SHORTLY after Bola Tinubu, former Lagos State governor, told President Muhammadu Buhari about his presidential ambition on January 10, he embarked on barnstorming visits to the palaces of Yoruba Obas.
His aim? To secure their blessings and endorsements for his ambition to become Nigeria’s president in 2023. The royal fathers unreservedly blessed Tinubu’s ambition and showered him with gushing endorsements.
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, told Tinubu that Yoruba ancestors “will make you president”. The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, invoked the spirits of his forefathers to “lead the battle and guarantee the success of the (Tinubu presidency) project”. The new Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Lekan Salami, said: “Tinubu should be assured that the people of Ibadan are fully behind him.” The list of royal endorsements goes on.
Surely, the logical conclusion is that no other presidential aspirant, from whatever party, will receive the support of the leading traditional rulers in Yorubaland. After all, the Obas wouldn’t ask their ancestors to support two presidential aspirants simultaneously, or would they?
So, except out of courtesy and respect for the traditional institution, it’s pointless for any other presidential aspirant to visit the leading Yoruba traditional rulers. Put simply, the Obas have settled for Tinubu.
The Alaafin of Oyo gave the ancestral order. “All the ancestors in Yorubaland, get up and assist your son,” he said concerning Tinubu’s ambition! But here’s the rub. While, as fathers to all, traditional rulers should receive and pray for all presidential aspirants who come to them, it’s beyond the pale to endorse one aspirant openly and fulsomely as Nigeria’s next president. Truth is, like oil and water, partisan politics and the traditional institution don’t mix. Nothing undermines, indeed damages, the traditional institution more than when it’s politicised and hijacked by politicians.
So, why would Tinubu drag Yoruba Obas into such barefaced partisanship? Self-interest, of course! At the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Tinubu said: “It is our belief that once Ooni, Orangun, Awujale, Alake, Owa, among others, speak, it (the presidency) becomes ours.”
But before the presidency, Tinubu must first secure his party’s presidential ticket, and corralling Yoruba Obas behind his ambition, so early, is aimed at his party’s presidential primaries. He wants to signal to his party and his potential rivals in South-West APC that the South-West is solidly behind him, that he has the support of most Yoruba Obas all sewn up.
Here goes the reasoning: APC must give him itspresidential ticket or lose the South-West in 2023; and his rivals must not run against him, or they will lose badly. Yet, both tactics won’t work because APC and Tinubu’s Yoruba rivals in the party won’t succumb to such blackmail. But the tactics fit into an overarching strategy. Ignore the Olympian hyperbole about Tinubu’s abilities, his strategy for becoming president in 2023 is mainly based on a strong sense of entitlement and an opportunistic ethnic championship.
The first theory was propounded at the Ooni of Ife’s palace when Tinubu said that he helped make Buhari president in 2015 and 2019, so Buhari is obligated to help him become president in 2023. The second was proffered at the Alaafin of Oyo’s palace when Tinubu listed the positions occupied by Yorubas in the current government, including vice-president, and then said: “But we still need more”.Thus, he presents his ambition as an ethnic agenda for Yoruba presidency, an utter insensitivity to the Igbo, who have better claims.
To be sure, Tinubu can’t win in the South-East and the South-South and doesn’t pretend he wants to run a pan-Nigeria campaign. His entire strategy is based on replicating the sectional North/South-West alliance that produced victories for APC in 2015 and 2019.
Recently, Tanko Yakasai, a chieftain of Arewa Consultative Forum and Tinubu ally, set out the”winning” formula. In one interview, he said: “With the South-West, all Tinubu needs is for him to get about 45 to 50 per cent of the Northern votes to win the presidency”. Presumably working on the Yakasai formula, Adeseye Ogunlewe, former minister and Tinubu acolyte, said on Arise TV that Tinubu’s support was solid on the ground in the South-West, but Yoruba Obas should go to the North and “sell Tinubu to Northern emirs.”
Which raises the question why Yoruba traditional rulers are willing tool in the Tinubu game. Even if they support his ambition, why can’t they wait until the APC presidential primary process plays itself out? By publicly endorsing Tinubu before his party’s presidential primaries, they are interfering in the internal democracy of a political party. Why?
Recently, an Osun State APC senator said: “The only presidential aspirant known to the political family of the APC in the South-West is Tinubu.” That makes South-West APC a medieval party consisting of a feudal lord and serfs. But do the Obas believe the senator?
Or do they agree with those attempting to intimidate Vice President Yemi Osinbajo out of running for president by mouthing the utter baloney that because Tinubu nominated him as Buhari’s running mate in 2015, Osinbajo would be morally wrong to run against Tinubu. I addressed this issue in a previous column, so won’t rehash the arguments here.
But truth be told: Yoruba Obas have shown utter disregard for Professor Osinbajo. As vice president, he’s the highest-ranking Yoruba holding public office today, and respected worldwide for his intellect, competence and integrity. As an active vice president,Osinbajo has a job to do and can’t prematurely declare a presidential ambition and make high-profile political visits to palaces. But it’s inconceivable that he wouldn’t want to run for president.
This week, Daily Trust reported that Osinbajo has told Buhari he wants to run for president and may soon publicly declare his ambition. Having asked their ancestors to make Tinubu president,what would Yoruba Obas say about Osinbajo? Little. Well, they’re wrong. Osinbajo should seek the endorsement of the God of gods and the King of kings!
