Nigeria goes to polls on February 25, 2023, to elect a new president that will steer the affairs of the most populous African country.
Out of 18 presidential candidates that have been cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), one of them stands out.
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That person is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT). My choice of the ex-federal lawmaker and former governor of Lagos State is premised on his qualities.
Here are the 10 reasons we need to overwhelmingly cast our votes for Tinubu
Fight For Democracy:
During the military junta of Late Gen. Sani Abacha, Asiwaju Tinubu was among the front-runners of democratic ideals.
He fought effortlessly with the hope of restoring the hope of the annulled 1993 elections. At a point, he was in exile to put pressure on the military regime of Abacha.
Sacrifice:
Leadership is about serving the people and making sacrifices. It’s on record that BAT made sacrifices for Nigeria’s democracy in 1993 that his life was threatened by the military regime at the time.
Before the 2015 general elections, his ability to make sacrifices was put to test again as he stepped down as a presidential running mate, paving the way for Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
The Brain Behind Power Project:
In April 2004 as the governor of Lagos, Asiwaju Tinubu made a move to lighten up Nigeria’s commercial capital.
He worked out modalities to boost the power supply in Lagos through the Independent Power Project (IPP).
The plan was truncated by the FG-led government and the government at the centre saw the beauty in the project which they later adapted into their policy. Though, power generation was under the exclusive list at the time.
Tinubu can be described as one of the brains that broke the monopoly of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA). I hope he brings in his wealth of economic experience to resolve the lingering crisis in the foreign exchange market for sanity to reign.
NEPA later metamorphosed into the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) which was unbundled during the PDP reigns.
Visionary
A visionary leader is a strategic planner, courageous, focused, a risk-taker, and collaborative. BAT possesses all these qualities.
Religion tolerance
Religion tolerance goes beyond what one says, Asiwaju is a perfect example of religious tolerance.
What is even more than that when you are a Muslim and have a wife who is a Deaconess in a church?
Nigeria is a multi-religious nation, we need a leader who understands and respects the beliefs of others. BAT is that leader!
Perfect Understanding of Nigeria’s Constitution
During his days as the governor of Lagos, he was the only governor in Nigeria to correctly interpret what the 1999 Nigeria Constitutions says about local government creation.
Though his action led to the withholding of allocations accruing to Lagos, he was courageous to pointedly tell the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo that Nigeria’s constitution allows the state government to bring governance to the local people through the creation of local council areas.
Foresightedness
Planning for the future is what leaders of countries like Singapore, the United Kingdom, China, and the United States have capitalized on to lead their countries to where they are today in the comity of nations.
This attribute culminated in the formation of Eko Atlantic by Tinubu during his reign as the governor of Lagos.
Even when a lot of people said it was impossible, Asiwaju saw the possibilities and turn an ocean into a place that will be hosting the biggest US Embassy in the world.
The construction of the US Embassy in Eko Atlantic will cost over 247 billion naira ($537 million USD). That’s what foresightedness is all about.
Operating Like Obstacle Doesn’t Exist
Nigeria is faced with multi-faceted problems. We need a leader who is ready to face the task ahead, and ready to solve problems than a complaint. Tinubu is the only person among other constants that has this quality
We saw how he surmounted the challenges of clinching the presidential ticket of his party despite the visible obstacles.
National Cohesion
From the South-West to the South-East; from the South-South to the North-East; from the North-Central to the North-West, Bola Tinubu has built bridges across all the geo-political zones of Nigeria.
He had been doing this even before conceiving the idea of becoming Nigeria’s president.
We need a leader/servant who sees Nigeria as his constituency and who sees himself as the servant of the people.
Team builder
A team builder ensures that his plans are implemented by clearly communicating his goals to his team. Asiwaju did this through a cabinet and kitchen cabinet when he was the governor of Lagos.
Tinubu’s team during his reigns as the governor of Lagos include:
- Rauf Aregbesola, former Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure in Lagos, two-term governor of Osun State, and the incumbent Minister of Interior;
- Babatunde Fashola, former Lagos governor and incumbent Minister of Works and Housing,
- Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, former Commissioner of Justice and Attorney-General in Lagos and incumbent Vice President of Nigeria among other notable people spread across Nigeria.
What else can I say about a man that has the love of his country at heart?
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu deserves my vote and your vote come February 25, 2023, presidential election in Nigeria.
Written by Adisa Muyiwa Muhammed Kulukulu, a former House of Representatives aspirant for Ayedire, Iwo and Ola-Oluwa Federal Constituency, Osun State.
