₦airaland Forum

A few days ago, I read a post where H.E Atiku Abubakar compared his consistent political failings to the great Abraham Lincoln, the 16th/17th president of the United States of America. I made a post on this to correct that misconception most Nigerians have that Abraham Lincoln lost a long line of elections before finally becoming the president of the United States of America.
The actual Nigerian saying is that "Lincoln lost election after election, suffered one political defeat after another, but kept trying until he eventually became President of the United States."
It makes for a powerful motivational story.
But historically, it isn't quite accurate.
Lincoln certainly experienced political defeats, but his political career was not a long sequence of failures. In fact, he won several elections and held public office for years before his famous defeats in the 1850s.

His political journey started in 1832 when he was 23 years old.

• 1832: Ran for the Illinois state legislature — lost.
• 1834: Ran again — won.
• 1836: Re-elected — won.
• 1838: Re-elected — won.
• 1840: Re-elected — won.
• 1846: Ran for the U.S. House — won.
• 1848: Did not seek another House term.
• 1854: Sought a U.S. Senate seat but withdrew before the final legislative vote.
• 1855: Ran for Senate — lost.
• 1858: Ran for Senate against Stephen Douglas — lost.
• 1860: Ran for President — won.
• 1864 — Won a re-election as the Preident.

And this is the fascinating part: Lincoln won the 1860 presidency with only less than 40% of the popular vote, because his opposition was divided among several candidates. He received 180 electoral votes, while his three principal opponents collectively received more than him in the popular vote. So if anybody wants to compare their road to the presidency with the great Abraham Lincoln, it should be Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who became the president because the opposition, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and the G5 governors, was divided amongst themselves.

If you want to know more about Abe Lincoln, his life, political journey, assassination, read "Lincoln: The Unknown" by Dale Carnegie (I read it sometimes around 1993/1994. Kept it a long time before misplacing it while in the University)
You can also get a copy of "American Historical Documents" Vol 43 edited by Charles W Elliot (I "borrowed" one from my friend, Dada Adebanji in 1997 while in UI. I "forgot" to return it to him. Ma binu, ore mi. But you can't sue your friend nah.)


Ismail Salam writes from Lagos


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But he was shot dead while a president and tinubu refused to be shot dead like him

bigpicture001:
But he was shot dead while a president and tinubu refused to be shot dead like him

if were in America, criminal Tinubu would have been shot dead, hundred times and his head hagged at the entrance of Abuja fct

Greenbirth:
if were in America, criminal Tinubu would have been shot dead, hundred times and his head hagged at the entrance of Abuja fct

I'll give you about 10 American presidents whose tenure was marred with various scandals, very serious ones, but some of them still went ahead to serve second terms. None was prosecuted, shot, or hanged.

Truth shall makes you whole truly

Not surprised. Tinubu is a man of history, not Atiku. God has finally answered all the prayers we have been praying for ages in Tinubu. This last 3 years has shown that God is ready to bless Nigeria. His leadership qualities is unrivaled.

wolesmile:
I'll give you about 10 American presidents whose tenure was marred with various scandals, very serious ones, but some of them still went ahead to serve second terms. None was prosecuted, shot, or hanged.

that is not what you should give me, give me account of how those American president you said, made their citizens to suffer as the criminal Tinubu is doing, or tell me how they loot money made for people's development as Tinubu and his criminal cabals are doing to innocent Nigerians.

Greenbirth:
that is not what you should give me, give me account of how those American president you said, made their citizens to suffer as the criminal Tinubu is doing, or tell me how they loot money made for people's development as Tinubu and his criminal cabals are doing to innocent Nigerians.

I am so sorry about your situation. I didn't know you are suffering this much, and that it was Tinubu that caused your generational poverty. And I didn't know you have proof with you that Tinubu is looting the money meant for your family's development.
Nigerians have always accused every administration of being corrupt. This is not the first time. This won't be the last. By 2031 when a new administration is sworn in, dissatisfied people will still call it corrupt.
By the way, since you are using the US as your yardstick for measurement, they've had proven corrupt administrations in the US too. A little research about Nixon will save you from ignorance. Proven, I said. So quote me right.

Thedon22:
Not surprised. Tinubu is a man of history, not Atiku. God has finally answered all the prayers we have been praying for ages in Tinubu. This last 3 years has shown that God is ready to bless Nigeria. His leadership qualities is unrivaled.

Wallahi