P olitical banter does not equate to hatred for Tinubu; rather, it stems from a deep love for Nigeria and a desire for its prosperity. Tinubu, in his way, has mastered the art of politics, much like the late Adedibu, known for his 'Amala politics.'
Olusegun Adeniyi aptly described Adedibu's approach: "When we asked what the reward was, his (Adedibu) answer was simple: 'Let me put it this way. Imagine you lead five of your boys for an assignment and you were given N50 after you had supervised them to do the work. You, as the leader, if you are wise, you will give each of your boys N10 at the end of which you would be left with nothing. You now tell them to give you whatever it pleases them. At the very least, each would give you N2 and at the end you would have N10 while they will be left with N8 each, and they would still be grateful to you as if you took nothing. That is the reward of a kingmaker.'"
Tinubu's political strategy is similar: he allows others to have their way as long as they do not interfere with his. His son gets the lucrative billboard advertisements in Lagos, his wife goes to the Senate, and Oluomo controls the garages. This system works as long as his interests are unchallenged. However, the 'N50' being distributed in Lagos is the commonwealth of its citizens, not magic money or his own. If this model is replicated nationally, it will create a polarized economy with very rich and very poor citizens. This 'Je’un s’oke' (eat and rise) ideology is not what Nigeria needs now.
Tinubu's politics lack a solid ideological foundation, which is why someone like Fashola had difficulties with him and had to fight for a second term, while Ambode could not secure his. It is less about performance and more about maintaining an institutionalized system of loyalty, reminiscent of Adedibu's politics.
In contrast, Peter Obi's prudence makes him a preferable choice. Critics argue that Obi did not mentor people, but they overlook the fact that none of his commissioners are jobless now. Obi hired career professionals who returned to their careers after serving, without becoming professional politicians like Tinubu’s protégés. They were not exposed to illicit funds and did not need to protect any corruption.
Obi’s governance method did not involve creating a successor to cover up his actions under the guise of mentorship. His approach needs to be replicated at the national level. Unlike Tinubu's mentorship devoid of ideological principles, genuine political leadership should be based on shared ideologies rather than personal loyalties. For instance, Obama did not mentor Biden; they were united by the Democratic ideology.
It's time to move beyond shouting about being "progressive" without progressive actions. Nigeria needs a leader like Obi, who, though not a saint, can change the nation's political landscape. Under his leadership, there would be no need to contend with figures like Oluomo in the Southwest, Dokubo in the South-South, or bandits in the North to secure the nation’s commonwealth.
Credit to Omooba 🇳🇬 (@AAtobs) for the insights shared in this article.
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