Never before in the history of Nigeria (especially since 1999) had a presidential poll and its verdict been thrown into an international controversy to the extent that even those of the same ethnic stock with the declared ‘winner’, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have had issues to settle with the outcome and the ‘president-elect’ himself. Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Bode George, and now the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State during the gubernatorial epoch of the late Michael Otedola, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu.
The opposition to the Tinubu ‘victory’ is getting louder and deeper cutting across ethnic, regional and religious divides. The ailing Lagos godfather is at best controversial with a whole lot of baggage to deal with but his tainted presidential triumph has thrown up a can of worms.
Recently on social media a Guinean international passport bearing the passport photograph and names of Tinubu went viral. Yet it is said that the Nigerian constitution frowns at a President possessing dual nationality! So the DSS never knew about this dual nationality?
Before now there have been controversies surrounding Tinubu’s real age, name, educational background, health status, businesses, hometown and past links with drug trafficking. But nothing was known of his ‘connection’ to the Guineans!
Now, while Olabode George, a Chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is known to be a strong opponent and critic of Tinubu, other voices of reason and resistance have been intervening to criticise and condemn the INEC for having bungled the presidential election of last February 25. Voices like those of George, the Afenifere National Leader, Pa Adebanjo and lately Alhaja Ojikutu.
Addressing a press conference recently the woman not only railed against the Tinubu imposition but raised an alarm over threats to her life coming obviously from the Asiwaju ‘Jaganbandit’ camp. Above all, she declared that in the event of the invisible Tinubu mounting the ‘throne’ in Aso Villa come May 29 she would cease to be a Nigerian!
That is worrisome enough! If Mama Ojikutu becomes a ‘foreigner’ that then means we have lost yet another compatriot apart from hundreds of thousands we have already lost to brain drain and ‘japa’ syndrome. When you add the Europe-by-road phenomenon to the mix then Nigeria is indeed a broken country.
And speaking on why she had supported Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate, Alhaja Ojikutu confessed that having heard the former Anambra State Governor speak about his plans for the country she had no choice but to back him.
Besides, she said “I am one of those who believe that it is time for the South-East to get the presidency” arguing further that “If we say we want to remain one Nigeria then we have to take equity into consideration.”
And continuing she had said: “You cannot say that you are one Nigeria and you are suppressing a particular region. You don’t want them to get the presidency shot. If you don’t want them as number one, let them go. If you don’t want them to go, then give them the chance to be number one”. Strong words; very sound indeed!
It is not false that the Igbos have suffered great injustice and marginalization in the hands of the Nigerian criminal elite hell-bent on keeping the great ethnic group politically perpetually down. There is an orchestrated systemic discrimination against Biafrans in the national scheme of things.
Yet these corrupt gerontocratic ruling elite are against Biafra manifesting itself in independent nationhood! They want to eat their ‘cake’ and have it back! Hell no!
Perhap, Nigeria’s national salvation is awaiting the emergence of that man or woman from the orient to lead the nation into a new dawn, a new era of justice, prosperity, security and unity.
The ‘original’ Lagos boy, cum man, George, had hinted that with the advent of the Asiwaju presidency he would have no other option than to ‘japa’ to a neighbouring country like Benin Republic, Ghana or Togo to live out the rest of his life!
That, too, is scary and worrisome — a senior citizen very close to eighty years deciding to leave his native land for another country just because a bad boy is about to preside over our national affairs!
If we begin losing senior citizens and patriots just because an executive bandit has wangled his way to the pinnacle of power then our collective humanity is questioned frontally.
Asiwaju Tinubu, in the eyes of the majority of Nigerians at home and abroad, has purloined a mandate given to another man! That stolen mandate must be restored judicially if Nigeria must make any headway unity and development-wise.
Before Mama Ojikutu becomes a non-Nigerian, therefore, by divesting herself willingly of her nationality we must urge her to pray harder so that her ‘nemesis’ would not mount the saddle as President in a few weeks time.
That is about the only solution in the immediate horizon. Otherwise, perilous times lie ahead!
However, beyond going to exile or renunciation of citizenship we must remind Pa George and Ma Ojikutu that there is the Tinubu factor currently ‘mesmerizing’ Nigeria and Nigerians. There is an element of Tinubu in many (if not all) of us!
Tinubu the drug trafficker, Tinubu the liar, Tinubu the identity thief, Tinubu the Guinean, Tinubu the godfather, Tinubu the academic credential forger, Tinubu the lawless corrupt one and Tinubu the election rigger. All these negative factors found in many of our compatriots make Tinubu ‘better’ qualified to rule over us.
After all, it takes a thief to catch a thief!
SOC Okenwa
soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr
