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| The Leaders of the South-West. |
I
have known Asiwaju Bola Ahmed TINUBU since 1999. I was a member of the
Transition Group that heralded his highly successful government as Lagos
Governor in 1999. He is a dogged fighter and cerebral politician. Witty,
brilliant, intelligent and very focused, Bola Tinubu is not given to flippancy
and frivolity. Our National Leader deserves all the accolades he has been
getting especially now as the conscience of the polity. Although, extremely
committed to the cause of his people-the Yoruba, he is a hard-core Nationalist
and a bridge builder of immense quality.
His
vast contributions to the current political dispensation cannot be undermined
and discounted on the altar of political expediency. And tendencies. Although,
this write-up is not in anyway a commissioned PR job to launder the image of
this highly respected statesman, his recent visit to Ondo State to calm nerves
and reposition our great party-the All Progressives Congress (APC) for success
in future elections is not only commendable but timely.
To
demonstrate the seriousness of his mission, he came with other highly respected
leaders of the party like Papas Bisi Akande and Segun Osoba (Happy 80th
Birthday and congratulations on the successful launch of your book in Lagos
Sir). With other notable leaders of the state and regional APC, the parley was
significant and memorable.
Since
2014, even before the formation of APC, the camp of the progressives in Ondo
State has been roughened. The troubled guber primaries in 2016 made matters
worse as it became “everybody to himself, GOD for us all”. Therefore, no one
needed a soothsayer to suggest that only a genuine reconciliation can heal the
massively disjointed party, moving forward.
My
discussion with both Chief Pius Akinyelure and Pastor Kole Oluwajana few days
before the parley was reassuring. They both reasoned that we must put our house
in order to sustain the gains the party had recorded despite the challenges.
According to this respected duo. peace and unity in the party are not
negotiable. They should know. While the former was the immediate National Vice
Chair of our admirable party in the South West, the later is the incumbent and
luckily for us, both are distinguished and credible elders despite the
circumstances of the change of guard between them last year. They both know the
dire consequences of a divided house to the success of a venture let alone an
incumbent political party with a lot of goodwill and political advantage.
This
position I think pervaded the air as the leaders met early this week and am
glad tangible progress was recorded. Those who expected fracas, disharmony and
rancour were disappointed. The other parties and groups who were waiting to
benefit politically from a rancorous meeting and gathering left with huge
discontent.
We
are back as a united front in Ondo State APC. I commend Governor Akeredolu for
his mature attitude and successful hosting of the event. The meeting also
afforded the leaders a first hand assessment of the conduct and performance of
the Akeredolu government since he came on board in 2017. To many, Akeredolu has
done enough to justify his election in 2017. And if he chooses to sustain the
tempo till 2025, the successful fact-finding/reconciliation meeting will
provide a platform and pointer. Although, the issue of “second term” was not
really on the agenda of the meeting, it remained a non-listed, quiet agenda
especially in the hearts of ambitious politicians and their supporters.
And
if there is any factor that will determine 2020 primaries in Ondo State, it is
performance and cohesion. Happily, a lot is being done by the Akeredolu
administration to gain the confidence of the electorate and to sway them to the
side of our great party. We should maintain, consolidate and build on this. To
those who think Asiwaju has made up his mind to jettison the exploits of the
Akeredolu administration should conduct a true evaluation of the politics of
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We all saw how Governor Fashola secured a second
time due to reason and common sense. Asiwaju is not a fool. He is a strategic
thinker. He is a flexible and intelligent leader. He knows when to strike. And
he also knows when to withdraw. He forgives and forgets easily.
On
a final note, let’s all unite and build a very formidable party in Ondo State.
Let’s all support the healing process with open mind. We cannot gain anything
through unnecessary and avoidable rancour and failure.
Long
Live APC in Ondo State
Long
Live the Federal Republic Of Nigeria
TundeIMOLEHIN
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