Over time, former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu have shown a keen understanding of human nature thereby consistently manipulating such to reach for power. When he tried to down play his interest in the 2023 Presidency over the weekend, his intention was well written all over him.

The self-acclaimed National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is fond of throwing up issues, not through rational argument, analysis and truth-telling but rather manipulating people's imperfect reasoning and emotions. While this attitude are mostly exhibited by politicians, Tinubu's mastery of the trick has oftentimes been confused by the people as genuineness and patriotism.

Funny enough, he has developed a means of constantly pushing out deceptive tales on what the people want to hear and cleverly disguise his intention as what is right or just. That was the same approach he took in answering his subtle but budding 2023 presidential bid.

Despite the fact that he has tried endlessly to wave off his interest, the signs are too obvious for anyone to fall for his usual antics. This was the same tactics he deployed to join Muhammadu Buhari on the APC ticket in 2015 until he was stopped by those who feared a Muslim-Muslim ticket would hurt the chance of the party in the poll.

Tinubu was obviously hurt that he was denied that opportunity as contained in 'Against the Run of Play', a book that chronicles the first electoral defeat of a sitting president in Nigeria written by Olusegun Adeniyi, former Presidential Spokesman and editorial board chairman of ThisDay Newspapers. In the book, Tinubu accused Bukola Saraki and others of “going behind to instigate Buhari and some other people in the party against me on the pretext of religion. That was not right. They were canvassing arguments that the Christians in the North would not vote for a Muslim-Muslim ticket."

This apparently sparked off hostility of Tinubu towards Saraki, including attempt to block the latter’s emergence as President of the Senate in 2015. But Tinubu as usual, pretended he has not "tried to insinuate himself into any major office" since he last contested for re-election as Lagos state governor in 2003. Tinubu's clever spins illustrate a deep-rooted "mind games" because he's actually trying to foist an imagination of himself that doesn't exist on Nigerians.

Perusing the statement released by Tinubu’s media aide, Tunde Rahman, it was obvious the former governor was pricking emotions of Nigerians and trying to lure them into conclusion that he could be the best for them. Just like the 'incorruptible' toga wrapped around Buhari in the build up to the 2015 presidential poll, Tinubu is trying to project himself as someone who isn't "obsessed with power" thereby pushing a narrative that those who do not understands him are people that "have nothing to contribute regarding statecraft or providing actual solutions to actual problems, their minds remain forever mired in political machinations."

But far from his words, Tinubu is the one flaring political machinations ahead of 2023, including his mind games on Nigerians. As aptly suspected by Saraki and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Tinubu’s interest in the leadership of the 9th National Assembly is nothing but to fuel his 2023 presidential bid.

Saraki and Dogara had in a separate response to barrage of accusations against their leadership of the National Assembly, pointedly linked Tinubu's insistence in determining who lead the legislative arm in the next dispensation to his presidential bid in 2023. While Saraki asked Tinubu to leave him "out of his schemes and manipulations towards 2023", Dogara went a step further as he plainly said his "nocturnal agenda has no parallel in the history of any democracy."

Interestingly, he continues to shield his real intentions while presenting himself as one whose only mission is to support Buhari to make sure the country and its citizens regained the stature they had lost. Perhaps, trying to lure the president to secure his support when he must have eventually made his aspiration known. His media aide cleverly declared that his (Asiwaju's) "mind, heart and efforts are focused on supporting the President in achieving their shared vision of a flourishing economy and a prosperous people. He is committed to doing what he can to help President Buhari surmount the challenges in order to achieve the economic reform the nation sorely needs."

Indeed, Tinubu is well versed in this mind game. While he puts attention away from himself, He has craftily perfect permutations that would give him an edge for the 2023 race. In part, he pushes for his loyalists to occupy political offices, most especially governors, in his Southwest region. Likewise, his vicious upstaging of Saraki in Kwara and making sure his loyalists take up the saddle, extended his reach to the North Central zone. There are insinuations that he is propping up another loyalist to replace Yahaya Bello in Kogi this November, hence, giving him a bit more edge in that zone considering his strong affinity to the Niger state governor, whose father is a long-time ally.

