Recently, some PDP members in Ebonyi State, who were angry at the secret endorsement of some aspirants in the state by Okwesilieze Nwodo, PDP national chairman, split and resolved to join the ACN in the state. Arguing that “Nigerians are tired and sick of the PDP,” the faction, led by Sunday Adol-Awam, described the ACN as “a progressive party with programmes that would enhance the life of Nigerians.”
With the way the ACN is spreading its tentacles across the country, it is not in doubt that the party and Tinubu in particular, are mapping out strategies to widen their political base and win more states in 2011. Observers believe that their spread is also an attempt by the opposition to ensure that Nigerians have other solid platforms under which to elect or vie for political positions in a free and fair election, which Tinubu has on several occasions, canvassed.

In pursuit of his agenda to strengthen the opposition, October was particularly a busy one for Tinubu. That month, he received more calls and entertained more visitors than usual. These were not regular visitors or those who always show up to beg for material favours. Instead, the visitors and callers were politicians seeking political relevance. Though his ability to deal with issues is not in doubt, Tinubu obviously did not find it easy assuaging the thirst of the army of aspirants and parties seeking his attention and endorsements in preparation for the 2011 general elections. It was on record that no fewer than four governorship aspirants across political parties in the state as well as two presidential aspirants sought his support for their ambitions. Three political parties also consulted with him for his endorsement and blessings.

Chekwas Okorie, factional national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, as well as Muhammadu Buhari, presidential aspirant of the ANPP in the 2007 elections and currently of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, have on different occasions held closed door meetings with Tinubu. Buhari is said to have sought the support and cooperation of Tinubu for his third attempt at becoming the nation’s president.
Perhaps, the decision of some politicians to seek Tinubu’s assistance is predicated on their belief that the former governor has the power to influence their political future for the better, especially in the South-west region. Aware of his rising profile as a godfather, Tinubu himself has braced up for the challenge and is comfortably disposed to performing his new role.

Many Nigerians see him and his leadership style from different prisms. Debo Adeniran, president, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, a non-governmental organisation, described him as an idealist but “bourgeois socio-political tactician.” As a politician, he said the former governor knows how to beat his political peers in their own game. To him, Tinubu could be said to have learnt from such political masters as Obafemi Awolowo, Anthony Enahoro and Abraham Adesanya. Adeniran maintained that Tinubu is a courageous politician who, in conjunction with other senators in his years in the upper house challenged the military. According to the CACOL boss, Tinubu is also a “selfless leader” who ensures that funds would not be a stumble block on his way to achieving his set goal. This side of him came to the limelight when, after the murder of Alfred Rewane, a NADECO chieftain, by the Abacha junta, he took over the funding of NADECO. In the opinion of Adeniran, Tinubu is currently seen as the father of South-west politics “as he mobilises funds, materials and moral support for the progressive political camp in the geo-political zone with a view to returning it to the welfarist status the region was noted for in the Awolowo days.”

Though Chukwuemeka Ilo, an Anambra-based businessman, is a member of the PDP, he also accepts the fact that Tinubu is a force to reckon with in the nation’s political scene. Apart from his argument that the former governor introduced many progressive policies, which are “copied by some governors today,” he also said that Tinubu has been able to make the ACN a formidable opposition to the ruling party despite its limited spread. “Tinubu has reduced crime in Lagos with his support for the police; he started the idea of making Lagos a mega city and that dream is becoming a reality as the years roll by; now, those who want to be relevant in politics look for one way or the other to associate with him even beyond the South-west. To me, he is a force nobody can ignore,” Ilo said.

