Tinubu’s Sense Of Entitlement And Rejection Of Osinbajo As His Political Son May Be Sour Grapes, Nothing More
The Oasis Reporters
April 13, 2022
It has been widely reported that former governor of Lagos State and presidential aspirant, Bola Tinubu, on Monday, said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is not his “son.”
Mr Tinubu spoke shortly after a meeting with twelve All Progressives Congress (APC) governors at the Kebbi State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja. He went to meet the APC Governors’ himself to make his case.
As opposed to when the APC Governors sought his favor. They went to Tinubu, to prostrate and beg. We’ll get there soon in this report.
The meeting was held hours after Mr Osinbajo declared his intention to also run for president.
In this dispensation of presidential tickets consultations, Asiwaju has gone before the APC Governors led by the same Atiku Bagudu who previously had prostrated before Asiwaju. The Jagaban is seeking their help and support, the way Osinbajo did a day earlier, and even Sanwo-olu was in the team that met with Yemi Osinbajo at Akinola Aguda House.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had hosted members of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), at his official residence, Akinola Aguda House, in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Sources close to the Vice President said he used the occasion to consult with the governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on his presidential ambition.
About six governors, including that of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufa’i and his Ogun State counterpart, Dapo Abiodun, were already within the premises as at 7pm, the source said.
Other APC governors seen being driven in before the 7pm scheduled time for the gathering included Hope Uzodinma of Imo; Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos and Gboyega Oyetola of Osun, who a source said, was being represented by his deputy, as he is away in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for the lesser Hajj (Umrah), fueling thoughts that the Osun State governor’s car might have conveyed the deputy governor, Benedict Alabi.
The meeting, which seemed exclusive to only the invited governors and some of their aides, did not admit journalists in the premises of the Vice President’s residence.
Well, the Governors are in control of the delegates that will vote in the primary.
The beef by Tinubu against Osinbajo is embedded within the widely held belief that the former governor and national leader of the APC played a major role in Mr Osinbajo’s emergence as President Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate in 2015.
The vice president had served as attorney general and commissioner for justice while Mr Tinubu was governor of Lagos State.
Reacting to Mr Osinbajo’s declaration to run for president, Mr Tinubu said: “I don’t have any son grown up enough to make such a declaration.
“The fact that we have people in our party that express desire to lead the party into the highest office in the electoral contest shows how much this our party has resonated with Nigerians and our party members.”
On the purpose of meeting with the APC governors, the former Lagos Governor said it was merely to seek collaboration, support and encouragement concerning his presidential bid.
“My mission here is to seek collaboration, support, and encouragement of my party, the APC, for my ambition to become the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a replacement for President Muhammadu Buhari after his tenure,” he said.
Some of the governors at the meeting with the Jagaban included Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Gboyega Oyetola of Osun ( ably represented), Mala Buni of Yobe, Simon Lalong of Plateau, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr Bagudu, who is the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), said Mr Tinubu informed them of his plan to run for president.
“He briefed us on his reasons, thinking, and message. The governors graciously listened to him to digest everything he said. He acknowledged the role of the governors in the last convention of the party by helping in the evolution of the leadership that is acceptable and widely acknowledged by all party members.”
That the governors granted him audience with patience is one other reason that possibly fuels the entitlement syndrome he portrays. He seems to have forgotten so soon that only four years ago, some of these same governors who are matured adults had gone to beg him urging him to allow then Lagos State governor and Babatunde Fashola’s successor, Akinwumi Ambode to run for a second term in 2019.
The godfather imperiously said no.
Ambode’s governor colleagues were even said to have prostrated before Asiwaju. The APC Governors forum met Tinubu in Abuja under the leadership of their Chairman, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi state who prostrated before Asiwaju the godfather.
Still, their request was not granted. Ambode was finally replaced by Babajide Sanwooluat the behest and insistence of Tinubu. Nigerians were aghast at the raw flexing of godfatherism.
The APC Governors’ forum were disappointed and embarrassed.
But here he is now, trying to present his case before the all powerful governors whose request he had previously scorned.
It should also be recalled that the former PDP presidency of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that Tinubu helped in no small measure to dethrone had pencilled Mulikat Akande as speaker of the House of Representatives from the south west, and as part of the affirmative action to bring the feminine gender into mainstream national politics.
Tinubu scuttled that plan that was to benefit the South West region, and he offered the position to Aminu Tambuwal from the North West.
Tambuwal then used the South West slot and emerged speaker. From that vantage position, he climbed on to become Sokoto State Governor. Yet he used his vantage position and clout to frustrate Tinubu’s choice for the speakership position after he had left the office.
Tinubu fumed and expressed anger. It did not stop the sun from shining.
Let the contest be an open field. It must not be closed only to entitled power seekers.
