By Olu Fasan


LET me be clear from the outset. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State and a leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is constitutionally eligible to run for president of Nigeria. Eligibility, however, does not mean suitability. But that’s a subject for future columns if he formally decides to run for president in 2023. Of immediate interest, however, is the big falsehood being peddled by those fronting the campaign for his yet-undeclared presidential ambition.

Falsehood? Yes, because under the banner of SWAGA, acronym for “South-West Agenda for Asiwaju”, Tinubu’s acolytes are touring the length and breadth of the South-West, telling Yoruba leaders and traditional rulers that a Tinubu presidency would advance the collective interests of the Yoruba, or the South-West agenda.

To be sure, the South-West agenda is the Yoruba’s long-standing call for political restructuring. From demand for sovereign national conference under President Olusegun Obasanjo and advocacy for national conference under President Goodluck Jonathan to current clamour for restructuring under President Muhammadu Buhari, the Yoruba have been at the forefront of agitations for restructuring, for genuine federalism.


For the Yoruba, restructuring is an article of faith, a desideratum. They clamour for regional autonomy within a federal structure to allow their region to develop at its own pace, as it once did under self-rule when Chief Obafemi Awolowo laid the foundations for its prosperity. That goal is bigger than, and transcends, the personal ambition of any individual, especially an individual that lacks strong commitment to the agenda. And truth is, Tinubu pays no more than lip service to restructuring, treating the issue as a political football.

In 2014,Tinubu rallied his party, APC, in strong opposition to the Jonathan administration’s national conference. The APC later rejected the conference report, widely believed to be capable, if fully implemented, of moving Nigeria closer to genuine federalism. Restructuring requires both political and elite consensus. Thus, once APC, then government-in-waiting, opportunistically rejected the Jonathan national conference, its report was dead in the water!



But ahead of the 2015 general election, APC wanted the votes of the South-West people, for whom restructuring was a key demand. So, the party made the following commitment in its manifesto. “We will initiate action to amend our Constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties and responsibilities to the states and local governments to entrench true federalism and the federal spirit”.

During the presidential campaign in 2015, Tinubu and other South-West APC leaders played up the political-reform and power-devolution pledge to sell Buhari’s candidacy to their people, and Buhari went along with the campaign vow.



Yet, more than six and a half years in power, with barely 18 months left, President Buhari has done nothing to keep that key manifesto promise, and Tinubu rarely says anything beyond the perfunctory or platitudinous on the issue. He can’t bring himself to challenge Buhari’s adamantine opposition to restructuring; he even ignores the report of his own party’s committee on restructuring, led by Nasir El-Rufai, governor of Kaduna State.

One must wonder: Why has Tinubu not pushed hard for the fulfilment of a commitment that his party made in its Constitution and Manifesto, which it described as “Honest Contract” with Nigeria? Tinubu is called “The National Leader” of APC, the definite article “the” suggesting significant influence. Yet, in truth, when it comes to President Buhari and the North’s powerful interests opposed to restructuring, Tinubu has zilch influence.



Well, except on symbolic gestures. Ahead of the 2019 presidential election, with an eye on the South-West’s votes, Tinubu apparently managed to persuade Buhari to declare June 12 as ‘Democracy Day’ to commemorate the annulment of the presidential election of June 12, 1993, presumed to have been won by MKO Abiola.

The Federal Government also conferred Nigeria’s highest national honour, Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic, GCFR, on Abiola, while also naming the Abuja National Stadium after him. But these purely symbolic gestures cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, substitute for restructuring Nigeria, or amount to the nullificationof the South-West agenda.


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/11/2023-tinubus-swaga-is-not-the-south-west-agenda/

We go chop Tinubu money , give am false hope and audio assurance then disappoint him at the last minute and vote responsible leader

"Nnamdi Kanu is feeding more than the miscreants hating on him online
Na una tax money FG dey use make Kanu feel comfortable"- PrinceOfLagos

Op face your Ipob terrorist matter and leave President Tinubu 2023 out of your childish comments

silvoclaira:
Op face your Ipob terrorist matter and leave President Tinubu 2023 out of your childish comments

President of Lagos agberos association

PrinceOfLagos:
We go chop Tinubu money , give am false hope and praise then disappoint am at the very last minute for a credible aspirant .