Tunji Abayomi, a social critic, said Tinubu understands the chances, choices and challenges of politics far beyond the ordinary, adding that he sacrifices his peace and resources for a cause he believes in. To him Tinubu “is currently the most important factor in the politics of the West of Nigeria including the old Mid-west,” where he is “a great threat” to the PDP. Abayomi said Tinubu’s material commitment to politics is “unquantifiable and legendary,” adding that the former governor “remains uncomplicated, approachable, and uncommonly ordinary with an admirable political personality.”
Ologunde also shares the same opinion. Arguing that Tinubu is a passionate politician who invests all his resources to achieve what he wants and what he believes is in the interest of the public. He further pointed out that the former governor is working for a new Nigeria where there will be true democracy. Tinubu’s leadership skills, he believes, enable him carry along most of his teeming followers. Comparing him with some other politicians, Ologunde described Tinubu as a committed politician who leads his troops to war unlike some other politicians who send their followers to the war front while they stay a safe distance away. “Tinubu leads by example. He led a vanguard of political onslaught in 2007 in Ekiti, Ondo and Osun states. He does not just preach, he acts for his followers to learn from,” Ologunde said.

However, Tinubu’s much-talked about political prowess is not celebrated in all quarters and certainly not all individuals are thrilled by his touted courage. Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, who served as a deputy governor under Tinubu, is not one of those singing his praises. She told the magazine that Tinubu’s success and rising political profile are only made possible because of his enormous wealth which according to her, he flaunts to get what he wants. “Anybody who has his kind of money should be able to do the things he is doing if he is sensible. If I have his kind of money, my profile will be rising by the day,” Bucknor-Akerele said, arguing that Tinubu is not as charismatic as many believe. “What does the job is money not charisma,” she insisted.

According to the former deputy, it would amount to an insult for anybody to compare Tinubu with Awolowo, a man she described as not just a great politician but also an intellectual. “How can anybody compare him (Tinubu) to Awo? Awo was an intellectual and a great leader but Tinubu is not.” The same argument was also put forward by Ishola Williams, a retired army general and rights activist. Though he admitted that Tinubu is a democrat who fought the military regime, he, however, said that he does not belong in the class of Lateef Jakande, former governor of Lagos, and Awolowo, both of whom he said was people-oriented politicians. To Williams, new generation politicians like Tinubu try to use money to gain popularity and acceptance.

Some people believe Tinubu, like many; still have to explain the source of their wealth. They recall that in 2007, Nuhu Ribadu, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said the commission was investigating Tinubu in a case that had an international dimension. The Code of Conduct Bureau also accused him of operating some 16 foreign accounts in the names of his wife and children, as against the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, which bar serving public officials from operating accounts outside the shores of Nigeria. But Tinubu denied the allegations, charging the EFCC to publish the dates the said foreign accounts were last operated. The EFCC is yet to take up the challenge. Ironically, both Ribadu and Tinubu are today in the same political camp, the ACN. Ribadu, by a twist of fate, may become the presidential candidate of ACN.

Politically, Tinubu’s critics also allege that the former governor can be vindictive and uncompromising where his ego is sullied. Such critics point at the way he “dealt” with Bucknor-Akerele and Femi Pedro, his deputies who dared challenge his authority. The “True Face of Lagos,” a non-governmental organisation, which accused Babatunde Fashola of financial misappropriation last year, is also said to be a creation of agents of Tinubu. Tinubu is alleged to be angry with Fashola over his “tight control on the state purse” and his (Fashola’s) alleged cold attitude to party faithfuls “who laboured to put him in power,” according to ‘True Face’. One of Tinubu’s loyalists, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly, had once accused Fashola of “not paying due obeisance to Tinubu who put him in power and started all the lofty programmes Fashola claims credit for.”

Such criticisms notwithstanding, Anayo Okereke, a trader, believes that Tinubu has a track record that all other governors are yet to beat. “I am yet to see a governor that does not recognise the development going on in Lagos, the foundation of which was laid by Tinubu. All of them run from their states to visit Lagos. Unfortunately, they have not made effort to replicate what they see here in Lagos in their own states. It is unfortunate but I know that he will win more followers across the country in this coming election,” Okereke assured.

Lies
He is the asiwaju of drug pushers, money launderers, certificate forgers, election riggers and motor park touts
But those ones na for Lagos. He will meet his waterloo if he ventures into Ogun state
We will show him that Egba people are not like Obasanjo (warriors) for nothing
Ogun=PDP

Sharaaaaaaap,
akin egba, u r nt even frm ogun. Can u leave us the real son of the soil to choose for ourselves.
Acn will trash pdp like a Dead snake.
So pls stay outa this.

the guy is a thug and a liar and a thief.

but what i would like to know is: what was he before he became a tinubu?

ode remo:

Sharaaaaaaap,
akin egba, u r nt even frm ogun. Can u leave us the real son of the soil to choose for ourselves.
Acn will trash pdp like a Dead snake.
So pls stay outa this.

