THE ENIGMA CALLED TINUBU

By : Sammy Adeniyi

People have said virtually everything that needed to be said about Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

 Hardly does a day go bye without somebody having something to say about him. 

He is arguably the most discussed politician in Nigeria.

Every March 29, Asiwaju marks his birthday and more revelations about him surfaces from testimonies of those who have been opportuned to have an encounter with him one way or the other.

Even his political enemies couldn't help but join the fray and castigate him for all their political and personal problems. They go as much as blame him for everything both important and ridiculous.

I once asked a friend who is a member of PDP in Lagos state and is always in the habit of attending meetings in one of their Chieftain's house what is it they discuss every time even when we are not in election season and their party is not in government? 

His reply was 

"what do you mean? 

 Is Bola Tinubu not alive? 

If there is nothing else to discuss, he alone is enough topic to last us a whole year of daily meetings"

Many have wondered why Tinubu is so influential, this is a man who holds no political office, left government decades a go and yet still  so powerful.

 What makes him thick?

This has been the recurrent political 'JAMB' question many political scientists have tried in vain to answer by formulating different theories to no avail because Tinubu is an enigma that defies simple evaluation.

Some say it is money but he is not the richest politician around.

Some say it is because he was a former Governor of Lagos but then we have former Presidents who can not deliver votes for their party in their polling units of which the most active of them has been reduced to writing toxic letters which nobody takes seriously anymore.

So what is it that makes him thick?

I wish to share publicly for the first time my initial encounter with Asiwaju.

It was in 2011 when there was a political insurgency in one of the remote rural part of Lagos.

 I was introduced to Asiwaju and I proffesed a solution to the crisis. 

Asiwaju listened to me for less than five minutes and immediately accepted my idea. 

 He told me to give him a report in writing every week until after the elections. He instructed his Aids to give me all the logistics needed.

He did all these with a young man he had never met before, who had no political pedigree or name recognition, who came to talk about a situation that will at most affect about two thousand votes with over one million votes at play!  

Asiwaju paused to attend to me while keeping some Governors and Party Chieftains from all over the country waiting.

He paused discussion about Kano, Anambra, Bayelsa and Osun to talk about an LCDA in rural Lagos!

That is Asiwaju for you, no political matter is too big or too small for him to attend to.

That is why he will always be ahead of his peers. 

That is why he is Tinubu.

Another thing I discovered about him was that he is a workaholic and pay ridiculous attention to details.

In one of my weekly reports to him then, I stated some facts and I wrote it in long hands. Mind you, I pride myself as having one of the best handwriting in Nigeria just like medical doctors, highly readable!

I was giving Asiwaju a verbal report some days after I submitted the report to his office when he drew my attention to the inconsistencies in my verbal report and the report I submitted to him. 

I was shocked beyond believe, 

'so this very busy big man have time to read my reports with that dreadful handwriting?

I quickly explained that new developments on the field neccesitated the change in my narratives.

 He was satisfied and told me to update the report.

That is why Asiwaju is Jagaban!

While others will fly

two hundred wise men to Dubai to plot election victory, Asiwaju meets with the everyday Nigerians to deliver for him.

While others employ Cambridge Analytical to flood the airwaves with propaganda, Asiwaju engages ' Baales and Mogajis ' to deliver his messages to the electorates.

Asiwaju is a man of the people and whenever the contest have to do with the people, Tinubu will always triumph.

He doesn't forget a face, he doesn't fail to reward a good deed.

He does not give in to anger easily and when offended quickly forgives.

He is a good husband to Oluremi a three term distinguish Senator of the Federal republic and a good Father to his children.

Tinubu is a fearless warrior on the political battle field, a good leader of men and a very amiable grandfather at home.

Akanbi is generous to a fault but he is also a very shrewed business man.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu is many things to many people but one thing that is not in question is his patriotism and uncommon political sargacity.

Let me join millions of his admirers all over the world to wish this Great Son of Africa a Happy, Prosperous and Fulfilling Birthday.

Long may you live sir!

Happy birthday Akanbi Omo Olodo Ide.

Adeniyi Shamsideen

Fmr. SLG Eredo LCDA

Epe, Lagos State.