It is a new dawn in Nigeria with the election of a thoroughbred politician, businessman and professional to the country’s most coveted seat and highest office. Saturday’s election ushered in an event of untold rarity, where incentivising of voters was reduced to a historic minimum, yet, Nigerians in their millions chose to trust a triumph of tremendous virtue over primordial offerings.
This massive trust is indeed historic as it cements a bond of friendship and wisdom between inherent strategic alliances that have won the cleanest and most transparent election in Nigeria’s history.
The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Yakubu, deserves due commendation for the innovative creativity of the Commission as it ran a process that suffocated to the barest minimum, cases of multiple voting, over voting, proxy voting and result alteration. For the ruling APC, to lose elections in so many traditional strongholds, including the party’s birthplace of Lagos, it is a salient pointer to the transparency of the process and demonstrates how impermeable it is to manipulation.
The president-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nursed and nurtured the ambition to be Nigeria’s president for a lifetime, and as a known king of the long game, he spent the past decade and a half cultivating alliances towards the fruition of the project, and today, the culmination of his lifetime ambition has beckoned right before our eyes.
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This is in spite of the initial talk of a consensus which Asiwaju overcame and won the primaries convincingly; he surmounted the hurdle of Muslim-Muslim ticket being exhaustively discussed. Asiwaju was always the favourite going into the election; however, there were numerous odds stacked against him and obvious conspiracies over which he triumphed, causing this victory to come off even sweeter.
When Asiwaju resurged and tenaciously fought for the survival of Lagos State (1999-2007) under President Obasanjo, when he drove the alliances that metamorphosed from Alliance for Democracy (AD), into Action Congress (AC), thereafter into Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and finally into All Progressives Congress (APC), the strongman was bidding his time and shaping historic events that have led to this moment.
For a man that has built people and supported causes, driven beliefs and projected strong, it is worthwhile for us politicians to go the extra mile in granting support and bidding his success, as it gallantly indicates that in politics, one must portray large-heartedness, perseverance, patience and most importantly, possess the mindset to make strategic sacrifices.
We are in hearty jubilations as we see allies of the president-elect, from the moment of his declaration of intent, have remained at the fore at the time of his declaration as winner. This is a man that can be trusted to keep a circle; a man that is worth a politician’s loyalty and a man for whom a descent reward system is one that ensures one’s vertical progression.
When we see leaders like His Excellency, Governor Ganduje of Kano State damning every potential political consequence to promote the cause of Asiwaju, we understand the depth and wisdom inherent in such a cause. Governor Badaru of Jigawa as well being a Fulani man like Ganduje has fiercely fought for the enthronement of Asiwaju, just like many other core northern governors and politicians, underlining the wide acceptance of the president-elect as one for Nigeria, devoid of narrow primordial sentiments.
The results of the elections threw up unprecedented upsets, with the APC losing in the major strongholds of Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi and Yobe while winning in Rivers of all places. But because of the spread of cumulative votes, the APC cruised to an unassailable margin while fulfilling all requirements to return Asiwaju as President-Elect.
While we toiled and earned victory and now seek support of all people countrywide, we have our eyes firmly on the ball; we know that this victory is nothing if not put to use in bettering people’s lives, which culminate in the ascension of our incoming president’s reputation to towering levels. If not for how much Asiwaju has accomplished, how broad the network he built and maintained and how much he put into developing himself; one would wonder how his candidature could have been this easily sold. The lesson in this is for politicians to prepare for when service will beckon and for ethnic nationalities to befriend as strategic allies.
Hon Yusuf Babangida Sulaiman, member Kano State House of Assembly (2011-Date) Gwale Constituency
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