We? you are not even known in your father's village in Imo, you are talking about Nigeria, south east have been rendered insignificant in election matters for years, that is why buhari is pushing nails into your body without consequence, all you did was just shouting, 2023 will be worse, PDP have already shown you your loyalty to the party is a waste, so the APC that you call the Fulani party will give the presidency? hehehehehe, more cries and lamentation loading.

Lol, You better go and collect your voters card.

Whether it’s called SWGGA, BAT, JAGABAN, TINUBU, OSINBAJO, STARBOY, the main goal is to get the Yoruba caucus in APC to that Aso Rock in 2023. Na Election Day go tell you whether it is actually SW agenda or not.

All this lengthy epistle ko neccessary.

PrinceOfLagos:


President of Lagos agberos association

Nah Tinubu get South West in 2023, know this and have peace

DubaiLandLord1:
Nah Tinubu get South West in 2023, know this and have peace

Then why is he fighting tooth and nail to tarnish Osibanjo's image because of his 2023 interest ?

LegendHero:
Lol, You better go and collect your voters card.

Whether it’s called SWGGA, BAT, JAGABAN, TINUBU, OSINBAJO, STARBOY, the main goal is to get the Yoruba caucus in APC to that Aso Rock in 2023. Na Election Day go tell you whether it is actually SW agenda or not.

All this lengthy epistle ko neccessary.

If Atiku becomes PDP presidential candidate , then I'm sorry ..

IamWonderful:
We? you are not even known in your father's village in Imo, you are talking about Nigeria, south east have been rendered insignificant in election matters for years, that is why buhari is pushing nails into your body without consequence, all you did was just shouting, 2023 will be worse, PDP have already shown you your loyalty to the party is a waste, so the APC that you call the Fulani party will give the presidency? hehehehehe, more cries and lamentation loading.

i just pity yoruba people , stop wasting your energy om igbos and focus on the humilliation the north is vooking for you

PrinceOfLagos:

Then why is he fighting tooth and nail to tarnish Osibanjo's image because of his 2023 interest ?

Tinubu is not fighting Osinbanjo.

Akabi je kan ma’a bu e o, ebu oso
Olofo l’onbinu ologo o, ebu oso.

Asiwaju Akanbi Omo Olodo-Ide. On your mandate we shall stand! No shaking, 2023 is assured.

You people should leave Tinubu alone. He is not your family problem

PrinceOfLagos:
We go chop Tinubu money , give am false hope and audio assurance then disappoint him at the last minute and vote responsible leader

Dumbest thing have seen today

PrinceOfLagos:


President of Lagos agberos association

Better than your fada at home

Ogbuefi2020:

i just pity yoruba people , stop wasting your energy om igbos and focus on the humilliation the north is vooking for you

Cooking indeed.

Una talk pass all this in 2014/2015 and 2018/2019.

May we all see 2022/2023 and beyond

seunmsg:
Akabi Omo Olodo-Ide. On your mandate we shall stand!

You're standing with someone already on the floor and rejected by his people

Ogbuefi2020:

i just pity yoruba people , stop wasting your energy om igbos and focus on the humilliation the north is vooking for you

Humiliation? kid keep your pity to your pocket, Yoruba is the presently 2nd and 4rd in the present government and the strongest political man in Nigeria as of today that cut across everywhere is a Yoruba man, just pity how inconsequential and irrelevant you are to today's politics, see how buhari have been debasing you and humiliating you everywhere without consequence, he arrested kanu nnamudi and place in jail like monkey , all you can do is shout

Lalasticlala

LegendHero:
Lol, You better go and collect your voters card.

Whether it’s called SWGGA, BAT, JAGABAN, TINUBU, OSINBAJO, STARBOY, the main goal is to get the Yoruba caucus in APC to that Aso Rock in 2023. Na Election Day go tell you whether it is actually SW agenda or not.

