News

Bola Ahmed Tinubu And Those Who Want Him Dead – Femi Fani-Kayode

Published

8 years ago

September 26, 2016 4:11 pm

BodexNG Editor

Fani Kayode

Read his article below:

I do not like to delve into matters touching and concerning the APC because I am not a member. However what is happening in the ruling party today transcends partisan politics and should be a concern to us all. At the very least we can learn some very hard lessons from it.

The truth is that the behaviour of Chief John Odige-Oyegun towards the man that single-handedly made him the National Chairman of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is reprehensible.

And neither does this matter begin or end with the way and manner in which the Ondo state governorship primaries were conducted or its final outcome.

It goes much deeper than that and the Ondo affair is only symptomatic of a much deeper malaise and wider conspiracy to humiliate the National Leader of the APC by forces within his party that are even greater than him.

Those forces represent the hidden hand. They are a small cabal of power-brokers who constitute the leadership of the Buhari-led CPC. These people believe that they were born to rule and that they own Nigeria.

They simply used Tinubu’s old ACN as a compliant and ready piggy-back to catapult their way back to power and once they achieved that they never looked back.

Some of us warned Tinubu at the time about the dangers of riding the tiger and allowing himself to be used by these very dark and sinister forces but he would not listen.

No true student of history could have made such a cataclysmic and monumental error given the terrible experiences of others from the south-west, and indeed the entire south, who collaborated with such ultra-conservative, sectarian and arcane forces with a clear and distinct ethnic and religious agenda in the past.

Such forces can never be comfortable with a well-connected, highly sophisticated, independent-minded, strong, unpredictable, uncontrollable and experienced Yoruba leader and southern gladiator with a June 12th pedigree, a NADECO background, a massive war-chest and a widespread and formidable political base.

They may use him to achieve their objective but they can never trust him or allow him to have control of the party machinery or to wield any real power when it comes to running the affairs of the nation.

Most importantly once they have finished using him it becomes their duty and cardinal objective not just to cut him down to size but also to castrate and render him impotent and eventually destroy him.

That is their way. It is also a classic and vintage Nicollo Machiavelli move. This great writer that has had more influence on political thinking and strategies than perhaps any other author in human history taught us a critical and crucial lesson in his famous 14th century literary masterpiece and treatise on the power game titled “The Prince”. He tells us that the first thing that a Prince must do once he has achieved power is to destroy those that put him there.

And that is precisely what those that seek to do Tinubu in are doing. Worst still they are using his own erstwhile discipiles as a first line of attack against him.

It is not just Odige-Oyegun that has turned his back on him but also his former political protegees and former ACN associates like Tunde Fashola, Ibikunle Amosu, Kayode Fayemi, Biodun Ajimobi, Olorunimbe Mamora, Niyi Adebayo, Rotimi Akeredolu and numerous others.

Pulling the strings from behind the scenes and encouraging and funding the rebellion are hardline Buhari-supporters like my good friend Governor Nasir El Rufai and a number of others.

Their objective is to establish a new political order in the south west which is beholden to them alone, to replace Tinubu as the National Leader of the party and to utterly demystify and crush him in order to prepare the ground for the emergence of a new and more compliant Yoruba running mate for either Buhari himself or El Rufai in 2019.

As a graphic illustration of this interesting and unfolding agenda, the powers that be in the APC, led by Buhari himself, fired six shots at Tinubu inmediately after they formed government.

The first was the Senate Presidency affair and the Bukola Saraki matter which saw the defeat and humiliation of Tinubu’s prefered candidate for Senate President.

The second shot was the Speaker of the House of Representatives affair and the Yakubu Dogara matter which, again, saw the defeat and humiliation of Tinibu’s prefered candidate for the position of Speaker of the House.

The third was the vital issue of Ministerial appointments in which not one single Ministerial nominee of Tinubu’s was accepted and appointed as a Minister by Buhari.

