FRED NWABUFO AND THE LIMITS OF IDIOCY IN DEFENSE OF A POLITICAL ALBATROSS-TINUBU'S AGBADO SPEECH

 

FRED NWABUFO AND THE LIMITS OF IDIOCY IN DEFENSE OF A POLITICAL ALBATROSS- TINUBU'S AGBADO SPEECH

*By Emma Asie*

I find this piece by renowned writer Fred Nwabufo in defense of Tinubu s notorious "Agbado speech" not only comical and nonsensical but also idiotic 

Can anyone in his right senses actually defend Tinubu s senility induced statement about agbado and cassava?

Fredrick Nwabufo is trying to insult our collective intelligence by reinterpreting what we all heard Tinubu say very very clearly. 

Tinubu made that statement in his response to how to tackle the security situation in Nigeria which at that time was at its budding stage compared to what we have in our hands now. He said and I quote "... the solution is to recruit  50 million youths into the army, what will they eat? It is available, feed them Agabdo, cassava  in the morning, eba in the afternoon... Create demand here and consumption there ...."

I now wonder how the above incomprehensible statement which his handlers had apologized over and which is a clear evidence of Tinubu's fast deteriorating mental health, could be reinterpreted to mean that Nigerians need not import food (or whatever Fred Nwabufo in his pitiable attempt to excuse the inexcusable and defend the indefensible)!!

I once opined and I repeat , no sane human being can defend or speak for Tinubu without sounding like an idiot.

Where do you start from?

How will you defend his age and origins? How old is he? Where is he actually from? What are the evidence for these?

How will you defend his academic history? Where did he do his primary and secondary schools? Or did he skip them and entered straight to the University of  Chicago (or Chicago State University whichever one you fancy), according to Festus Keyamo, an Impossible feat that even the greatest minds in human history have not attained? His 1999 form with INEC  (with which he contested  and won the Lagos state governorship election)  indicated the primary and secondary schools he attended but when the curious public tried to probe this information, he strangely  refused to indicate the same schools in his 2022 INEC forms.  Why?

Or is it his source of wealth? His deputy governor in 1999 claimed that when he returned from USA after having worked with Mobil as an accountant, he was so broke that he had no house, no car and no money . She claimed he used her cars, she gave him money for upkeep and he lived in her house for a long time before he contested for the Senate in 1992 and won. Then in 1999, out of gratitude, he made her his deputy governor , though they fell out later.  But with no other visible means of income, Tinubu is today arguably the richest politician in Nigeria, "owning most of Lagos" according to local gossips which are nevertheless not baseless. 

Or will you defend his health? Granted that one s health status should not be used as a yardstick for measuring competence or intellectual capacity (Stephen Hawkings one of the greatest minds on earth was an invalid and USA s WW2 hero. President Franklin D Roosevelt was committed to a wheelchair all his adult life due to polio), yet in this fast paced society of today, a healthy leader is essential to a vibrant nation. Moreover, maintaining secrecy about a leader s state of  health is unpatriotic and undemocratic. Is TINUBU physically and mentally fit for the harrowing and physically/mentally challenging task of a president? His agbado speeches and his openly twitching and jerking hands as well as his posture and difficulty with walking most times, point to someone who is not mentally and physically topnotch. Should such a person especially one who is in his late 80s (according to  most Nigerians and facts available) or 70s (according to his supporters and handlers) be more concerned with attaining the presidency or maintaining his health? It's left for the reader to decide but one thing is sure, Sen Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate is not in the best of physical and mental health, not by a long shot 

