http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201104077145840

Former Governor of Lagos State and a leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday denied an alleged rift between him and Governor Babatunde Fashola over oath-taking.

The denial came barely 48 hours after a widely circulated text message alleging an oath-taking rift between the duo, went into circulation.

Tinubu, who spoke at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, shortly after arriving aboard a private jet from Abuja and Akwa-Ibom, said he would not allow agents of the Peoples Democratic Party to create a conflict between him and his successor.

He, however, noted that his party only held a stakeholders meeting, where every member pledged allegiance to the body.

He said, “Have I ever appeared to you to be a person in oath and cultism? We held a stakeholders meeting where we all re-affirmed our loyalty to our party and we said in no way shall we take anybody who had been with our party and who now crossed over to either Labour Party or any other party for that matter and create prostitution kind of an environment in our party. There is no way we would take them back and we would not allow a PDP agent or a Labour Party that we know to divide us. “The point is they do not have a presidential candidate; you can not say you endorse Fashola the governor and you field candidates against him at the House of Assembly. What sense does that make? You are trying to erode him and depopulate his member so that you can have a trading power with him.

He added, “We don’t want political traders of scavengers on the corridors of power. If you are a democrat, you should be, you can not take both ways, it is impossible. It is their tradition, particularly my noisy neighbour, to go into oath taking and their party to go into blood oath, kolanut oath.”

In political circles espeically in the SW of Nigeria it is not unsusal and in fact very common for politicians to pledge loyalty to a cause and the only form of pledge known in the Yoruba circles is oath taking, be it with kolanut, little blood or other things.

LAbour sent text messages of Fashola rjecting to take an oath.

Tinubu says we only called for pledging of loyalty/allegiance

I leave the rest for intelligent people to read between the lines as there is no smoke without fire afterall. I personally think Fashola has an interest in Labour party. Durosimi Etti running for Lagos central senatorial district was the arrow head of Fashola for 2nd term.

Tinubu alredi kns Fashola is gonna cross-over to the Labour Party as soon as he resumes Office for second term.So to play a fast one on -him,he called them all for oaths taking.In Yoruba land,anytin dat has to do with pledging your loyalty to a particular circle is considered as oath taking.Tinubu sure knows how to retain POWER.God Save us from all of em

This is my take on this as well, the chicken might be comming home to roost sooner than we thought for the Bourdilloun god father

obanikoro also swear to Tinubu AD in mecca in 2003 yet he left for PDP in 2006

Lagosboy:

This is my take on this as well, the chicken might be comming home to roost sooner than we thought for the Bourdilloun god father

This your obsession with maligning Tinubu get as e be OOOO !!!! But for Tinubu the SW region would be controlled totally by the mindless thugs of OBJ and the PDP. Please tell us who is showing even a small iota of interest in doing what Tinubu is now doing . Other regions , now floundering due to the destructive and centrist control of the PDP , wish they had a Tinubu to protect their region and ensure , at least at the regional level, that some Nigerians experience decent leadership. PDP is just installing thugs everywhere. It is instructive that the PDP actually never wanted Ameachi to be a Governor yet he is now one of their undisputed top performers !!!! Look at all the problems Chime had recently!!!

The PDP dont want Governors who will sort the Party out and do same for the people . They want Governors who will sort the Party out with every kobo available thus leaving nothing left for the people. Wether you know it or not , Tinubu is a very neccessary evil. His clout and money is required to safegaurd the SW from becoming another region decimated by PDP mauraders who loot disgracefully but give zero in return. As the saying goes "be careful what you wish for". With Tinubu gone , I wonder if you will be happy for the PDP to totally capture the SW region , including your beloved Lagos, and install their misruling thugs everywhere. Perhaps you think real politics is played without money and influence. You may have tranfered your support to the CPC because of Buhari but , if you love the SW region and recognise the impotence of the CPC on the ground , you will understand that Tinubu should continue to remain influential for the greater good of the region.

