By Lateeph Adekoya ADEWUMI
The word prophet is synonymous with Biblical injunction, where you read about men who have shaken the foundation of the earth at large, they came, they conquered, bound, and loose forces of darkness. An amazing fact about real prophets is their scarcity; they are not even many from the day of Old. Moses the Shepherds like the Nigerian Herdsman was a prophet unto God himself did exploit Egypt to Isreal, Elijah the prophet unto prophet who ridicule Baal prophets in hundreds, and Even Jesus Christ who the modern-day Christian only recognised in the 66 books did excellently well and his name lives in heart of believers” Jesus began his teaching, miracle, and wonders early in life and left the stage quickly unlike Moses and Elijah who were doing something else before God draw their ears. Not that there was no other prophet who made remarkable landmarks when these men reigned but the trio above were tall above their contemporaries.
I have read many insightful pieces about Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu before and after his emergence as APC Presidential Candidate and many gave him different Political nomenclature to fit his political acumen and stature but they often look away from the God side. Yoruba race has always been lucky in terms of political leadership from generation to generation which they often treat with disdain, castigate even betray at any slight opportunity. When I look back at times, miffed to say Yoruba’s wasted Awolowo and Abiola without allowing them to fulfill their mission.
Leadership school is not a classroom job like accounting, engineering, etc, it is a field that requires you to die to yourself in every way; Elijah and Moses failed woefully in this arena of flesh must reign. Asiwaju phenomenon is beyond being a strategist and thinker, is a special being that made history as a pilot on his political journey. He cuts his teeth in Accounting with an unparalleled record of services in the corporate world.
He started his political journey in 1992 and ever since then, he remains relevant today without not being in dailies every other week. Prophet has seasons with defined landmarks that are indelible to all students of history. Nigerians have confined prophets to the Biblical altar not even looking at the side of Islam let alone other humanities. We have prophets in every sphere of life that God has positioned for the benefit of his people though we might not know or believe but that’s how God himself structured the living since we are not seeing him physically. God anoint some people specially for specific purpose and while others labour with no result, the anointed do it with ease.
The great Obafemi Awolowo is a living hero and political prophet, I took time to read many of his books and made some research about him and his political sagacity, many of his political prophesies have come to pass and some are warming up to fulfillment. I concluded that Awo is a black race with a human resource that is tall above oil and gas. Being human, his fallibility robbed him of the presidency which meant having to turn Nigeria around to lead the rest of Africa just to replicate the development of the Western region at the centre, alimajiri debacle and many others would have been long solved through free education. Abiola came with a manifesto to ban poverty but rather than conquering poverty, he was buried with his hope and redemption jingle.
Like Awolowo, like Abiola, Like Tinubu, they are all genius, exceptionally in all their endeavours. I told a friend sometime in July 2007 whilst we drove through Alausa via the Ministry of Land to connect the old toll gate, where we saw a billboard having the picture of great Obafemi Awolowo, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela on the same row and under them has Bola Tinubu with the inscription “ they haven’t seen anything” I said watch out for this Tinubu, he will rule this country one day, my friend just hissed, except he join PDP and if he does he won’t even smell it because PDP materials in waiting are longer than Olubadan line.
When parent parties that fused to form APC came together in 2013, I called the same friend who loves discussing politics with me to let him know that Jonathan’s tenancy at Aso Rock will be revoked comes 2015, the ruling party can not be defeated in Nigeria, he answered though with precedent which seems to be logical to him not me. However, I made him understand many things that day especially to open his idea to a political phenomenon being championed by Ifa Eko himself, who has made autobiography books his man Friday, he take a lesson from others’ strength and weekness to avoid the same pitfalls apart from his God endowed knowledge and wisdom.
His accounting degree and the corporate experience was a preparation for this day, while professor of political Science like Claude Ake, Emmanuel Aiyede, Bolaji Akinyemi, Eme Awa, and many others are theoretical professor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a practical professor of politics. Tinubu’s political Machinery wrestled with Mulikat Akande at the House of Representatives in 2011 and got Aminu Tambuwal within the same PDP as Speaker and stretched the same magic hand to Senate to change David Mark who’s going for a second term as Senate President but narrowly survive the Burdillion onslaught. David Mark, a retired army General knew he just survived a coup by an armless civilian, he quickly had an audience with C in C, taming Tinubu was the subject matter, and he told Jonathan emphatically if Tinubu is not tamed he will sack PDP, Alas! David Mark prophesied came to pass in 2015.
Asiwaju is highly skilled and vast in politics, Chief Bode George his evergreen political enemy told Obasanjo, Baba! Bola’s too clever. Tinubu ceremoniously retired Boy George and buried any plan whatsoever he and his party have for Lagos by locking the Smart City and putting the key in his pocket as Elijah did to Israelites, locking the heaven for three and half years with no rain. He worked so hard to turn APC in Lagos into an institution that nearly all family in Lagos has their fair share.
Asiwaju is a genius, a seer, a leader who can plant, water, and nurture to harvest, those who believe him soared high, and those who deride him suffered and regret it. Chief Bisi Akande accept the fact that Tinubu’s re-election in 2003 was not lucky to him, he painstakingly planned himself and refused to join the bandwagon. Ever since then Baba Akande never look back because he has seen a prophet who can break the political barrier that seems unbreakable.
Some pundits say Tinubu will not support Buhari’s re-election in 2019 because of their differences, I laughed and told them he will because after Buhari the next occupant of Aso Rock will be Tinubu if God spares his life. Four months to the general election from now, the coast is becoming clearer day by day. Atiku has polarised his Party through his desperado, I must be president at all costs. He worked day and night for Tinubu not to emerge as APC Presidential flagbearer for him to have a smooth ride to one of the three arms zone but fate leaped over him. Turaki himself knows Tinubu’s political acumen without any lecturing.
He (Tinubu) saved Atiku from Obasanjo who he had scores to settle with. He knows his capacity, he knows what he can do, and he has people as his oxygen because of his benevolence and generosity. Atiku has a lot of respect for Tinubu in the field of politics so contesting with him will be business as usual for him.
Some said, the 2023 Presidential election will be 3 horse race, between Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Bola Tinubu but left to me is 2 horse race, is between Atiku and Tinubu. The OBIDATTIS are just side attractions to unwind people, to busy our social media, and create side comedy. No serious politician who can differentiate his right from left will see OBI than being a boy. In February 1999 after PDP Presidential primary at Jos, Tell Magazine wrote the caption, “Obasanjo will be President can Falae stop him? So also Tinubu will be president can Atiku stop him?
