One is not too sure which advice President Muhammad Buhari would accept. His challenges are many. Insecurity persists. The Nigerian economy is nothing to write home about till date, because the average voter has been feeling the heat since he became President.
But looking at the current challenges through Okeliwo’s prism, the old man has just about one month to put his house in order before it is too late. But, and that is a very big BUT (apologies to my former Pastor, Ade Okonrende), Buhari’s salvation lies majorly in no other hand than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s.
Why the big BUT? Tinubu is being ridiculed by Buhari. And, he would be right to be angry. The ridicule began immediately Buhari assumed office. And despite a recent truce, the ridicule persists. If Tinubu’s strategy had been allowed, there would have been more than sanity in the National Assembly. The Jagaban is not a saint, no doubt. But his long term planning remains trillions of years ahead that of the coterie of wannabes around Buhari.
Lagos APC remains factionalised. Yes, Tinubu’s side has been recognised by Abuja. But it should not have happened IF Buhari was sincere with his olive branch to Tinubu. To make matters worse, those being used in Lagos to keep Tinubu in line remain Abuja’s first choice in almost everything. Yet, they have very little or no value to add in solving Buhari’s many challenges.
It is the same story across the South-West, where Buhari’s loyalists are ‘proving’ to Abuja that they can replace The Jagaban without much effort. Meanwhile, if e no be panadol, na fake product. E go just look like panadol. Some of Buhari’s loyalists assisted PDP in winning the recent senatorial election in Osun State for PDP. With Ondo and Ekiti states in the kitty, it is believed, in their camp, they can deliver adequate South-West votes for the retired general in 2019.
Unfortunately, they have conveniently forgotten that, igi sunmo igi ni Obo se nyo. During next year’s election, the number of key figures deployed in Ondo and Ekiti states will be considerably reduced, as each Gomina will have to di ori won mu in their respective states. The kind of assistance the Saraki camp offered to Adeleke in Osun will also not be there.
Buhari must realise Tinubu is not a fool. Ijebu a fo, o d’obo gbokan ju ese lu, epon re a run re. Bi o ri owo mi, o ri inu mi was a slogan in the Western Region when our people were being forced to follow a particular political line. Buhari must come clean with his peace efforts towards Tinubu. Yes, Jagaban has been issuing some press releases. Son of man is not impressed. Buhari would have done same to show he is on board.
Apart from Tinubu, Buhari needs to make up with Gen. T. Y. Danjuma. The man is not a politician. But he remains the most respected across board in Northern Nigeria today. Danjuma is not clannish. He is not self-centered. He is by far more pro-North than Buhari himself, beginning with the killing of Ironsi and Fajuyi some 52 years ago as revenge for Northern military and political leaders killed by others earlier.
A sure step to getting Danjuma on board is a rejig of the leadership of the armed forces and other security agencies. They have failed. Only sycophants praise them today. The fear of some of us is that the ethnic and religious divisions being encouraged within the polity should not permeate the security services. Should that happen, disaster awaits the APC in next year’s elections. O ti sure ju! And that will be very sad for some of us.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has no political value back home. But in a way son of man cannot easily explain here, he has more than enough influence on our major political actors including those vowing to die for Buhari if need be. Mr. President should re-engage the Ipata Agbalagba, because unlike when he tore his PDP membership card, there has been no definite sign he’ll not embrace Buhari again.
It is time for praise worship, and I need to join moi pipu to thank God for His mercies. So, I’ll have to stop here hoping that stones from the usual sycophants will not hit this man of God.