Gbawe:

This your obsession with maligning Tinubu get as e be OOOO !!!! But for Tinubu the SW region would be controlled totally by the mindless thugs of OBJ and the PDP. Please tell us who is showing even a small iota of interest in doing what Tinubu is now doing . Other regions , now floundering due to the destructive and centrist control of the PDP , wish they had a Tinubu to protect their region and ensure , at least at the regional level, that some Nigerians experience decent leadership. PDP is just installing thugs everywhere. It is instructive that the PDP actually never wanted Ameachi to be a Governor yet he is now one of their undisputed top performers !!!! Look at all the problems Chime had recently!!!

The PDP dont want Governors who will sort the Party out and do same for the people . They want Governors who will sort the Party out with every kobo available thus leaving nothing left for the people. Wether you know it or not , Tinubu is a very neccessary evil. His clout and money is required to safegaurd the SW from becoming another region decimated by PDP mauraders who loot disgracefully but give zero in return. As the saying goes "be careful what you wish for". With Tinubu gone , I wonder if you will be happy for the PDP to totally capture the SW region , including your beloved Lagos, and install their misruling thugs everywhere. Perhaps you think real politics is played without money and influence. You may have tranfered your support to the CPC because of Buhari but , if you love the SW region and recognise the impotence of the CPC on the ground , you will understand that Tinubu should continue to remain influential for the greater good of the region.

My beef with Tinubu is simply based on principles, I am a core lagosian to the bones and I was never happy the way Funsoo Williams was cheated in 1999 , in 2003 Tinubu rubbished all the elders of AD although he was right in the end as was the only one that was able to checkmate PDP. If the other governors were successfull in 2003 they could have been doing what Tinubu is doing. PDP is evil i know but Tinubus ACN is not any better in terms of democratisation, imposition and so on.

If i had the means i will start a new political movement in the SW which will be truly progressive and not fake progressives. Fashola was doing good in Lagos and was about to be impeached by the holy ACN. I only look out for the good personalities in ACN and Tinubu does not belong IMO. How can one man put his wife, daughter, son in law, wifes sister in an alection in a state. You think about it and tell me how you feel, Tinubu is holding a rally in Mushin as we speak to beg the market woman who are about to deal ACN a big blow in protest votes.

I dont know why people dont appreciate what they have untill they loose it. Who is this man called Fashola before 2007 ? Tinubu fought galantly for his nomination, this cause alot of controversies in the party but Tinubu used the maturity and resolved every thing amicably. He was the only AD governor left after 2003 election and ever sine he has been fighting for us from this wicked people called PDP. I beg stop abusing him, if we have ten people like him in the south west. Who will reckon with people like OBJ.

@HOLU77 and Gbawe
Gbam
Gbam
Gbam.

In as much as Tinubu is a Political godfather mentor, he is way ahead and I mean way way better in reasoning than the likes of OBJ and Saraki.

I just hope he stays around longer so as to be able to checkmate the evil of PDP in the SW.

Lagosboy:

My beef with Tinubu is simply based on principles, I am a core lagosian to the bones and I was never happy the way Funsoo Williams was cheated in 1999 , in 2003 Tinubu rubbished all the elders of AD although he was right in the end as was the only one that was able to checkmate PDP. If the other governors were successfull in 2003 they could have been doing what Tinubu is doing. PDP is evil i know but Tinubus ACN is not any better in terms of democratisation, imposition and so on.

If i had the means i will start a new political movement in the SW which will be truly progressive and not fake progressives. Fashola was doing good in Lagos and was about to be impeached by the holy ACN. I only look out for the good personalities in ACN and Tinubu does not belong IMO. How can one man put his wife, daughter, son in law, wifes sister in an alection in a state. You think about it and tell me how you feel, Tinubu is holding a rally in Mushin as we speak to beg the market woman who are about to deal ACN a big blow in protest votes.

Man mi, I don't like it at all and as I keep telling you , I am no fan of Tinubu. I see him , for now , as a neccesary evil. Tinubu , even with flaws considered , should also be praised for what he has achieved for his region given the environment he had to operate in and the folks he had to stand up against. Where we differ is that I think it is more feasible and far easier, as the ACN grows, for men like Fashola to gain greater control and influence , to the benefit of Nigeria, than for us to consider a totally  new platform. Did you know that Atiku is a founding father of the PDP? Yet today he is out in the cold in testimony to how Political Parties will grow beyond the influence and domination of those who founded them !!!

Tinubu , no doubt , will be sidelined when the spread of the ACN gets bigger and wider . Trust me . It is difficult for a jobless Party boss , with no official power,  to control Party members who actually hold influential positions . Tinubu may have wanted Fashola out but he knew that Fashola , as a much respected incumbent Governor , would simply move to the PDP and win Lagos for the ruling Party. Same goes for Oshiomhole and co. Politics requires strategic thinking and not impatience or rash judgement . Developing a new platform , with no assurance of success, is a far greater gamble than refining an already existing platform and making it more effective. Tinubu may be a 'strongman' in the ACN party but he will have to share the platform with guys like Fashola, Oshiomhole et al as those guys grow in influence, visibilty and political sagacity.

HOLU 77:

I dont know why people dont appreciate what they have untill they loose it. Who is this man called Fashola before 2007 ? Tinubu fought galantly for his nomination, this cause alot of controversies in the party but Tinubu used the maturity and resolved every thing amicably. He was the only AD governor left after 2003 election and ever sine he has been fighting for us from this wicked people called PDP. I beg stop abusing him, if we have ten people like him in the south west. Who will reckon with people like OBJ.

Tinubu is not fighting for me but fighting for his own political survival and relevance. PDP is not a structure PDP is meade up of human beings. We accuse PDP for everything like it is devils running it last time i checked Atiku a PDP VP was in ACN, Ribadu a PDP appointed guy is agin the ACN candidate, Abiye Sekibo was PDP and now ACN, Akume of Benue was PDP and now ACN, Saminu Turaki was PDP and now ACN, Demola Seriki was PDP minister and now ACN, Ibikunle Amosun was PDP senator and now ACN, most of the bad PDP guys in Osun state have now decamped to ACN.  

Let us stop falling for this mugun the polticians take us to be.

Gbawe:

Man mi, I don't like it at all and as I keep telling you , I am no fan of Tinubu. I see him , for now , as a neccesary evil. Tinubu , even with flaws considered , should also be praised for what he has achieved for his region given the environment he had to operate in and the folks he had to stand up against. Where we differ is that I think it is more feasible and far easier, as the ACN grows, for men like Fashola to gain greater control and influence , to the benefit of Nigeria, than for us to consider a totally new platform. Did you know that Atiku is a founding father of the PDP? Yet today he is out in the cold in testimony to how Political Parties will grow beyond the influence and domination of those who founded them !!!

Tinubu , no doubt , will be sidelined when the spread of the ACN gets bigger and wider . Trust me . It is difficult for a jobless Party boss , with no official power, to control Party members who actually hold influential positions . Tinubu may have wanted Fashola out but he knew that Fashola , as a much respected incumbent Governor , would simply move to the PDP and win Lagos for the ruling Party. Same goes for Oshiomhole and co. Politics requires strategic thinking and not impatience or rash judgement . Developing a new platform , with no assurance of success, is a far greater gamble than refining an already existing platform and making it more effective. Tinubu may be a 'strongman' in the ACN party but he will have to share the platform with guys like Fashola, Oshiomhole et al as those guys grow in influence, visibilty and political sagacity.

It will be my joy if this happens, however forming a new structure is not entirely rash and could actually be long term strategic thinking. Sometimes, there are always enemies of progress in some parties that will forever be clog in the wheel of progress. It depends on ones long term objective, I personally believe if Buhari had formed CPC in 2006 it will have been 10 times more successfull now. However within 1 year we can see what he has achieved. The problem with Nigerian politics is that parties dont have ideology and their ideology is only political relevance.

I would like to have an ideological movement based on clearly spelt out principles that will be imprinted in the hearts of the masses and layman. I dont really fancy using an existing structure if it goes against what i stand for as the end does not justifies the means for me. We may differ on this but then we always agree to disagree. I wish to meet you in person one day though

usbcable:

@HOLU77 and Gbawe
Gbam
Gbam
Gbam.

In as much as Tinubu is a Political godfather mentor, he is way ahead and I mean way way better in reasoning than the likes of OBJ and Saraki.

I just hope he stays around longer so as to be able to checkmate the evil of PDP in the SW.

my brother, like I said before, "some people should be careful what they wish for ". I would be happy to send Tinubu to political Siberia if the SW region was teeming with folks , with Tinubu's strategic thinking and sagacity , who are actually ready and willing to take the fight to the likes of OBJ and others hellbent on decimating the SW region. I remember how OBJ had Governor Obi of Anambra , a total gentleman, impeached to make way for his "son" Andy Ubah (a corrupt glorified PA ). Those kind of gross abuse of Power should not happen. We are still at a stage where most region should have their own Tinubu to provide unofficial yet effective checks and balances to the powers of the PDP. To be honest Yar Adua was not as bad as OBJ and GEJ is probably not as cruel but we must not take chances . It is actions on the ground during  election times that makes one truly appreciate what Tinubu means . When one sees the grassroot mobilisation of Tinubu and the time, money, litigation efforts and energy the man invest to resist the PDP marauders you cannot help but appreciate that but for him The SW would also have been sold into PDP slavery. Very very uncharitable for any person from the SW to view tinubu as our enemy. We know his flaws but we are also aware that if not for him the OBJ's of the world would have their ways completely , with very lttle resistance, and the region would be a cesspit of PDP misrule and underdevelopment.

But if the outcome of all the positive changes I am hearing that is happening in Lagos is what oath taking can result, then I will recommend more oath  taking

What is oath taking in a negative connotation anyway? Anything done without the bible/koran that hasn't actually stopped the rogue elements all this time.

Lagosboy:

It will be my joy if this happens, however forming a new structure is not entirely rash and could actually be long term strategic thinking. Sometimes, there are always enemies of progress in some parties that will forever be clog in the wheel of progress. It depends on ones long term objective, I personally believe if Buhari had formed CPC in 2006 it will have been 10 times more successfull now. However within 1 year we can see what he has achieved. The problem with Nigerian politics is that parties dont have ideology and their ideology is only political relevance.

I would like to have an ideological movement based on clearly spelt out principles that will be imprinted in the hearts of the masses and layman. I dont really fancy using an existing structure if it goes against what i stand for as the end does not justifies the means for me. We may differ on this but then we always agree to disagree. I wish to meet you in person one day though

Likewise. At the end of the day , we all want what is best for Nigeria. Whichever way we look at it , the future should be bright because Nigeria is now opening up and Nigerians are now becoming aware of issues that matter.  This election , from my personal experience, is far more discussed than the previous one . Awareness is greater and this might be because Nigerians are becoming more exposed and less patient. My mum and dad did not bother with legislative elections in the past but I got them out last Saturday before Jega dabaru the show . Everyone can now get involved more than in the past where the patronage system kept the same set of priviledged folks in charge.

@Gbawe thanks for the analysis, am not a politician but let us put sentiment apart this man called Tinubu has been alone especially 2003 to 2007 and he had been resisting all the presure from the rulling party up till date. Had it been he has decamp to the rulling party what will be the story today. South west will not have alternative than to be following People Deceiving people called party. Is better to appreciate his efforts now and join force with him to send all these stangers (PDP) presently occuping our father's land( NIGERIA)away .

Eziachi:

But if the outcome of all the positive changes I am hearing that is happening in Lagos is what oath taking can result, then I will recommend more oath taking

What is oath taking in a negative connotation anyway? Anything done without the bible/koran that hasn't actually stopped the rogue elements all this time.

Our politiicans dont fear anything again o, they swear by Quran or bible they still betray, they go to shrine to swear oaths they still betray. Theodore Orji betrayed after oaths, Ngige betrayed after oaths. When money dey for grabs my broda dis people no fear anything