While 2023 is four years away but a Machiavellian politician like Tinubu quite understood that getting a sit as big as Nigeria presidential seat does not just happen overnight and expectedly, he is building the phase to leverage on. Probably, Tinubu drew inspiration from Portuguese trainer Jose Mourinho, who is fond of playing mind games on his opponents in his rewarding career. But will the mind game deliver what Tinubu covets to him? Time will tell

Oke Umurhohwo is a Political Analyst and Strategist. He tweets via @OkeStalyf and can be reached via oke.umu@gmail.com

http://leaders.ng/2023-tinubu-and-his-mind-game-by-oke-umurhohwo-okestalyf/

Tinubu gunning for Presidency would bring the much anticipated Unity of Nigeria against him...

The APC wont even want to take such risk ..

Mind game that won't take him anywhere close to becoming President in 2023 .

Tinubu Dont have what it takes to be President .

Excellent article with consistent flow from start to finish both of ideas and grammar. Keep the good work up writer..

I just dey laugh....

If there is one thing i have learnt in Naija politics, nobody wants a powerful person to take over from him..

The south never want a powerful northerner, the north never want a potential powerful southerner

Obj brought Yaradua, the north stood behind jonathan afterwards, governors bring in those they can dominate and so on..



The North will never give power to Tinubu just like Abiola...

Tinubu already dey one chance with the better South,I wonder were he will get his votes from,when the north already has their eyes on it.
OYO 4 tinubu

2023 is not here why are you guys disturbing yourself

Methinks Tinubu and his minions boxed themselves into a corner when they mindlessly resorted to ethnic innuendoes and insinuations in the buildup to the last election with the popular 'a vote for Buhari is a vote for SW in 2023'. That was some classical, myopic misstep. The SS and SE are now very disgusted and averse to the political machination of Tinubu-led SW, even the North does not seem to particularly like Tinubu.

Under any permutation, it is an uphill task for Tinubu's camp. These guys from the core-North have never liked Tinubu. There are insinuations already that Fashola, a Tinubu-charge, unduly gave preference to the SW in the award and execution of projects, thereby, short-changing the NW that gave Buhari the biggest share of votes. It is not uncommon to hear 'this is not our government' from some quarters in the North.

The chickens will come home to roost.

Topmaike007:
2023 is not here why are you guys disturbing yourself

The early bird always catches the worm....

Tinubu makes many lose sleep.

Who wants a drug convict as president?

Esseite:
Tinubu gunning for Presidency would bring the much anticipated Unity of Nigeria against him...

The APC wont even want to take such risk ..

Thank you jare. Clueless people everywhere


I see Osinbanjo/northerner ticket and as I wrote in a thread 2 years ago...Buhari is the Moses of our time while Osinbajo is the Aaron so Osinbanjo will continue where Buhari stopped but our Joshua is yet to come and when he comes, he will usher Nigeria into the promise land.


This is the thread...

https://www.nairaland.com/3326707/buhari-osinbajo-moses-aaron-time

And what if God says he will never govern this country? Just like he decided to punish us be sending amadioha to come rule us

Tinubu should be careful not to push his luck too far. But then what do I know? The Nigerian youths are self-destructive and crazy. It was on full display when two Septuagenarians became the favorites in an electoral contest with three quarters of them being fellow youths. It is time for paradigm shift. Let the youths come up and take their destiny in their hands. The old cargo ought to be disbanded. Neither Tinubu nor El-Rufai.

Pdp is fielding a northerner

Take it or leave it.. the bullion saga will come back to haunt him and his ambitions.. The northern hegemony have been using and still using Tinubu and when they are done with him, they will dump him like tissue paper in a bin.

kunleweb:
Excellent article with consistent flow from start to finish both of ideas and grammar. Keep the good work up writer..

Thank you �

NaijaRoyalty:
Mind game that won't take him anywhere close to becoming President in 2023 .

Tinubu Dont have what it takes to be President .

Lol I am not supporting him yet tho, but what does it take to be Ng president that Goodluck Jonathan has, that our lip-fastened Buhari has that Tinubu doesn't have double?? Call him many names but you can't take his acumen from him. Like the writer said, Tinubu understands the nature of humans and Ng politics. It will do people like dream

K

Topmaike007:
2023 is not here why are you guys disturbing yourself

While 2023 is four years away but a Machiavellian politician like Tinubu quite understood that getting a sit as big as Nigeria presidential seat does not just happen overnight and expectedly, he is building the phase to leverage on

stalyf:


Thank you �

Very difficult to see well articulated piece thesedays
I almost thought constructive writing was going extinct.

I like the man tinubu and his style of politics.

I will choose tinubu's style of leadership over nnamdi cownu's any day any time.

ednut1:
Pdp is fielding a northerner

that will be unfair to the south