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The dictator in Tinubu

Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State, has been remarkable for registering a prominent place in the history of democratic transformation in Nigeria. He is widely upheld to be synonymous with struggle for democratic institutionalization and consolidation. The political authority of Tinubu has since the build-up to the local government election in the state been under serious attack, being postulated as a dictator determined to impose candidates on party members in the Action Congress. What manner of dictator is Tinubu, enquires SUNDAY ODIBASHI

SIMILAR scenario was observed during the build-up to the 2007 gubernatorial election. Governor Bola Tinubu did not hide his maximum support for the then Chief of Staff, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN). Several gubernatorial aspirants sounded trumpets of imposition of anointed candidate (Fashola) in the Action Congress; the party's primary was however conducted. Fashola eventually emerged and the extremely angered aspirants decamped to some other parties where they picked the gubernatorial ticket and contested the election.

The campaign for that very election was rigorous and extensive with Tinubu directing the campaign train in Lagos State. Lagosians cannot forget with ease Tinubu's declaration that Fashola is the right man for the job. Tinubu, it would be recalled, at one of the campaign rallies, told the people that he knows all the candidates, particularly those that worked with him and that there was none better than Fashola whom he was presenting to them. The governorship election was won and lost in Lagos State; the party was able to reconcile thereafter and some of the departed aggrieved members returned to the AC.

The screening of Councillorship and Chairmanship aspirants last August triggered another round of controversy, agitations and accusations of imposition with Tinubu being labeled a dictator who is bent on imposing his loyalists on party members. Protests from some local governments were extended to the seat of power, Alausa, Ikeja, for the intervention of Governor Fashola. At the heat of the controversy, the party leadership attempted to clarify the contentious issue, assuring the Lagos electorate and AC members that there will be no imposition of candidates. The Chairman, Henry Dele Ajomale, declared that the primaries of the party would hold on September 6 as contained on the party's guideline to the October 11 council poll.

The council primaries held across the state as scheduled but with some skirmishes. While the nomination of candidates was concluded in some local governments, it was inclusive in some others. The party leadership acknowledged this and assured that the nomination will be concluded the following week.

In the entire episode, Tinubu appeared to be the knob of all activities as if the AC starts and ends with him. Those who perceived that they may not scale through the primaries took advantage of Tinubu's accelerating popularity and rising political profile to appeal to the public for solidarity and support. Interpreting and condemning the character and personality of Tinubu had been perceived to constitute the currency of building political inroad and attempting to redeem political misfortune or lost opportunities by the politicians.

There are however some analysts and democratic monitors who feel different. They have the consensus that Tinubu has since the military era played significant role in the polity with which he has secured and accumulated enormous political authority and influence. The common belief has been that Tinubu has prominently featured in the three phases of democratic transformation in Nigeria. It was highlighted that the former governor actively participated in the struggle to dismantle military autocracy, was available to contribute to the building of democratic governance and has continued to show commitment to democratic consolidation and development in Lagos State. The argument was made that it is not surprising that Tinubu would be encountering the current experiences because some people who are concerned about self interest would want to divert the course of development and democratic consolidation in Lagos State.

Speaking to National Daily, a renowned human rights activist and vehement students' movement actor during the military era, Charles Okoli, said that Tinubu has always been in the political scene even in the most dicey and dangerous environment and period. He asserted: “Tinubu is one person that fought with us in the trenches when the danger was pronounced during the Abacha period”. He maintained that Tinubu was one of the Nigerians who stood on the side of pro-democracy groups in waging the war for restoration of democracy in the country.
The former governor was described as a hero of the struggle for democracy. According to Okoli, “Tinubu is man who despite his seeming comfort and wealth, involved in the dangerous struggle of confronting the military tyranny that opened its arsenal and mobilized all the violent instruments of the state at its behest to destroy any life that challenged its determination to hold on power at all costs to the detriment of the Nigerian people”. He added that the former governor of Lagos State did not stop at that; but deployed his resources, as did Pa Alfred Rewane and others, in ensuring the sustenance of the struggle against dictatorship. Okoli declared that “for that singular act Tinubu distinguished himself when others ran abroad into hiding”. He recalled that Tinubu went on exile and from his refugee base became a godfather of the struggle. “If the open truth of the struggle for democracy in Nigeria is told, Tinubu will emerge one of the foremost Nigerians who relentlessly fought for the restoration of democratic governance in the country. It is therefore not surprising that when democracy was restored that the people chose Tinubu to be Governor of Lagos State. Not surprising that his eight years in office transformed Lagos from a filthy and chaotic city to a city with direction and purpose which Fashola is today trying to transform into a mega city”, he declared.

It was noted that Tinubu fought many battles including the battle to recover the confiscated local government revenue accruing to Lagos which was planned to make him less popular. Okoli asserted that “Tinubu ranks among the governors that delivered the dividends of democracy with the people's mandate with in eight years. The testimony of his indefatigable struggle for social justice, equity and sustainable democracy in the country has set the standard that makes Lagos become a model state from which other states of the federation borrows ideas”. He acknowledged that Fashola is a disciple of Tinubu and expressed the expectations that all the efforts to transform Lagos would be sustained by the incumbent governor.

It was pointed out that when Jesus Christ was leaving the scene He appointed Peter to lead other Disciples to spread the Gospel; Okoli said that that was not dictatorship but establishing a chain of sustainability and continuity. It was emphasized that at no time did the antagonists complain of consensus candidates, this, the analyst said would have amounted to dictatorship and imposition. “It is the phobia to test their popularity and political prowess that compel the opponents to accuse the former governor of imposition and dictatorship”, it was argued. It was indicated that, Tinubu knowing the value of democracy, the democratic space has always been thrown open for wide decisions. He contended that those who are shouting that Tinubu is a dictator are desperate people who had wanted him to handover power to them to plunder the state and because they cannot grab the power Tinubu has become a dictator.

The analyst observed that a leader could be accused on two alternating basis namely, ignorance or dictatorship. He contended that “when they cannot accuse Tinubu of ignorance they say he is a dictator. Because the opponents cannot accuse him of being naïve, they say he is a dictator”.

Okoli stated that Tinubu already left a legacy and works towards the disciples that will sustain it, noting that Fashola is one of such. He indicated that the incumbent Governor has proved Tinubu right that he is the right man for the job, observing that Lagosians would not have got better than have already been delivered. He insisted that Tinubu did not want to create confusion in governance and development of Lagos or destroying the good works. Okoli therefore admonished that “those clamouring that Tinubu is a dictator should achieve the feet of the former governor and will see that people will listen and obey them”. He declared that the democratic process requires some degrees of guidance by genuine democrats to ensure that it is properly consolidated and that, in his view, is what Tinubu is doing.