Skip to main content

Battle For The Soul And Spirit Of Western Nigeria

September 25, 2011

The PDP has gone from the embattled to the terminal. It will never be able to steal the west back.

The battle for the soul and spirit of Western Nigeria and the old Mid West is in full bloom. Bola Tinubu, the acclaimed leader of Western Nigeria is going toe to toe with the PDP and of course by extension, Olusegun Obasanjo.

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });

Bola Tinubu, in the calculation of the PDP must be caged and decommissioned by all means. To them, that is the only way they can steal back the soul of Western Nigeria which they illegally held captive for 8 years with their supposed victory at the polls. . That is the simple reason for his arraignment on charges of having a foreign account while in government. The charges are  so trivial that they make the government of President Jonathan look like a government of simpletons.
 
One wonders if they feel we are all such simple people like they are. Are we supposed to believe that Rip van Winkle suddenly woke up from sleep to discover that Bola Tinubu held foreign accounts while in government?  The truth of this matter is that gubernatorial election is imminent in Ondo state, the last of the Western states to fall into the progressive camp. General Obasanjo, the scourge of all good and decent things in Nigeria has yet to reconcile himself to the fact that Bola Tinubu outwitted him and took Western Nigeria back into the fold of the progressives. He wants to retain Ondo state for financial abuse by all means. He has to get Bola Tinubu out of the way.
 
It is not about Governor Tinubu now. It is not even about the Action Congress. It is about the fact that the Yorubas who constitute the majority in the West of Nigeria are known to be the most politically savvy in Nigeria. They have a history of progressive activism. They have historical antecedents to claim the title of the most enlightened in Nigeria.  A Yoruba woman was the first to drive a car in Nigeria. They have records of captains of industry and academia.  A Yoruba man was the first black man to win the Nobel Prize in literature.
 
It is therefore not out of character to have them in the progressive camp. They have chosen to take their destiny in their hands. They have chosen to do things which the federal government cannot do and will not do in spite of large oil revenue accrued monthly from crude oil. Look at Governor Fashola. Never in the history of post Abacha governance have we seen a more dynamic and level headed public servant. Can we compare this man to that person who just left Oyo state for example, or should we risk comparing him to “Dani Elebo”, (apologies to Professor Soyinka) the former governor of Ogun state?
 
The Yorubas will no longer wait for the crumbs from the table of an evil puppet master. They will no longer wait for Obasanjo and his gang to determine their future. They are tired of the evil excesses of this man and his stadium size ego. General Obasanjo has a problem of tunnel vision. He is unable to see what is outside of his purview. He has refused to appreciate that the regions have chosen to go it alone and that Nigeria is heading towards regionalism. Boko haram is trying to redefine governance in the North, the Progressives have taken Yoruba land back fro the grim reapers in the PDP and sooner than later, the whole of Nigeria will revolt against the PDP. The battle is on now and we are willing to make more sacrifices to retake Nigeria from the curse of the PDP. Obasanjo’s mantra of fighting the civil war is egoistic to say the least. He was not the only one who fought the war. He was just favored by providence to sign the surrender of Biafra. In the event of another war in Nigeria, Biafrans will not capitulate. Period.
 
Bola Tinubu represents to the Yoruba race a figure of authority like the iconic Awolowo. He represents a leader who can tap into the collective energy and integrity of the Yoruba race. He has the uncanny ability to inspire the Yorubas with confidence and optimism; that hard work earns good rewards. This was the same attribute that made Western Nigeria to meet its toughest challenges. This was what defined Western Nigeria as the most successful, most progressive and most dynamic region under Awolowo. Were it not for the reckless and unwelcome adventure of military rule in Nigeria, I am confident that Western Nigeria will be at par with Singapore today. Will be competing with Switzerland in terms of sustainable development.
 
I am not speaking for Bola Tinubu as an individual, but for the soul and sprit of the old Western Nigeria. He is the symbol of the iconic Awolowo. He is a leader who can renew our faith in ourselves, show us that with a little ingenuity and innovation there will be no limits to what is possible in Western Nigeria and by extension, Nigeria. . He might not meet the standards of the old man, but he was there when we needed him. He stared down Abacha through NADECO. He stood with us when we were under the jack boots of the brutal dictator, Sanni Abacha. He stared down the renegade, Olusegun Obasanjo. He restored the dignity and integrity of the Old geographic Western Nigeria. He has given us a Fashola and an Oshiomole. There will be no stopping this progressive hurricane.
 
It is unfortunate that the PDP and especially President Jonathan have no sense of history. They cannot win this war of attrition in Western Nigeria. They fail to understand Western Nigeria and its dynamism. President Jonathan is unable to recognize a loss when he sees one. The PDP has simply lost Western and Mid Western Nigeria. They will never win it back, no matter how much they try.  These forces of status quo will not be able to conquer the West and Mid west again, ever. Before they attempt to steal back the soul and spirit of Western Nigeria by foul means, I will strongly recommend to the president to read up on the history of the Yoruba wars and that of the AGBEKOYAS in post Independence Nigeria.
 
The North is taking its destiny in its hands through Boko haram; the West has returned to the Awolowo party, Eastern Nigeria is in the firm grip of APGA. The PDP has gone from the embattled to the terminal. IT WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO STEAL THE WEST BACK. It does not matter whether they prosecute Bola Tinubu or not.  We all know the clowns in the PDP and the completely compromised judiciary is on a hunting expedition.  What we know is that the PDP government of Jonathan did not wake up from slumber to remember that this man operated a foreign account while he was in office as a governor. Dare we risk asking others including the incumbent president how many foreign accounts he operated while in office as governor and currently as a president?
 
Dr Jonathan is dancing to the tunes played by Obasanjo. Hopefully, he will dance for long. An administration that cannot make any arrest for the series of suicide bombings in Nigeria, that cannot generate power for more than 2 hours daily, that cannot meet its MDG, is so sick and depraved to try a man who has been out of office for 8 years for a flimsy excuse as that of operating a foreign account. This president needs to get real.
 
As for the judiciary, I hope no one is still under the illusion that is it is the last refuge of the common man. Our judiciary is for sale. The judges and magistrates are prostitutes. The only difference between them and those who hawk their trade on the street corners is the silk and the robe. They sold Buhari’s victory in 2007 for USD 57 million. Thank God for Wikileaks, we would not have known how depraved these people are. They looked the other way and acquitted Ibori even while there was preponderance of evidence that he was a petty thief. Now, the same Ibori is languishing in a British jail while mum is the word in the judiciary in Nigeria. It would have been more honorable for them to revisit the Ibori shenanigan after the British gave them a black eye for corrupt practices. But they have time for Bola Tinubu’s foreign account.
 
This is an eye ball to eye ball conflict for the soul of Western Nigeria.  The PDP will blink first. Bola Tinubu’s persecution or not.

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });