During one of his campaigns, President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) incurred the wrath of many Nigerians when he publicly announced that it was his turn to rule Nigeria. That incident happened in Abeokuta, Ogun State where he went to canvass for votes. While trying to convince the people to vote for him, he mentioned emi l’okan which in Yoruba dialect means ‘it’s my turn.’
By saying it was his turn, Tinubu meant that even if he wasn’t politically, educationally, socially, mentally or physically qualified, it was his turn to preside over the affairs of Nigeria. His emi l’okan slogan drew the ire of millions of Nigerians including former President and fellow Yoruba leader, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who condemned it and said it was a wrong attitude and mentality to bring into leadership in Nigeria. Those opposed to emi l’okan are of the opinion that if fully entrenched in our political system, it would encourage mediocrity and make nonsense of meritocracy.
Well, for those who are conversant with political leadership recruitment in Nigeria, the unpopular philosophy or slogan didn’t start with President-elect Tinubu and it is not going to end with him. Over the years, many politicians had rode on the back of emi l’okan to leadership positions. As empty as they may be, once it is ‘their turn’ they are considered suitable for such positions. Those who obviously have capacity to deliver are oftentimes sacrificed for grossly incompetent aspirants who happen to be from the section of the country whose turn to lead has come. This is no doubt the genesis of leadership failure that has bedevilled us.
Unfortunately, emi l’okan has come to stay in Nigerian politics. Only recently, football arbiters who are members of the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) had their elective congress in Ilorin where a retired FIFA referee, Sani Zubair, from Bauchi State emerged the next president of the Association. Although he is qualified to lead the body, my findings revealed how emi l’okan played a significant role in his victory at the poll. At this juncture, adjust your seats, relax and read about the horse tradings and shenanigans that produced the new president of the NRA.
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I have gathered reliably that when the immediate past president of the NRA, Otunba Tade Azeez, a southerner, wanted to run for a second term in 2019, FIFA Zubair, a northerner, stepped forward to challenge him. However, some powerful forces in the NFF and the north were said to have prevailed on him to allow Azeez to have his second term. It is also important to note that Azeez himself had succeeded a northerner, Ahmed Maude, who had served for two terms. So, it was agreed that power would return to the north in 2023. That was the deal which effectively paved the way for Azeez’s second term in 2019.
However, before the just concluded elective congress in Ilorin, the NRA was enmeshed in serious leadership crisis as it is said Azeez attempted to renege on his agreement with the north. Instead of allow the region to present its preferred candidate, the former president allegedly made moves to keep power in the south by putting forward aspirants who are based in the north-central but are originally from the south. First he proposed Nicholas Achukasim who is from southeast but is a member of the FCT Referees Council. When the north protested vehemently, he returned to the drawing board and emerged with Prince Moruf Oluwa, from southwest but based in the FCT. That was another failed plan as it wasn’t hard for the north to see through his game plan. In a smarter move, Azeez then settled for Dr. Suleiman Omeiza, an indigene of Kogi State in north-central who has lived almost his entire life in the FCT, but he failed again because what the north had settled for was a core northerner and their candidate was Zubair, the man who was asked to step down for him in 2019. It is said even the NFF president, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, who was privy to the 2019 accord had to step in to ensure that the agreement was respected. That was how Azeez’s alleged trickery to keep the exalted position in the south was aborted by the north.
Therefore, in order to clear the coast completely for the emergence of the anointed one Zubair, all candidates from the north were ordered to step down for him. And to achieve this, some infractions of the electoral guidelines were allegedly committed. For instance, it is said on the eve of the election, Omeiza who had submitted his form for president was allowed to withdraw same form and submit it again for the position of Secretary General which he eventually won unopposed. Achukasim who had submitted his form for the position of Secretary General after his failed presidential bid, got back the same form and filled in the new position of Deputy Secretary General. Those who had indicated interest in the position were forced to exit or find alternative positions. This is said to be electoral fraud because the statues of the NRA state clearly that such changes can be allowed only seven days before the day of election. But in this case, forms were retrieved and with the aid of correction fluid, positions were swapped a few hours to the elections.
So, on the day of the election, emi l’okan prevailed as it was a case of no contest after Zubair cleared all 53 votes to beat Daniel Olokor who stubbornly refused to heed calls for him to step down. In fact, it is said one of the delegates he personally sponsored to Ilorin abstained from voting after he concluded that his vote would make no difference. That was how Olokor ended his contest without even a single vote.
Already, power has shifted to the north as FIFA Zubair has since been sworn in as the next NRA president. All eyes are now on him to see how he is going to change the lot of Nigerian football referees in the next four years. He knows quite well how his colleagues have been abused over the years by Nigerian football authorities. His predecessor Azeez announced recently that referees are being owed a whopping N600 million. This is one of the big problems he should tackle immediately.
There is also the bad image of Nigerian referees which he should do everything possible to launder without further delay. And Nigerian referees are no longer visible at international competitions so he should be ready to play the right politics for his compatriots to regain their lost glory. So, with the help of emi l’okan, FIFA Zubair now has a golden opportunity to sanitise the NRA and liberate his colleagues from all manner of abuses.