Every single person that he nominated from the south west and elsewhere as Minister was rejected and instead the slots were filled by his political adversaries and/or their nominees.

Many erroneously believe that Mr. Lai Mohammed, who is from Kwara state, was Tinubu’s choice and nominee for Minister of Information but this was not the case.

The person that he nominated for Minister of Information was not Lai Mohammed but Mr. Dele Alake, his former Commissioner of Information in Lagos state.

Again he nominated Mr. Wale Edun, his former Commissioner of Finance in Lagos state, for the position of Minister of Finance but this was rejected and Governor Ibikunle Amosu’s candidate, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, got the job instead.

This went on across the board for every single person that Tinubu nominated and presented for the position of Minister last year and it was a terrible humiliation for him. It was a dirty slap in his face.

The fourth shot was the James Faleke matter in Kogi state where it was agreed by the real landlords of the APC in the core north that Tinubu must not be allowed to gain a foothold in the north central zone by getting his own Yoruba kinsman and candidate to be elected as governor of that state.

Hence Faleke was ruthlessly dropped and shabbily treated and another person was selected to be the gubernatorial candidate of that state. It worked, Faleke went to court and sadly he lost. That was the end of the story.

The fifth shot is the thorough and systematic, though subtle and covert, humiliation and relegation of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, a close associate and political protegee of Tinubu and a spiritual son of the reverred Pastor Enoch Adeboye of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), to not just a spare tyre as Vice President but also to a very flat one.

Rather than being allowed to participate in the crucial decision-making processes on vital and critical issues of state and governance as any Vice President should, Osinbajo has been kept in the dark about virtually everything and he has little or no power to effect anything.

When such decions are to be debated, discussed and made the Vice President is never invited into the room and neither is he even aware that there is such a meeting going on.

Worse still he is constantly being directed to represent the President at official functions all over the country as if he were more his Personal Assistant, Special Advisor or Minister rather than the Vice President of the country. Osinbajo’s crime is simply that he is loyal to Tinubu and he has refused to dump or betray him.

The sixth and perhaps most devastating shot is the fact that the party machinery has not only been taken away from Tinubu with the effective highjacking of Odige-Oyegun but that it has also opted to do the bidding of his mortal enemies and to fight him.

An eloquent testimony to this disturbing fact is the outcome of the Ondo state gubernatorial primaries where Tinubu’s candidate was edged out and cheated of the nomination by the party leadership.

This was the last straw that broke the camels back and predictably Tinubu has reacted in a very loud, aggressive and profound manner by publicly calling for the removal of the National Chairman of the party.

Yet calling for the removal of Odigie-Oyegun is not enough. The whole situation calls for critical thiking, sober reflection and deep retrospection.

The point that needs to be clearly understood when considering these six shots and the unfolding anti-Tinubu agenda within the APC is the fact that, contrary to all pretensions, President Muhammadu Buhari is part and parcel of it and he is in fact the moving spirit behind the whole conspiracy.

Nasir El Rufai and a number of others are simply the strategists and enforcers. Buhari, Mamman Daura and Abba Kyari are the masterminds.

Given all this one thing is clear: these people want Tinubu dead. If he does not realign quickly and fight hard to save his dwindling political fortunes and empire his APC friends and allies will destroy him in a slow, clinical, sadistic and systematic manner. And they will do it with a big, beautiful and friendly smile on their faces.

The fact of the matter is that, right from the outset, Tinubu failed to accept the fact that he was in bed with demons.

He refused to appreciate the fact that he was sleeping with beasts that are hell bent on eating his flesh, driniking his blood and ruthlessly implementing an ancient ethnic and religious agenda.

He gave them his all, caused them to win an election and trusted them to honor their word and treat him with respect and decorum.

He failed to appreciate the fact that you cannot make a deal with snakes and expect them to honor their word.

He forgot that you cannot wine and dine with cancerous lepers and hungry tigers without ending up being served as the final dish in a long, blood-curdling and Byzantian satanic feast.