Or will you defend his choice of a Muslim -Muslim ticket in a religiously volatile and polarized country like Nigeria? His decision might be based on extant political calculations knowing that the north is essential to his victory and the Muslim population in the north is definitely higher than that of the Christians. So in order not to offend the majority, he decided to offend the minority and offend christians all over the country as well as religiously sensitive Nigerians. However, one major fallout of this decision is that it woke the  hitherto  inactive  and subservient christian political elites in the north and most of them are now rallying together across party lines in defense of their faith. The recently voters registration exercise witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of Christian voters in the north. They now have an identity and are speaking with one voice against the Islamic imperialism as evidenced by Tinubu s choice of a Muslim -Muslim ticket. As a notable Christian cleric once put it "The choice (of a Muslim -Muslim ticket) should not be an issue at all. Nigerians have options (of presidential aspirants) and will speak with their votes when the time comes". Tinubu might not lose the majority northern Muslim voters in the north with his choice of a  northern Muslim as a running mate despite being a Muslim himself, but he will definitely lose the support of the fast growing Christian population in the north and across the country. 

Or will you  defend his past criminal records and his links with the illicit hard drug trade in USA? David Hundeyin an investigative journalist, unearthed records that show he was indicted for drug offences and money laundering in USA and was even fined by a court in lieu of jail term at a point. The write up and evidence is in the public domain.

Whatever be the feat of such a person in human capital development and empowerment (an euphemism for planting his cronies in important places of power and influence and empowering them to rise to future prominent, thereby ensuring his continued political and economic dominance, something he excelled at) will they be enough for us to overlook these all important aspects of his life?  In the name of voting an alleged economic guru into power, should we overlook and not question his dubious mysterious and even criminal past? It is being alleged that he "built" Lagos but it is on record that Lagos has been a federal capital for over 40 years of Nigeria s independence and hence most of the development projects in the state were done by the federal government. Can the current (or any ) minister of FCT claim credit for having developed Abuja? Of course not. Granted that we cannot begrudge his modest contribution to the development of Lagos state in his two tenures as governor of the super rich state, but it should not be overblown. Lateef Jakande of blessed memory did far more than Tinubu in less than four years of his administration than Tinubu did in his entire 8 years! The records once again are open for public scrutiny and verification. And Tinubu got  far far more from Lagos state than he gave to it. His current stupendous wealth did not happen untill after his tenure as governor unlike others like Peter Obi who was already a self made multi billionaire (as chairman of the board of several blue chip companies including banks) before venturing into politics as governor. Tinubu was the opposite. And that he has not been probed or prosecuted should not be seen as an evidence of his innocence. Every day is for the thief but one day is for the owner of the house. His dexterity and clout in positioning, blackmailing and worming his way out of such scrutiny should be condemned rather than praised. And it points to the compromises of our political systems and anti corruption Campaigns even under opposition administrations. He isn't the only  Nigerian that has not been subjected to the Eagle eye. Atiku Abubakar is another. But their days  of reckoning are coming. 

The only thing known for certain about Tinubu is that he was once a governor of Lagos state and that he is married to Senator Remi Tinubu. Any and every other thing is clouded in mystery and suspicion. Is that the kind of man Nigerians want as our President? If his personal and public lives are this mysterious, imagine how his administration will be if Nigerians made the mistake of voting him into power!  President Buhari s cloak and dagger stance over his health status, will be child's play compared to what should otherwise be public knowledge under a Tinubu Presidency!

At this stage of our national lives, we should yearn for and rally around someone who is open, transparent and as clear as daylight. Someone who has subjected every aspect of his personal life and public service to easy and open scrutiny by everyone. Someone who may not be an angel or a saint, but definitely has no skeleton in his personal or public cupboard. Someone who's  life and lifestyle Nigerians can and had investigated extensively and found impeccable. Someone  who unlike the Biblical King Belshazzar in  the book of Daniel, has been counted, weighed and *NOT FOUND WANTING* in any area. 

And added to that, some one who had a fairly commendable performance as a state governor and who has the  energy, virility,  the intellectual capacity, political will, actionable plans and programs and the burning passion to truly make Nigeria Great again. 

That person is HE Peter Obi. 

Can anyone see such a budding star and still go for an expired toxic drug like Tinubu?

Maybe Idiots will. 

We shall know them by the number of votes Tinubu gets in 2023. 

Emma Asie Writes