If Patriotism, National Development & Good Governance Are The Factors: Bola Tinubu Should Be Buhari’s Preferred & APC Consensus Candidate But Party Primaries Remain The Best By Adeboye Adebayo

As our great party APC is closing on choosing, electing, selecting or anointing the candidate to fly our party’s flag for the office of the president at the 2023 general elections, its greatest desire is to retain power at the centre and up till now, there is no doubt in the fact that the party is at the crossroads to choose the candidate among the numerous contenders and pretenders who have taken and submitted their nomination forms, many forces and factors are responsible for the confusion within our great ruling party.

A lot of aspirants are in the race for different reasons, some were pushed into the race for selfish agenda of the few powerful people in the country, some obtained and submitted the N100MN nomination forms to secure a seat at the negotiating table to be able to negotiate their retention in power by all means, some are in the race to revive their downward trending economic status, some are in the race to revive their dying, failed or bankrupt business venture, some were in the race maybe the anointing power of Mr. President will eventually fall on them even when they have no political structure whatsoever to win majority offices for APC in their various states or regions, some were lured into the race by promises of some powerful people in the system to secure President Buhari’s anointment for them, even some of the pretenders have opposition parties ruling in their state, yet they want to be president under the platform of APC because they have some millions of naira notes to throw about, while only one or two are in the race because of their patriotism, seeking to offer their services for the improvement of the socioeconomic development of our dear country and people therein with their experience, vision, confidence and capacity to lead and govern excellently well.

At this critical time of our Nation, we need a President that is well prepared and will comfortably pick the gauntlet, roll his sleeves and begin to change the fortune of our dear country immediately he gets to office.

For the sake of our nation and numerous poor masses, President Mohammodu has the moral burden to have a preferred candidate that few people cannot cage for their selfish agenda, a preferred candidate that can build and improve on his achievements, a preferred candidate that understand the social and structural terrain of our country and the dynamics of our economics for national security, growth & development, a preferred candidate that has the experience, confidence, vision and capacity with tested and trusted antecedents to change the bad fortune of our dear country for better among the comity of the nations of the World and a preferred candidate that can unite us. President Muhammodu Buhari must patriotically put the interest of Nigerians above any other individual and interest of few powerful people in having a preferred candidate.

Our great party, APC if looking towards a consensus candidate must do so beyond selfish agenda of some few who are hellbent on destroying the tenets of democracy, equity & justice in our party for their self fortune and personal aggrandisement.

APC must consider the fortunes of the numerous party men & women who didn’t benefit any fortune whatsoever from outgoing administration of the APC and looks towards a consensus candidate that understand the reward mechanism that is hugely lacking in our party and will be ready to correct it. A consensus candidate that will ensure fair play and adequate rewards for the efforts and loyalty of numerous party faithfuls.

APC must consider a consensus candidate that is widely acceptable to Nigerian electorates of different classes, the masses, the downtrodden, the unemployed, the unemployable, students, young Nigerians who have lost interest and hope in the country, the rich, the poor, the elite, the middle class, the market men & women, labour unions, civil societies and the workers.

APC must consider a consensus candidate that has the record and has been working assiduously and effortlessly for the growth and deepening of democracy and its principles in Nigeria.

APC must consider a consensus candidate that can seamlessly win election for our party in the upcoming 2023 general elections with his personal network, net worth, political structure and infrastructure.

Among the numerous contenders and pretenders who have taken and submitted their presidential nomination forms, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu stands out going by all the factors reeled out above and the numbers of political leaders, serving governors and numbers of party delegates that nominated him, signed and endorsed his presidential nomination forms

Bola Ahmed Tinubu has the vision, confidence and capacity to lead and govern excellently well by building and improving on the achievements of President Mohammodu Buhari in the office. He has done same in Lagos which is a mini Nigeria in terms of population, demography, ethnicity, economy, security, employment, revenue generation, activation of financial markets, knowledge based economy especially as we are currently gasping with economic diversification as a country, independent power generation, living in harmony, conducive environment for business to strife, human capacity development, man power empowerment, job creations, attracting foreign direct investments, investment partnership for economic growth and development, identification of talents, training of talents and sending talents to the fields for societal growths, he has led by example and he has built leaders scattering all over the country in the political and business sectors of our country.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu fought effortlessly for development of democracy in Nigeria and Africa, Gambia and Guinea experiences still fresh in our memories, he used his hard earned personal resources for that purpose because of his patriotism and love for the unity of Nigeria.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a detribalized Nigerian, we have seen him displayed that when he appointed very many non-Yorubas to his government in Lagos. He is not Lord and he does not lord his views or decisions on the members of his government when in office, according to Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Bola Tinubu as a governor then, always listened to robust arguments on issues of policies and implementation and he always succumbed to superior arguments for the sake of socioeconomic growth and development of Lagosians.