Yet if the truth is to be told, no matter what mistakes he may have made, Tinubu does not deserve to be treated in this way.

Up until the Presidential elections were conducted last year he led and held together the south-western wing of the APC with an iron fist and he was the undisputed leader of the APC in that zone.

All four APC governors from the south west and virtually every single party leader waited on his every word and he called all the shots.

Sadly today, just over one year later, he is a caricature of his former self. Today Tinubu can only boast of having the ear and the full support of only two of those govermors, namely Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state, who will NEVER betray him no matter what, and Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos state who will also stand firmly behind him until the very end.

The truth is that Tinubu has lost much ground and political mileage in recent times and, as more daggers are pulled out over the next few months and years it is bound to get worse for him.

Yet that does not mean that he is finished. I say this because he is a tried and tested fighter and a formidable adversary who is quite capable of pulling the whole APC house down.

It would be a fatal error for any of his adversaries, including President Buhari, Vice President Atiku Abubakar or Senate President Bukola Saraki, to underestimate him or dismiss his ability to fight back.

In July 2016, just after my release from detention and during the course of an interview with Channels Television (which can still be viewed on Youtube) Mr. Seun Okinbaloye asked me whether I could ever contemplate going back to the APC and how I thought the ruling party would fare into the future.

I told him that I would NEVER go back to the APC under ANY circumstances. I also told him that in any case by 2019 there would not be an APC, as it is presently constituted, left because the party would have spilt up into three separate and distinct political entities.

I told him that the Tinubu group comprising of men like Baba Bisi Akande, Rauf Aregbesola, Akinwummi Ambode and others would establish one party, the Atiku Abubakar group comprising of men like Bukola Saraki, Rabiu Kwakwanso and many of the former PDP leaders and governors that had left for the APC when President Goodluck Jonathan was in power would establish another and that the Buhari group comprising of men like Nasir El Rufai, Bello Masari, Aminu Tambuwal, Rotimi Amaechi, Rochas Okorocha, Chris Ngige, Ogbonaya Onu, Adams Oshiomole and virtually the entire structure of the old CPC leadership in the core north would constitute yet another. I stand by this prediction.

These three strong and equally forceful factions can be likened to the proverbial three blind yet ravenous wolves.

They cannot stay in the same cage or remain on the same platform for long without tearing each other to pieces.

Eventually they will all go their separate ways and, hopefully, contend with a newly-branded and reinvigotated PDP in the field of battle in 2019.

What we are witnessing today in the ranks of the APC is the beginning of that bitter separation and messy divorce and it is going to get far worse.

It will be loud, bitter, acrimonious and rancorous and many political empires, careers and aspirations will be destroyed as a consequence of it.

My hope and prayer is that the PDP, which is also going through its own rigorous process of redefinition and reinvigoration, can get its act together before then, take advantage of the situation, pick up the pieces and win the presidential election in 2019. I am sure that we will.

Meanwhile my advise to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is to watch his back, consolidate his base, fight his enemies, reach out to new friends, accept the fact that he is at war and sleep with one eye wide open. The truth is that it will get far worse before it gets any better.

News

IGP directs police officers to wear black bands in honour of Taoreed Lagbaja

Published

17 hours ago

November 7, 2024 2:42 pm

BodexNG

Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police, has directed officers to wear black bands in honour of Taoreed Lagbaja, the late chief of army staff (COAS).

In a statement signed by Muyiwa Adejobi, the force spokesperson, Egbetokun ordered personnel to wear the bands during the seven-day mourning period.

“This directive is to pay tribute and honour the late General who has shown gallantry, dedication, and passion for fighting violent crimes and insurgency in Nigeria,” the statement reads.

“He was a great leader who deserves to be honoured by all means.”

On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu ordered that national flags be flown at half-mast in honour of Lagbaja.

Lagbaja died on Tuesday after battling an undisclosed ailment. He was 56-years-old.

He was appointed COAS by Tinubu on June 19, 2023.

Lagbaja enrolled into the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987.

