State of political analyses
The state of public discourse and analysis in Nigeria seem to have hit Rock bottom. It is at an all time low. Pretenders and charlatans come up with skewed analyses, skip the inconvenience of facts, pack their pieces of analyses full of innuendos, insults, speculations and personal prejudices, reveal of history, and pass this off as ‘ informed opinion’. This has always been the case in many cases. What makes it worse is that it is now peddled by so called SM influencers.
And before you could say : fallacy! the nonsense they spew starts to trend, and after a few retweet or reposts, it becomes ‘established’ knowledge. Stupidity and deceit is being weaponised to fight people that are envied or hated. Dirty politics of 2023. Nowhere right now, in public analyses is this habit of spreading crass ignorance as knowledge more common or more annoying than the 2023 noise that is trending right now. Any single event that happens is NOT analysed for Nigerian development. No. The events, all of them, are forced Into an existing pigeonhole of the dirty and visionless politricks of 2023. It is the same everywhere. No interrogation of what Nigeria is about, what the country needs to do, just pedantic and one sided analyses of the prebendal political manipulations. No progressive conclusions are offered. Just, ad nauseam, the same shortsighted and biased analysis.
Tinubus Travails at the hands of fake analysts
What is in top agenda now is the so called analyses of Tinubu’s alleged travails at the hands of his alleged allies. This focuses on Tinubu’s activities, and non activities, glorifying alleged BETRAYAL of Tinubu by the Hausa Fulani cabal; as if Betrayal, if that is what it is, is anything to be proud of by anyone. It is a disgrace, but not surprising, that the Monumental incompetence and alleged historic betrayal of Tinubu by alleged Allies is now what some analysts are dancing around. Just to be able to vilify Tinubu.
Jagaban is a patriotic and energetic fighter. When Jagaban and the rump of his AD was the only one standing in Yorubaland, after OBJ had destroyed the AD in the South West with his historic betrayal of his accord with Afenifere ( to vote him OBJ in presidential election, to save his face nationally; while the governorship would be free for the AD governors), OBJ replaced, the AD party of Free Education and Free Health Services and other Welfare programs with the utter lawlessness of PDP, their lack of vision, and the sport of stealing of public funds. He did this through deceit, shameless deployment of federal forces, both fair and foul. At the end, political gladiators like Segun Osoba of Ogun, Lam Adesina of Oyo, Niyi Adebayo of Ekiti, Adebayo Adefarati of Ondo, and Bisi Akande of Osun all lay prostrate, their kingdoms purloined from them by a crafty Obasanjo.
Only Tinubu was standing. IDIOTS who now say Tinubu betrayed the Yoruba will not say a word about that EVIL manoeuvre by OBJ to replace progressive Democratic Socialism of Awo, bequeathed to the SW and practised by AD between 99-03, with the lack of Vision of PDP. Just for him (OBJ) to cover up his (justifiable ) lack of support in Yorubaland.
Now, hate filled analysts will come up and say Tinubu betrayed Yoruba. And never mention a word about that OBJ perfidy that was only reversed by TINUBU. Tinubu stood ALONE, while he was attacked and besieged from right, left and centre. He was undaunted. And gradually, with a combination of steadfastness and SUPERLATIVE political infighting tactics, Tinubu completely retrieved Yorubaland from the clutches of the evil PDP, thereby, REINSTATING the Awolowo Progressive tendency in the SouthWest which the crafty OBJ had tried to erase…Is this reinstatement of Awo legacy in Yorubaland a betrayal of the Yoruba?
And they say Tinubu betrayed the Yoruba. If that is the only thing Jagaban achieved, namely, REINSTATING Awo legacy of progressive politics after OBJ tried to destroy that Awo legacy, his place (Tinubu) in Yorubaland history is assured. Because he fought against great odds (like Julius Caesar and Alexander the great did in many of their battles) in taking on the might of the Federal government and WINNING.
Those who accuse Tinubu of also using money as part of his arsenal to win his political battles are just pretenders and hypocrites of the lowest kind. In a monetized political environment in which we live, within which he was forced to operate, which was quite different from the environment in which Awo for example operated, was he supposed to use stones or begging or preaching to fight his political battles against his unscrupulous opponents who WILL Stop at NOTHING to retain their stolen SW mandate? Why do people throw history to the winds just to ABUSE somebody they feel inferior to? And the thing is trending, now almost proverbial, that Tinubu uses money apart of his arsenal. What was he supposed to use? The Yoruba say, to translate, what toro, (3pence) can do, one thousand idobale (prostration in begging) can not do it. In Nigeria at this time, you need money to fight any battle especially against the reactionaries who had decades of looting experience to call upon, starting from the military era…
Ambition now an offence?They talk about Presidential ambition of Tinubu which he has not even declared. I say why not? All the people who have been our president since Independence, are they better than Tinubu? So why should he not aspire? Who should aspire? The people that fell Yakata to the OBJ political heist of the South West? Or the former governors across the country who achieved NOTHING in their states, and have cases of EFCC hanging around their necks? Who is fit to aspire?
Tinubu was tried by his political enemy (GEJ-PDP) for corruption, and acquitted! Obasanjo, his political enemy during his tenure, with his fiery and no-nonsense EFCC supremo Nuhu Ribadu could not indict or try Tinubu for any case of corruption. Yet these lying analysts would keep accusing the man of corruption! The GEJ that put him on trial could not get a conviction! So where is the root of the talk about Tinubu and corruption? Is street talk, or pepper soup joint malicious gossip now a replacement for reality?
