Tinubu, Rock of Nigeria’s Democracy, Says APC Chieftain
Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan, yesterday described the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as “the rock of Nigerian democracy,” who will give Nigerians a new country.
Olaosebikan said this yesterday in a statement to commemorate Tinubu’s 71st birthday, in which he referred to a similar tribute last year where he predicted that the former Lagos State governor would celebrate his 71st birthday as president-elect of the country.
According to the public relations expert, “In my tribute to Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his 70th birthday, exactly one year ago, I asserted that he would celebrate his next birthday (71st) as the president-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I concluded, despite the prevailing political situation then and irrespective of the strength of the opposition, sundry challenges, landmines, and obstacles on his path, that the former governor of Lagos State would win the contest and succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in office.”
He noted that as a journalist and aide of the late former Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lamidi Onaaolapo Adesina, he had learnt a lot about the political and managerial prowess of the president-elect before and when he was governor of Lagos State, adding that the late Adesina also admired these qualities in Tinubu.
The APC chiefatain said: “Relying on the exceptional wisdom, knowledge, understanding, courage, exposure, connections and resources that have fortified him, coupled with an uncommon ability to perform extraordinarily, resist and conquer as he did as the governor of Lagos State, I posited that Tinubu possessed all the credentials, ingredients and instruments required to triumph in the presidential race.”
Speaking about the previous piece, entitled: ‘What Alhaji Lam Adesina Told Me About Tinubu and His Ability to Win Against All Odds’, Olaosebikan said: “Many were not comfortable with my submission that Tinubu would win the presidential election. They felt the write-up was against the subsisting political tide. Many of my friends, including newspaper editors, did not publish the article out of concern that it would pitch me against the man of the moment, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and other aspirants they felt had greater chances than Tinubu.
“They were of the thought that Tinubu would not make it, and, as such, advised me to drop the article in order not to shoot myself in the foot as a politician. While I expressed my gratitude to those friends and editors for their genuine interest, I still went ahead and got the piece published in some media out of my strong conviction of the merits of its content and my desire for a better Nigeria under the leadership of a man I believed had genuine interest, competence and capacity to truly move the country forward.
“Tinubu is today the symbol of stability, permanence, strength, dependability, steadfastness and growth of our democracy. Within eight years, Tinubu revolutionised governance, leadership, politics and revenue generation in the most complex state in Nigeria, Lagos; he preserved continuity through purposeful, meaningful and pragmatic leadership and eventually made Lagos the model for the remaining 35 states in Nigeria on development.
“In what now appears as a source of pain to some people, Tinubu, the fulfilled maker of governors, ministers and presidents, will be magnificently inaugurated as the 16th President of Nigeria on May 29.
“Subsequently, by this time next year, when he will be marking his 72nd birthday, we shall be glad to celebrate him as the president we are all proud of. He will surely give us a new Nigeria.”
