Tinubu: A Kingmaker who Wants to be King

Tinubu: A Kingmaker who Wants to be King 

By Kabir Akintayo

Bola Ahmed Tinubu,  the Jagaban of Borgu, the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is in the news and has been trending for months since he returned from his long medical break in London.

His ambition to seek the highest office in the land may not have been officially announced, but the man who he believe matters the most has heard of it.

Tinubu shook the very foundation of the Nigerian polity when he, days ago, told State House correspondents that he had just announced his ambition to President Muhammadu Buhari.

That singular smart move was deemed as a masterstroke by most pundits who believe he used one stone to kill many birds.

Aside the fact that he has been trending for days, many believe he put the President, who is rumoured not to be favourably disposed to his ambition, in a difficult place. They also say his former protege, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who is rumoured to be in contention for the Presidency as well, will now find it difficult to look into Tinubu’s eyes and tell him he wants to challenge him for the APC ticket.

Whether Osinbajo challenges him or not, it is obvious that Tinubu is going into the race not to joke but to win. And whoever wants to stop him must really work hard to undo his massive war chest, world class strategy and brilliant and vibrant foot soldiers. Same factors that have kept him politically relevant since 1999; same indices that enabled him to enthrone President Buhari in 2015 and repeat the trick in 2019.

Tinubu however must contend with too many powerful persons in the Presidency and the APC hierarchy who prefer Osinbajo to him. Whether Tinubu and his supporters like it or not, he must answer some very fundamental questions from Nigerians especially the media about his real age, real parents, real state of origin, real educational qualification, medical condition, source of his stupendous wealth, his management of the humongous resources of Lagos state and many others. This is because too many of his personal details have been shrouded in mystery for decades with some persons, who are or were close to him enough to know, saying he has lived a lie almost throughout his adult life.

From Kingmaker to King

There is no doubting the fact that Tinubu is the most accomplished political godfather in the country’s history. The ultimate talent hunter, he has since 1999 entrenched himself into the polity by polishing the best brains and pushing them into strategic political positions across the country and at the federal level.

He confirmed his godfather status in 2015 when he did the impossible by uprooting the PDP and installing the APC in power with the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket.

Even in Lagos where Tinubu holds sway, no opposition party or group has been able to dislodge his machinery since 1999.

Now, Tinubu’s popularity can be seen to cut across the states as he gradually spread his tentacles everywhere. This is why Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano is reportedly rooting for him. This is also why former lawmaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin, also from Kano, is one of the famous politicians across the country who are sticking out their neck for him.

But will they allow this kingmaker to become king? It is instructive that some of the kings he has made are the ones vowing to stop him from ascending the throne which he sees as a deserving reward for the sacrifices he has made for the individuals and the party over the years.

The cabal is said to be wary of the kingmaker and are afraid he would be too independent as he is considered too rich, too smart, too connected to be allowed to add presidential powers to his already wide influence.

The cabal has been trying since 2015 to clip his wings but the stubborn wings have refused to go away. The removal of Babachir Lawal, Ibrahim Magu, Adams Oshimhole etc from there top positions were said to be calculated moves to decimate his power base within the party. But he keeps waxing stronger with his foot soldiers at the grassroots.

The fear of Tinubu is the reason the Mai Mala Buni-led caretaker committee has been running away from holding the national convention of the party. This is because it is believed that If the convention holds as things stand, Tinubu’s boys would dominate the National Working Committee of the party and aid his emergence as presidential flagbearer.

Tinubu has told all his detractors within and outside the ruling party however that there is no rule that says a kingmaker cannot be king. With that coded message, he is apparently sending a strong warning across that no one should try to stop him, else he would use his massive influence to pull the rug off their feet.

With the seriousness Tinubu is attaching to this campaign, it appears that APC has to thread carefully in managing his massive ego. It looks like if he is denied the ticket without his consent, PDP – especially with Atiku Abubakar who is his long-term friend and associate – will just stroll back to the Villa on a platter.