You are kidding right? How can you ask the shon of the shoil to stay out?

appletango:

the guy is a thug and a liar and a thief.

but what i would like to know is: what was he before he became a tinubu?

He was some thug from Osun state.

Read what Akala has to say about the impostor Lagosian-wannabe - Tinubu

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/dec/12/national-12-12-2010-001.htm

Akin-Egba:

He was some thug from Osun state.

Read what Akala has to say about the[b] impostor Lagosian-wannabe - Tinubu[/b]

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/dec/12/national-12-12-2010-001.htm

so? guy, wetin dey pain you? that the yorubas do not mind where he came from? that is what unity is. the aworis of lagos did not mind! can you say the same thing from wherever you are from (not yoruba or hausa )?  you trying to disunite them would only make them come closer so your attempt has failed once again! ARE YOU A FAILURE YOU ALWAYS SEEM TO FAIL

One thing about Tinubu is that the more his enemies and detractors are, the more he keeps achieving great things. Up BAT!!

This I think was the key:

Although the federal government starved the state of funds, Tinubu did not allow it to pose a stumbling block to his agenda for the state. Instead, it was an eye-opener for him and probably made him devise other means of generating funds. To survive, Dele Alake, commissioner for information and strategy under Tinubu, in one of his online write-ups said the administration “had to task its intellectual ingenuity and come up with measures to strengthen the financial base of the state.” Some of those measures were to engage the Alpha Beta Tax Consultancy firm believed to be owned by Tinubu himself, which helped to raise the internally generated revenue profile of the state. Apart from re-organisation of the state’s board of internal revenue to enhance revenue collection capacity through greater autonomy, Tinubu’s administration reformed the tax administration process through the computerisation of the state’s tax assessment records, culminating in the introduction of the electronic tax clearance cards, eTCC. Though taxpayers continue to groan under the pangs of heavy taxation, the exercise, residents admit, has brought development to the state. Many actually believe that the current administration is only consolidating on the achievements of Tinubu, who laid the foundation.

The federal gov't starving Lagos forced Lagos to become fiscally independent. Now Lagos can pursue its own agenda, regardless of what the federal government does or says.

Fiscal independence leads to political independence. I hope the rest of the SW learns from this example and look to grow their own internally generated revenue base.

Akin-Egba:

You are kidding right? How can you ask the shon [/b]of the [b]shoil to stay out?

Anuofia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DapoBear:

This I think was the key:

The federal gov't starving Lagos forced Lagos to become fiscally independent. Now Lagos can pursue its own agenda, regardless of what the federal government does or says.

Fiscal independence leads to political independence. I hope the rest of the SW learns from this example and look to grow their own internally generated revenue base.

Nah, This is what I think is the key:

However, Tinubu’s much-talked about political prowess is not celebrated in all quarters and certainly not all individuals are thrilled by his touted courage. Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, who served as a deputy governor under Tinubu, is not one of those singing his praises. She told the magazine that Tinubu’s success and rising political profile are only made possible because of his enormous wealth which according to her, he flaunts to get what he wants. “Anybody who has his kind of money should be able to do the things he is doing if he is sensible. If I have his kind of money, my profile will be rising by the day,” Bucknor-Akerele said, arguing that Tinubu is not as charismatic as many believe. “What does the job is money not charisma,” she insisted.

According to the former deputy, it would amount to an insult for anybody to compare Tinubu with Awolowo, a man she described as not just a great politician but also an intellectual. “How can anybody compare him (Tinubu) to Awo? Awo was an intellectual and a great leader but Tinubu is not.” The same argument was also put forward by Ishola Williams, a retired army general and rights activist. Though he admitted that Tinubu is a democrat who fought the military regime, he, however, said that he does not belong in the class of Lateef Jakande, former governor of Lagos, and Awolowo, both of whom he said was people-oriented politicians. To Williams, new generation politicians like Tinubu try to use money to gain popularity and acceptance.