All this lengthy epistle ko neccessary.

Na so. Them want make we lose focus ni but never, our eyes are set on Aso Rock whether Tinubu or Fasola or Fayemi or Igboho or Osinbajo or even a dog from the West. They present our candidate, we canvass for him. We meuve!

nisai:
Na so. Them want make we lose focus no but never, our eyes are set on Aso Rock whether Tinubu or Fasola or Fayemi or Igboho or Osinbajo or even a dog from the West. They present our candidate, we canvass for him. We meuve!

We don reject Tinubu in south west

T9ksy:



But, of what use are all these guys to their people with all the indiscriminate and wanton killings that are currently going on in Yorubaland?

Osinbajo- the puppet 2nd man in this devilish govt has not for once mentioned anything about the way and manner, his boss's foot-soldiers are killing his people.

Las, Las for this kowntri, "Everyone go eat breakfast o, only the timing will be different". So, whatever is currently going on in iboland right now will soon be visited onto Yorubaland.

You want to compare the killing in the south east with the south west? I don't seems to understand your comment because the killing in the south east is over 10000% of the south west

IamWonderful:
You want to compare the killing in the south east with the south west? I don't seems to understand your comment because the killing in the south east is over 10000% of the south west

Rubbish talk as usual

Thanks Olu.

We hope that fact sinks into the cranium of Tinubu and his legion of stupefied lackeys.

AntonVince:
Thanks Olu.

We hope that fact sinks into the cranium of Tinubu and his legion of stupefied lackeys.

Tinubu and his thieving followers want to loot our national coffers the way they looting Lagos till date

seunmsg:
Akabi je kan ma’a bu e o, ebu oso
Olofo l’onbinu ologo o, ebu oso.

Asiwaju Akanbi Omo Olodo-Ide. On your mandate we shall stand! No shaking, 2023 is assured.

A o merin joba eweku ewele.......

Obo ngbe obo gun ope.

Seunogo! Supo!

All these useless PDP Dundees will be writing nonsense. Nobody since 1999 has restructured Nigeria more than Buhari without staging any useless national conference.


1. Autonomy to states LG and Judiciary


2. 3 percent of running cost to oil producing communities



3. Tax credit to private companies to construct roads in any part of the country.



4. Electronic transmission of vote results



5. Currently working on new and more inclusive revenue sharing formula.



6. Allowed the South West region to form a regional security outfit.




The next president can continue from there. I know that resource control is the main Target of those noise makers, but that will only be possible in 600 years time.

Tinubu is simply a criminal on the run not knowing Kirikiri maximum prison is where he will end up come 2023

This is this nauseating hypocrisy of politicians.They promise one thing and do another thing.So after using restructuring to deceive the electorate in 2015 as their number-1 electoral unfulfilled promise?

Even someone like VP Osinbajo-a so called presidential hopefull who was a strong advocate for restructuring then: "VP Osinbajo(SAN), has seemingly renewed the advocacy for restructuring, making a case for devolution of powers to states. The VP emphasized that more powers should be devolved to strengthen states for a more productive nation." https://nationaldailyng.com/osinbajo-renews-advocacy-for-restructuring-seeks-more-powers-for-states/

"..Osinbajo was the Acting President said that the Federal Government would soon come out with policies to address the clamour by Nigerians for the restructuring of the country...." https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/236050-nigerian-govt-address-clamour-restructuring-soon-osinbajo.html Is today the same person denying same restructuring issue:

- Osinbajo: Nigeria’s Problem Is Not Restructuring. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/nigerias-problem-not-restructuring-osinbajo/
- Go To Court, Osinbajo Tells Restructuring Advocates https://punchng.com/go-to-court-osinbajo-tells-restructuring-advocates/

The VP was more popular because of his constant hammering on the concept of restructuring alongside the likes of Tinubu before their advent in govt.Even Tinubu then didn't believe in "One Nigeria".Today what have happened? They are so much engrossed with benefitting from the skewed system that they dont want to hear anything about the same restructuring.