In September 1992, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Nigerian Infantry Corps as a member of the 39th regular course.

He served as a platoon commander in the 93 Battalion and the 72 Special Forces Battalion.

Lagbaja also participated in various internal security operations, including operation ZAKI in Benue, Lafiya Dole in Borno, Udoka in south-east, and forest sanity in Kaduna and Niger.

The president has appointed Olufemi Oluyede as acting COAS.

News

LASEPA seals off churches, hotels over noise pollution

Published

20 hours ago

November 7, 2024 10:55 am

BodexNG

The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has sealed off some establishments over alleged noise pollution.

The facilities sealed include churches, lounges, nightclubs, bars, and hotels in the Lagos metropolis.

In a statement on Wednesday, Babatunde Ajayi, the general manager of LASEPA, said the move was in line with the agency’s efforts to uphold environmental standards and safeguard public health.

“In a bid to address noise pollution and other environmental violations, LASEPA took action, closing down several establishments across different parts of the state,” Ajayi said.

He noted that the establishments were found guilty of breaching environmental regulations despite multiple warnings from LASEPA.

He reiterated the agency’s zero-tolerance policy on regulatory non-compliance, saying “we will not permit disregard for our regulations”.

Ajayi said the enforcement drive focused on areas like Ogudu, Gbagada, Iyana Ejigbo, Isolo, Ajao Estate, Oshodi, Ilasamaja, and Okota.

He added that the sealed outfits include Honourable Lounge & Lodging, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Celestial Church of God, OMA Night Club and Lounge, and Bridge Spot Bar.

Others are Okiki Event Centre and Hall, Emota Paradise Hotel (Phase 2), CF Hotel & Suites, House 27 Hotel & Suites, Echo Spring Hotel, and Smile T Continental Hotel.

The LASEPA boss urged all businesses to recognise their environmental obligations and work alongside the state government to foster a cleaner and more sustainable Lagos.

News

Tinubu approves establishment of Teaching Hospital in Ondo

Published

21 hours ago

November 7, 2024 10:03 am

BodexNG

The Federal Government has approved the establishment of a teaching hospital in Akure, Ondo State, to support the training of medical students at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA).

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammad Pate, to initiate the necessary arrangements for the establishment of the teaching hospital. Prof. Pate has since dispatched a team to Ondo State to assess the location.

Leading the team, Dr. Jimoh Olawole Salaudeen, Director of Hospital Services at the Federal Ministry of Health, inspected FUTA’s permanent site, designated for the hospital. Salaudeen also visited the Akure Annex of the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH), which will serve as a temporary site for the teaching hospital.

Speaking with reporters after the inspection, Dr. Salaudeen expressed optimism about the hospital’s potential to become operational soon, citing available facilities. “President Tinubu directed that Akure should have a federal teaching hospital,” Salaudeen stated. “We are here to coordinate with the state government and review the site options for establishing the teaching hospital.”

Salaudeen highlighted the urgency of the project, noting that FUTA has begun training medical students, who are now in their third year. “The state government has provided a temporary site, and we are pleased with the infrastructure at the permanent site, including an auditorium, health center, and classrooms,” he said.

He added, “Our goal is to identify equipment needs at the temporary site to create a model federal tertiary hospital that supports student training. The enthusiastic support from the community is encouraging and will facilitate a peaceful learning environment.”

Ondo State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, affirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting the project, ensuring it aligns with the president’s vision. “We have drafted an MOU and laid groundwork for the medical students to complete their training on schedule,” Ajaka said.

FUTA’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, expressed relief, saying, “We’ve been concerned about where our medical students would complete their clinical studies. I’m thrilled that the federal government has stepped in to provide a solution.”

Prof. Oladiji also highlighted FUTA’s biomedical engineering department, which aims to contribute to the school of health sciences by producing essential medical equipment. “This initiative aligns perfectly with our commitment to training future health professionals and engineers who can innovate and support the healthcare sector,” she added.

Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others