Out of patriotism, he dedicated his birthday celebration colloquium in the last twelve years to proffering solutions to our protracted national problems. He has never kept quite on the issues of security and socioeconomic challenges of Nigeria, he has always been a voice of wisdom, constructive criticism and solutions to National challenges.

Out of genuine patriotism for the black race, Bola Ahmed Tinubu rejected juicy jobs opportunities from International Financial Corporations and chose a corporation that gave him roots in Africa so that he would be close to his root in Nigeria for growth and development after he graduated with honours with many awards from Chicago State University.

Out of compassion and humanity, he cancelled this year 70th birthday which he prepared and planned adequately for, an event for which people traveled far and near to attend and very strategic to his lifelong presidential ambition was cancelled at its middle because of the terrorist attack on the train taking Nigerians to Kaduna from Abuja. In his words, Bola Tinubu said “I cannot be celebrating here while our people are mourning the deaths and kidnapping of their loved ones as a result Abuja/Kaduna train attack by terrorists, hence this 70th birthday colloquium is hereby cancelled” He offered prayers for those affected and also mandated everyone present at the event to do same there and at home. He mandated the clergies present to continue to pray for those affected and for the peace and security of our Nation.

Governor Nasir Elrufai, on behalf of the people and government of Kaduna State attested to the rare and unprecedented leadership trait displayed by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in canceling the event and said such thing has never happened in the history of Nigeria. He said such display of unprecedented leadership in solidarity with the people and government of Kaduna State will never be forgotten in great and tremendous appreciation.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured party members that the adequate reward mechanism that is lacking in our party, APC will definitely be corrected by him. As a worthy leader, he accepted responsibility that truly efforts and loyalties are not being rewarded adequately in the APC, he identified it, accepted it and offers to correct it. Nobody in Nigeria today can doubt the ability of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to do correct the wrong, he is not God but he keeps promises to the best of his ability, he has a very large heart and he understands very well the spirit of give and take for everyone to be happy. He has once jettisoned his elective office ambition and change his name at the electoral umpire’s office for the peace, justice and cohesion of the party.

Bola Tinubu is a core party man and developer, he understands the true meaning of rewarding efforts and loyalty and that has been his standard practice over the years. I am bold to say that so many people remain in politics today and in the progressive party because they believe Bola Ahmed Tinubu will remember them or fulfill his promises to them or that they will benefit in his rewarding system if they persist.

What other witnesses, qualifications or credentials are we looking for in a worthy and responsible leader to lead Nigeria excellently?

Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the best man Nigeria needs at this critical time because of his experience, God given ability to identify talents, antecedents of sterling qualities of performances, tested and trusted leadership qualities, detribalization, patriotism, capacity, vision, confidence, network, ability to deliver on good governance deliverables, political structure, political networks, political net worth, huge political infrastructure and wide acceptability among Nigerians.

As our great party APC is closing on choosing its presidential candidate with the much touted President’s preferred candidate, though respect for the wishes of the majority of party members through internal democracy of direct or indirect primaries that will give the party faithfuls the sense of belongings and participation as politicians is the best and acceptable method to elect our presidential candidate, the way we did for President Muhammodu Buhari in Lagos convention in 2014 as our party candidate then.

However, if patriotism, national growth, development and good governance for Nigerians are the factors driving the preference of President Buhari for a candidate, then Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the most suitable to be his preferred candidate and if seamless winning of election without hassle, workable reward mechanism for the party faithfuls, retention of power at the centre, development of progressive party and if worthy and adequate dividends of democracy for Nigerians are the factors driving our party’s consensus move, then Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the indisputable fact, incontestable, point and incontrovertible answer to the questions of Buhari’s preference and APC consensus.

However, if one of the numerous aspirants is bold enough to refuse the undemocratic word called consensus, then party primaries is the way to go for fairness, equity, justice and to safe the pride of our great party.

_Adeboye Adebayo is a Chieftain of the APC in Orile Agege, Lagos, the National Secretary, Nigerian Next Level Forum, Member, APC Professional Forum and National Media Director & Publicity, Asiwaju Project Beyond 2023._