Some people believe Tinubu, like many; still have to explain the source of their wealth. They recall that in 2007, Nuhu Ribadu, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said the commission was investigating Tinubu in a case that had an international dimension. The Code of Conduct Bureau also accused him of operating some 16 foreign accounts in the names of his wife and children, as against the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, which bar serving public officials from operating accounts outside the shores of Nigeria. But Tinubu denied the allegations, charging the EFCC to publish the dates the said foreign accounts were last operated. The EFCC is yet to take up the challenge. Ironically, both Ribadu and Tinubu are today in the same political camp, the ACN. Ribadu, by a twist of fate, may become the presidential candidate of ACN

Two sides of the same coin. Money = political power. Lagos State is at 70% IGR, so determines its own destiny. Tinubu somehow somehow is a very wealthy man, so also has lots of political power.

you yoruba people have no shame or what so ever

so tinubu a drug trafficker and a fraudster is yoruba leader

has he even done 1% of what awolowo or fashola has do to the yoruba people

get your acts right

DapoBear:

Two sides of the same coin. Money = political power. Lagos State is at 70% IGR, so determines its own destiny. Tinubu somehow somehow is a very wealthy man, so also has lots of political power.

Tinubu is being paid a whopping 2 billion naira / month from the state coffers; for what exactly?

Someone else would have eventually come up with a way to internally generate those revenues. Tinubu is bad for Yoruba land

I'd rather have Kofo Bucknor in charge.

The guy is a thief who relies mostly on touts and area boys to exert his influence in the most abominable way possible

fstranger1:

Tinubu is being paid a whopping 2 billion naira / month from the state coffers; for what exactly?

Someone else would have eventually come up with a way to internally generate those revenues. Tinubu is bad for Yoruba land

I'd rather have Kofo Bucknor in charge.

The guy is a thief who relies mostly on touts and area boys to exert his influence in the most abominable way possible

gbam he is really bad for the yoruba people

i believe that, if only funsho willam was alive or any other person even from edo or itsekiri person can do the job so long as he has one form of yoruba heritage and he love the SW people an puts his ambition for power second, then he can be a leader

tinubu is using the idea that he is uniting the yorubas but instead he is only looking for power at the fedral level

fstranger1:

Tinubu is being paid a whopping 2 billion naira / month from the state coffers; for what exactly?

Someone else would have eventually come up with a way to internally generate those revenues. Tinubu is bad for Yoruba land

I'd rather have Kofo Bucknor in charge.

The guy is a thief who relies mostly on touts and area boys to exert his influence in the most abominable way possible

http://..com/2009/06/gov-fashola-dpa-and-alpha-beta.html

His company collects taxes on behalf of Lagos, it appears. The 15% fee the article claims seems way too high for this service, if true, probably 5% is a better rate. And it is of course lame to give the contract to yourself, or a company you indirectly control.

But I dunno if this quite qualifies as "stealing."

DapoBear:

http://..com/2009/06/gov-fashola-dpa-and-alpha-beta.html

His company collects taxes on behalf of Lagos, it appears. The 15% fee the article claims seems way too high for this service, if true, probably 5% is a better rate. And it is of course lame to give the contract to yourself, or a company you indirectly control.

But I dunno if this quite qualifies as "stealing."

so if it is not qualified as stealing what is it

DapoBear:

http://..com/2009/06/gov-fashola-dpa-and-alpha-beta.html

His company collects taxes on behalf of Lagos, it appears. The 15% fee the article claims seems way too high for this service, if true, probably 5% is a better rate. And it is of course lame to give the contract to yourself, or a company you indirectly control.

But I dunno if this quite qualifies as "stealing."

Definitely, there is conflict of interest

If you can't trust him on an issue like this, how can you trust him ever?

The guy is just a shady guy.

Me likes him not!

