DON’T WEAR BUHARI’S BABARIGA ON ASIWAJU TINUBU – Kazeem Afegbua

In dissecting Buhari’s successor, we must be ready to interrogate scenarios, situations and the current systems in place. The antecedents of the individual, his mental capacity, his ability to take rational decisions, his proactiveness, his understanding of the intricate logic of the Nigerian skewed federation, and his network across all the geopolitical zones of the country and internationally too.

The individual must be outspoken like Tinubu, have a rich network of friends and associates, connect to a wide array of people across the political divides, and have the ability to take bold decisions without minding whose ox is gored. He must possess a strong political will and be ready to deploy at short notice. He must be conversational so as to explore the opportunity of dialogue in resolving national issues. Democracy involves inclusiveness, participation and constructive engagement. He needs to be A PEOPLE PERSON. Asiwaju Tinubu, as a pro-democracy activist has all that it takes to retool our present system for optimum performance of all the factors of production.

Tinubu’s credentials and political struggles in sustaining this democracy must be acknowledged. He must be appreciated for his contributions to the growth of democracy. Looking at his antecedents, it is not in doubt that he is sharp witted; the turnaround of Lagos State speaks to that. He is an initiator; a disruptor of a system for the common good. He is influential; look at the respectable crowd that ushered him into the APC convention. His lofty ideas are backed with practical working plans that are inclusive of all stakeholders. Now that he has thrown his hat in the ring, the expectation would be that the people would use his successes and achievements to measure his level of impact when given the opportunity to serve.

My dear people, Tinubu cannot be dressed in Buhari’s babariga. No, please don’t wear Buhari’s babariga on Tinubu, when juxtaposed, their physical and mental architectures show remarkable differences clearly revealing the superior.

It is understandable that an incumbent President has to be tendered with care to have his buy-in, but that does not take the fact away that Presidents are tailored according to their administration. It will be in the enlightened self interest of president Buhari to support a Tinubu presidency, who worked assiduously to ensure Buhari’s victory in 2015. The truth may be bitter, but it remains the truth. One good turn deserves another.

One good help deserves reciprocity. Tinubu has the stamina to rally round this country and reposition it for national development. Buhari has done his bit, achieved in some areas, and stumbled in others. It will be the responsibility of Tinubu to critically dissect the reality and take the next step to reconstruct a nation in dire need of help.