HOW BUHARI MADE TINUBU A MOCKERY IN ‘EVERY PEPPER SOUP JOINT’ – APC CHIEFTAIN, OGBONNIA
HOW
BUHARI MADE TINUBU A MOCKERY IN ‘EVERY PEPPER SOUP JOINT’ – APC CHIEFTAIN,
OGBONNIA
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, SKC Ogbonnia,
has alleged that some people loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari, have focused
there energies on “strategies to decimate the Tinubu-led brain trust that
brought Buhari to power.”
Ogbonnia claimed that despite mapping out the strategy that
brought Buhari into power, Tinubu was sidelined by the President and his
loyalists.
In a statement he signed, the APC chieftain said Buhari made the
former Lagos State Governor a “mockery in all pepper soup joints” after
declaring that he is not the national leader of the party.
Ogbonnia also said the failure of the Buhari-led Federal Government
has made Nigerians to mock Tinubu who was the architect of the party’s
assumption to power.
In his statement sent , “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed
Adekunle Tinubu means different things to different people. But if dynamic
opposition is the life-wire of a democracy, it is very fitting then to name him
the saviour of Nigeria’s current democratic journey.
“Tinubu, more than any other Nigerian, nurtured and sustained the
opposition movement that removed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from power.
Before Tinubu’s party, All Progressive Congress (APC), there appeared to be no
consequences for bad behaviour in Nigeria whatsoever. Despite mounting
corruption and gross mismanagement of national resources, the PDP was boasting
to rule Nigeria forever. And one cannot blame them. It was unfathomable, as at
then, for an incumbent president to lose election in Nigeria. But not anymore!
“APC recognized the Tinubu genius, and had no problem conferring
him with the title of the “National Leader”. But the honour would become queer
in the course of 2015 election campaigns, because Bola Tinubu was neither the
party’s national chairman nor the presidential candidate.
“Seasoned pundits had reasoned that Muhammadu Buhari, having been
elected president, would assume the title of the National Leader while the
Asiwaju would be anointed the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees.
Glaringly, that was not meant to be.
“Tinubu’s political sagacity was seen as a threat by the Buhari’s
post-election inner caucus, a clique of primitive loyalists, whose visions
appear concocted from the philosophies of Stone Age native doctors. Instead of
the change agenda of the ruling party, the clique focused its energy on
strategies to decimate the Tinubu-led brain trust that brought Buhari to power.
“The president had no reason to look back. Buhari was still
gloating with precipitate pride having been greeted with a worldwide goodwill
after declaring that he “belonged to no one”. Many took the memorable line as a
quaint exit from the military arm of Nigeria’s corrupt oligarchy that needed to
be carried along to dislodge PDP from power. Well, events since have shown that
“I belong to no one” might have been referring to an imaginary freedom from
Tinubu. The rest, they say, is history.
“This history is that party indiscipline, which had been a cancer
of past regimes, became full grown as soon as Tinubu was sidelined. The
opposition took advantage to wangle its men to critical leadership positions in
both arms of the Legislature. The paradox is that a corrupt opposition party
dictates the content and character of the much-anticipated change under the APC
government. Even boards of vital government agencies, including strategic
foreign posts, remained in the hands of the opposition over two years after
Buhari assumed office.
“The president remained indifferent. To his advisers, the
post-Tinubu Tsunami would eventually subside in time for the next election.
This false hope prompted Buhari to openly admonish that Bola Tinubu was not the
National Leader but merely one of the leaders of the party.
“The mockery of Tinubu became an appetizing ingredient in every
pepper soup joint. But the man kept calm. And he had to. What could he possibly
tell the political gods about his predicament? How could he face his
long-standing left-leaning NADECO allies and the powerful Southwest media that
he coopted to produce a Buhari presidency? How could he possibly reconcile his
new fate in APC after enduring the worst political fire ever directed to a
non-candidate in the history of Nigeria? How could Bola Tinubu reconcile the
fact that, instead of Buhari, the Nigerian masses are mocking the Asiwaju
himself for the failures of APC government?
“One can now relate to why I pity Tinubu; and I truly do. But what
has followed is even more intriguing.
“The Asiwaju is now re-baptized “the National Leader”. With APC in
crisis, combined with his waning popularity, President Buhari did an abrupt
U-turn, turning to the same virally discredited Tinubu. The goal is to salvage
the party and create a favorable image in time for 2019 elections.
“Buhari deserves commendation for the peace move. Tinubu, on his
part, has embraced the assignment as a Christmas in June, and he has what it
takes to weave the innocent opinions of party members as well as the Nigerian
people towards common purpose. However, how that common purpose aligns with the
president’s 2019 individual agenda is another aching dilemma.
“Nevertheless, as a fervent fan of Buhari from ages and a sapient
adherent of Tinubu’s visions, and now a presidential aspirant under APC, let it
not be misconstrued that I openly state as follows: The president can make the
assignment less herculean by recognizing that Muhammadu Buhari has become the
problem. Yes, there comes a time nonsense paves way to commonsense.
“The commonsense dictates that the Nigerians are dire need of a
new breed president—regardless tribe or religion—who is roundly equipped to
lead the country to greatness. The Nigerian people also yearn for a party that
can earn their trust. APC can become that party once again, if Asiwaju Tinubu
is seen as an agent of the truth. The truth is that the history already
celebrates President Buhari for his sacrifice in rescuing Nigeria from the
ruins under PDP, but the same history will commit him to its darkest side, if
he ignores the warning signs and furthers any individual ambition that can
propel PDP back to power.”