Meh, Nigeria is not some nice place where you can win without bending the rules. You have to be a bit ruthless to succeed in this country. It isn't like he plundered Lagos. He awarded himself a contract based upon the amount of IGR the state generates. That he grew the revenue base a lot means he also increased his profit a lot, too.

Anyway, nothing I can say or do will make you guys not despise him

DapoBear:

Meh, Nigeria is not some nice place where you can win without bending the rules. You have to be a bit ruthless to succeed in this country. It isn't like he plundered Lagos. He awarded himself a contract based upon the amount of IGR the state generates. That he grew the revenue base a lot means he also increased his profit a lot, too.

Anyway, nothing I can say or do will make you guys not despise him

I am glad we had this talk

I wish Funsho Williams was still around. But eh, what can I do.

It is not just that alone. It is about the evils he committed while in the state house. The lifes he took, the careers he ruined, the lies, the crimes, the exploitations, and everything else he did as governor of the state. He is a glory seeking mofo, with zero interest in helping the masses. He is in for the money, and the power.

strangerf:

He is a glory seeking mofo, with zero interest in helping the masses. He is in for the money, and the power.

Probably true. But at this moment, the interests of the Yoruba people and his own overlap. Look, a rabid dog is dangerous, right? But if this rabid dog is terrorizing your enemies, then it temporarily serves a valuable purpose. You don't shoot the dog before it takes out your enemies. If the dog turns on you, then yes, you put it down.

If it comes down to it, Tinubu I think is a guy who can be relatively easily thwarted if he goes against the interests of the Yoruba people. Look, he wants the respect and admiration of the Yoruba even more than just money or power, I think.
A guy like Obasanjo is far more dangerous. OBJ doesn't give a damn whether Yoruba people like him or not. He will run roughshod over the interests of his own people to satisfy his ambitions. Tinubu has limits, I think.

Anyway, you don't have to like Tinubu, but you should be able to admit that he at the very least a powerful weapon against our enemies.

The making of a kleptomaniac . . .

MetalGong4:

The making of a kleptomaniac . . .

The making of an Igbo tactic de-mystifier

I really appreciate Tinubu's perseverance, fighting spirit and great efforts in the SW and Nigeria in general.

As a Yoruba guy, even though I appreciate his effort when it comes to dealing with PDP in SouthWest, he should forget his ambition of becoming a Yoruba leader as a lot of people will be against it.

shanda:

As a Yoruba guy, even though I appreciate his effort when it comes to dealing with PDP in SouthWest, he should forget his ambition of becoming a Yoruba leader as a lot of people will be against it.

Quite unfortunately Tinubu is already defacto leader of the Yoruba people.

He's also one of the wealthiest people in this country today, how he continues to operate under the radar of the EFCC is what I just don't understand.

ziddy:

Quite unfortunately Tinubu is already defacto leader of the Yoruba people.

He's also one of the wealthiest people in this country today, how he continues to operate under the radar of the EFCC is what I just don't understand.

Is any one sure of exactly how much that mofo is worth?

I wish Kofo Bucknor would go into more detail

DapoBear:

Probably true. But at this moment, the interests of the Yoruba people and his own overlap. Look, a rabid dog is dangerous, right? But if this rabid dog is terrorizing your enemies, then it temporarily serves a valuable purpose. You don't shoot the dog before it takes out your enemies. If the dog turns on you, then yes, you put it down.

If it comes down to it, Tinubu I think is a guy who can be relatively easily thwarted if he goes against the interests of the Yoruba people. Look, he wants the respect and admiration of the Yoruba even more than just money or power, I think.
A guy like Obasanjo is far more dangerous. OBJ doesn't give a damn whether Yoruba people like him or not. He will run roughshod over the interests of his own people to satisfy his ambitions. Tinubu has limits, I think.

Anyway, you don't have to like Tinubu, but you should be able to admit that he at the very least a powerful weapon against our enemies.

U make sense die, people fail to realise that its nt all bout money, but u can use ur money to get what u want and obj has for several years slapped we yorubas in the face along with all his pdp cronies, they are now reaping the evil seed obj has sown, he has even lost hisrespect for someone like foayose to call him a bastard, we have to restore the respect and gignity of the yoruba people