After all said and done, Yorubas backing GEJ for a second term in 2015 would have led to an almost irreparable political suicide for us. Hence, agreeing with Tinubu to support PMB was the best choice for us at the time.

Below are my reasons:

1. Yorubas had truncated the turn of the north by being at the fore front of GEJ's emergence as Ag. President which strengthened him to run in 2011.
Obasanjo, Wole Soyinka and Tunde Bakare's SNG led the struggle majorly. Only Obasanjo was allowed to see ailing YarAdua at the time. Shortly after seeing him, he called for his resignation. That did the magic.

2. Yorubas backed GEJ in the 2011 polls against PMB's CPC to contribute very significantly to his emergence as president in 2011.

3. GEJ on assuming power decided to give appointments due to Yorubas to either Northerners or Igbos as 'jara' thereby scheming the Yorubas out almost completely.
By so doing, GEJ was trying to warm himself into the heart of the northerners with the Igbos and his SS people already in his bag. He wanted to be the 'good boy' of the north.

4. Had GEJ won a second term, Yoruba marginalisation would have worsened especially as he spent a fortune trying to woo Yorubas to back him in the run off to the 2015 elections.

5. GEJ would have handed power to a Northerner/Igbo joint ticket for President/VP in 2019 leaving the Yorubas to scramble for the remaining positions in the order of precedence. Yorubas may have ended up with Deputy Senate President/Deputy Speaker. Quite pathetic!

6. With the northerners getting power from GEJ, a Yoruba presidency would have been farfetched. The tendency would be to look towards GEJ's region or the Igbos when the northerners are done with their tenure.

7. As is stands under PMB, Yorubas are closer to the presidency than ever. Unlike the Igbos that are desperately hoping have the Vice Presidency someday, Yorubas believe that the only alternative to an independent/semi independent Yoruba nation is the presidency. Hence, we do all within our power to achieve it including backing a PMB in 2015.

8. For the first time in the nation's history, one ethnic nationality is holding nos 2 (VP), 3 (Senate President) and 6 (Deputy Speaker). In addition, we also have the House Leader and Senate Chief Whip position. This could never have happened if GEJ had won a second term.

9. In terms of appointments, there is no denying the fact that PMB has largely favoured the north. Nevertheless, I dont think GEJ would have appointed a Yoruba man as CDS, Chairman FIRS, Chairman NPA, JAMB Registrar etc
Or can you imagine GEJ giving Yorubas slush ministerial portfolios as finance, power, works, housing, health, communication, information, solid minerals in one fell swoop?
Even OBJ wasnt that adventurous.

10. Tinubu may have been schemed out. But as I always say, Tinubu is not equivalent to Yoruba. The general Yoruba populace gains whether Tinubu loses out or not. Where one Yoruba man loses, another gains.


11. In conclusion, Tinubu did the right thing in rallying Yorubas to support PMB in 2015. That thing/driving force that ensures Yorubas have the edge in the south pushed him to do what he did. He may be having regrets now. But we Yorubas are all the more better off with his decision.

Technically, there are only three tribes in Nigeria: Yoruba, Hausa/Fulani and others(led by the Igbos).

Nigeria may be in a terrible state at the moment but the crisis will soon be over...Enough said...

PS: I have referred to the Igbos severally in this piece because they seem to be at the forefront of those taking Panadol for Tinubu/Yoruba's headache.
If they had about half of what Yorubas currently have in this dispensation, they would be worshipping PMB up and down - bad economy or not.

Okurounmu's statement is out of the bitterness and grudge he has for Tinubu. It is nowhere near reality.

Thank God you said your opinion

What I see is quest for power just for it's sake,even if it means dining with the devil and foolishly against your own interest.if I may ask ,what happened to the Yoruba agelong agenda of a truly Federalist Nigeria. Why did the Jagaban go into the APC alliance without putting it on the front burner.? GEJ may not have appointed many Yoruba persons into positions of power, but he organized A National Conference that could have helped realize the Yoruba agenda.With the conference reports, GEJ could be bullied to see to it's full implementation, but with PMB in power and the Kaduna Mafia behind him,the Yoruba/South agenda will never be realized. Example: the bill to give Lagos a special status was thrown out from the Senate, but in a truly federal State,Lagos will never need that but will continually flourish.

Ok

Most important thing Tinubu did, to me, is him standing in the gap for the voiceless masses at party primaries to present better candidates. What's the probability of Fashola, Adeosun, Ajimobi, Fayemi, Kayemo, Ogboru, and others in APC ever making it to the seat of power? Remember how PDP was before they were kicked out of southwest.

alabashop:
What I see is quest for power just for it's sake,even if it means dining with the devil and foolishly against your own interest.if I may ask ,what happened to the Yoruba agelong agenda of a truly Federalist Nigeria. Why did the Jagaban go into the APC alliance without putting it on the front burner.? GEJ may not have appointed many Yoruba persons into positions of power, but he organized A National Conference that could have helped realize the Yoruba agenda.With the conference reports, GEJ could be bullied to see to it's full implementation, but with PMB in power and the Kaduna Mafia behind him,the Yoruba/South agenda will never be realized. Example: the bill to give Lagos a special status was thrown out from the Senate, but in a truly federal State,Lagos will never need that but will continually flourish.

National Conference?

You get job so?

I agree with your analysis, whatever the Okurounmu like let him says, it is envy and his inability to command political respect in Yoruba that is troubling him. Speaker is the only position that would have made Yoruba free from marginalisation under GEJ. To have allowed Goodluck to win that election is to have buried the future of nigeria. Thank God Tinubu did not respond to his rantings

Please invite punch or BBC for an interview to counter him and not occupying space here.

alabashop:
What I see is quest for power just for it's sake,even if it means dining with the devil and foolishly against your own interest.if I may ask ,what happened to the Yoruba agelong agenda of a truly Federalist Nigeria. Why did the Jagaban go into the APC alliance without putting it on the front burner.? GEJ may not have appointed many Yoruba persons into positions of power, but he organized A National Conference that could have helped realize the Yoruba agenda.With the conference reports, GEJ could be bullied to see to it's full implementation, but with PMB in power and the Kaduna Mafia behind him,the Yoruba/South agenda will never be realized. Example: the bill to give Lagos a special status was thrown out from the Senate, but in a truly federal State,Lagos will never need that but will continually flourish.

You got it wrong.

We used power well when we had it. Obasanjo empowered Yoruba businessmen when he held sway. Yorubas took over major FG companies in the name of privatisation.

Also, Lagos is good enough as it is. Giving it a special status will make it a 'no man's land' which we Yorubas dont want.