Tinubu builds leaders…Now, apart from achieving, single handedly, the return of Yorubaland to the Progressive Camp, he also did the VERY GOOD thing of IDENTIFYING Yoruba leaders all over the South West and brought them to prominence. From Kwara, to Ekiti, Kogi, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, and Osun, he identified and mentored leaders! And brought them forward! Who else but Awolowo did that? And they say Tinubu is selfish, he betrayed Yorubaland? If anyone cares to take note, in this government, there has been more Yoruba appointees than any other group. If not for Tinubu, would a federal government have done that? And they say Tinubu is selfish? How many Yoruba men and women are now in prominent places ? From Ministers to VP, and heads of FG Agencies?
And they say Tinubu betrayed the Yoruba? Selfish? Since he left office in 2003, he has NEVER contested for any office. He has been busy with supporting others. Remember he supported Atiku, and Ribadu to be president at different times with his money and other resources.
Accusations of bringing PMB
Now, they also accuse him of bringing PMB. As at 2015, with the marginalisation of the SW by GEJ, what was Tinubu to do? Leave the ineffectual man in p lace? Or in 2019, was he to support the alleged “established thief”?
Here is the thing. Tinubu, if he had to remove the incompetent and corrupt PDP, which thoroughly marginalised the SW, he had zero choice but to team up with PMB. Power was zoned to the North. And of the Northern candidates, PMB looked like the best choice, based on his anti- corruption stance and discipline of 1984-1985. It is disingenuous to now blame Tinubu for whatever inadequacies now noticed in the Buhari Administration. Tinubu has no hand in the way Buhari chooses to handle power. Even Aisha Buhari washed her hands off the Cabal that has hijacked Power from Buhari, and the way they are using that Power.
If Buhari is perceived to have under-performed, it is not sensible to now retroactively blame Tinubu for using PMB to remove the incompetent and corrupt government of GEJ. Or talk as if, at that time, Tinubu brought him to come and run a government of (alleged) exclusion..
Everything forced into 2023 template
The worst of the dirty analyses is to now happily the claim that Tinubu did all he did because he wants to be president. This flies in the face of history. It flies in the face of all Tinubu’s activities that unfolded June 12, 1993 Presidential election till date.
When he was following MKO up and down, and later went into self exile, to validate June 12 mandate, fighting the brutal dictator Abacha, suffering several losses in the process, was it because he wanted to be president in 2023? And was he betraying the Yoruba at that time? When he was deploying support for Atiku in the presidential election of 2007, he did it because he wanted to be president? When he supported Ribadu in 2011, was that selfishness? How myopic can people be? Those fools selling the dummy that what Jagaban is doing is because he wants to be president, where were they when Tinubu was fighting Abacha? What were they doing? What was their stand? And people believe them!
Glorifying alleged TREACHERY
Lastly, the analysis most common now is the one that, allegedly, Tinubu is being betrayed by PMB or Fulani cabal or Aso Rock cabal etc. And that he should have learnt from the experiences of Yoruba leaders like Afonja, Awolowo, and MKO who were allegedly betrayed on a grand scale by the very same set of people Tinubu is now relating with. This is silly. So, if a set of people, allegedly, SERIALLY betray another set of people WHO TRUSTED THEM, what is that called? TREACHERY! That is what such serial betrayal is called. And those who do it are called TRAITORS! Traitors, historically, and all over the world, are regarded as Scum, Dishonourable people, Disgraceful, Shameless, Untrustworthy, Disreputable, and ultimately Pitiable. And people to be avoided. Is this the accusation they are laying on the people who allegedly betrayed Tinubu? If yes, where is the sense in now choosing to ABUSE Tinubu for being ambitious, because the people he trusted BETRAYED him? Where is the sense in it? All these people who lay this accusation of betrayal on the Fulani and PMB, (with no proof, except speculations), what do they have to say about such ( if that is what it is) betrayal? Such TREACHERY? Such stab in the back? Is it a good thing? Why not even spare a word of rebuke for the alleged betrayer, The traitor, instead of blaming his trusting Victim?So Trust is now an offence? I say Shame to all those reasoning this way. Abusing Tinubu, the alleged ( but unproved) victim of a Serial Betrayer who has ( allegedly) been in the job of betraying this same people since the 19th Century!
Away with the Tinubu -bashing. Open your eyes. Tinubu is no betrayer. Tinubu is a great leader who restored Awo’s legacy of Progressive politics in the SW after it was forcibly and treacherously replaced briefly by OBJ. He brought several leaders from ALL OVER the South West to prominence. He brought many of them to National limelight. He secured national appointments for many of them, who are benefitting the SW. Yet they say he betrayed SW. He brought several Federal government infrastructural development to the South West in this dispensation. He has advanced Yoruba political reach massively in this country. It is because of him that people are seriously talking about a Yoruba president right now, for 2023, just a mere less than 15 years after OBJ.
Tinubu is not perfect. But all the dirty robes being hung on him by traducers do not belong on his back. They belong elsewhere. And anyone who says he (Tinubu) has been betrayed by a cabal or by PMB should have the decency to also call out his alleged Betrayers for their TREACHERY. I have not heard Tinubu himself tell anyone PMB betrayed him. People should leave Tinubu alone. He is NOT the problem holding this country back. Analysis of events should be developmental analyses, not biased speculation mixed with a revisionist history. If only these people wasting time pouring hatred on Tinubu would only spend energy promoting a worthy cause like, say, a RETURN TO THE 1963 CONSTITUTION, we would benefit more.
