Aso Villa,
3 Arms Zone,
Abuja - FCT.
Dear Mr. President,
The above caption refers.
Permit me to start by expressing gratitude for your tireless efforts on assumption of office on May 29, 2015 by navigating the country through her most turbulent economic period. For a country who had earned over a $110/pb of oil with the highest oil windfall in her entire history, yet could not pay monthly salary of federal civil servants; it was indeed a milestone that you meander the whirlpool of economic comatose and structural destruction the country was headed, occasioned by the wanton profligacy of the former handlers of Nigeria - the PDP. Otherwise, Nigeria would by now have been sold off at Jijidotcom or OLX as a corollary of the esurient and rapacious ruination of the country's economy. One must also be grateful to your economic team particularly the Ministry of Finance under the egghead, brilliant, forward-thinking and futuristic HM Kemi Adeosun for her wizardry at getting Nigeria out of recession twice in quick successions. No thanks to 'powers that be' that engineered her unceremonious ouster. Today, we all feel the consequence - a story for another day.
Mr. President, one must be thankful to you too for your pragmatic efforts at putting Nigeria together as one indivisible country. The country is indeed indebted in gratitude to you for your strong determination at addressing frontally the ubiquitous insecurity that bedeviled our nation at that material time. For those with sense of history, we will recall how even in the Seat of Power - the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), people could hardly sleep with their two eyes closed. We lived in Abuja as prisoners with barricades everywhere including foreign embassies, military barracks, security headquarters - Police, Army and other paramilitary outfits. More than 25 local government councils were under the control of the vampiric buzzards. Thank you for a reinvigorated army. Indeed, history, like I have always said will be kind to you.
Mr. President, sir, if only I can opine here that nothing surpasses a good legacy than sustaining such milestones after the 'starter' (sic) must have left the stage. And the best legacy such a starter can leave behind is a successor who believes in his ideals, buys into his philosophy and supports his own idea of an ideal Nigeria - an egalitarian nation. Anything short of this, either by error of commission or omission is tantamount to self-destruct, self-inflicted annihilation and self-imposed wreckage. Recall that your victory at the famous Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on December 14, 2014 did not go down well with some persons till date but this set of persons still smile at you and pretend all's well. Do not forget, the choice of Lagos for the presidential primaries was a strategy by 'one man' who saw today from yesterday. 'One man' who knew the initial choice of Abuja as the venue for the convention was to throw you under the bus with a devastating loss. It's a story for another day, sir.
Mr. President, it is however instructive to state without equivocation that your total votes of 3,430 against your opponents - Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (974), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (954), Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha (624) and late Sir Sam Nda Isaiah (10) did not come by magic. 'One man', a former Board Room thinker and achiever prosecuted that entire project as hugely as it was with his financial war chest. We recall your statement way back then about not having the financial muscle to face the moneybags. This 'one man' took the bullet for you! We saw the smiles on your face when former Ekiti State honcho, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi made that special announcement of your victory at that pavilion. It was as if you'd won the presidential election itself. And indeed you'd go on to win the main poll. All thanks to God. Kudos to 'one man' who prosecuted your victory from start to finish.
Mr. President, like I did say earlier, your adversaries would never let you rule. We saw how you were struck down with some (strange) debilitating ailment in your first 2 years in office. At a point when you were rumoured to be vegetative and the possibility of not making it was rife, there were plots by some persons not excluding those you think are closer to you. There were moves to convene a doctrine of necessity as was done during the late Umoru Musa Yar'Adua (may Allåh be pleased with his soul) era. It was this same 'one man' who made moves to stop the shenanigans while you were on sick bed in far away United Kingdom. All of these become very expedient to bring back because I know Nigerians lack history and we are quick to forget. There's a proverb in my local dialect that says, 'torí ìrègún làá se s'oore' - we engage in favour for a payback day. This 'one man' is no other than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Mr. President, there is no doubt that you are a man with a good heart. But how about those who surround you? As a mark of respect and honour, you were the first person Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu met and told of his desire to succeed you. No sooner had he told you when the same set of killjoys began their artifice and legerdemain. We saw all the drama leading to the presidential primaries held on June 6, 2022. We saw how some so-called Aso Rock cabal, hiding behind your name plotted to disrupt the APC unspoken agreement/arrangement. These elements with no political value but with so much influence (as equally alluded to by the audacious and give-no-damn Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai) asked Governor Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa State to obtain presidential nomination form. When that failed, they came up with the name of Senate President, Ahmad Lawan as 'your preferred' candidate in their own words. Yet, they failed woefully.
Mr. President, do you think these elements will just let go? Do you think they will let the sleeping dog lie? Hell, nope! Why do you think fuel crisis that has been largely curtailed for 7 years suddenly crept in just few weeks before major election? Why do you think Emefiele hide the CBN Act that allows for at least 5-month implementation period for Naira redesigning policy to take effect and insisted on January 31 deadline? It is purely part of their game plan. They plan to pitch the Party - APC against the masses. But what these lots fail to understand is that there is no stopping a man whose time has come. No matter the shenanigans, Asiwaju's presidency is a celestial.- a divine mandate that no homo sapiens can pooh-pooh.
Mr. President, why do I write you this morning? Simple! We are not asking that you help Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu rig the election. As a matter of fact, Asiwaju does not need to rig the forthcoming election because the odds already favour him. His candidacy is like 'gaari' in the market. He does not need advertisment like the Indomie noodles, yet sells more than the latter. What we need you to do is rise up and stand against these saboteurs. It was why I brought your video of the December 14 APC Presidential Primaries in Lagos (https://youtu.be/nBW9CDcwrm4) to buttress. There's no need for fuel scarcity in the first place. The Naira redesign if cannot be suspended for now should be extended by another 6 months. Do not forget, the legacy you pride yourself about will be eroded in just 6 months if by any means Nigeria witnesses an Atiku Abubakar presidency which some members of your inner caucus are promoting surreptitiously. As you meet with the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) today, let Nigeria and Nigerians' interest top your desire
Your Excellency, if you desire to protect your integrity, rise against the cabal!
May Nigeria succeed
May Asiwaju triumph against all odds
E-sign
Omogbolahan L.A. BABAWALE
Convener, The Think-Tinubu Initiative (3TI)
Member, Policy, Research & Strategy C'ttee
APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC)
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