How Tinubu Emerged President Through Osinbajo, Aregbesola – Okoroji
Nigerian singer and songwriter Tony Okoroji has disclosed how individuals like former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Governors Rauf Aregbesola and Babatunde Fashola, among others, helped Asiwaju Bola Tinubu achieve national prominence, resulting in his eventual emergence as Nigeria’s President.
According to Okoroji, President Tinubu’s lifetime ambition succeeded in 2023, due to the structure built by Aregbesola, Osinbajo, among others, stressing that they are Tinubu’s benefactors.
He said Aregbesola was behind much of what Tinubu shows off as his achievements in Lagos.
This was contained in an article by Okoroji, titled “I totally disagree with Mayor Akinpelu “ last Saturday.
Recall that Akinpelu had in an article earlier, titled “Rauf Aregbesola’s Perfidy accused the immediately past minister of interior of betraying Tinubu by joining the coalition and as well emerging as the National Secretary of African Democratic Congress (ADC).
But Okoroji, former president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), in his piece, disagreed with Akinpelu’s conclusion.
He wrote: “Mayor may have told a one-sided story of Bola Tinubu being a kind benefactor of Rauf Aregbesola, for altruistic reasons. My reading of Mayor’s piece tells me that Bola Tinubu, from day one, was building a political machine and needed men like Rauf Aregbesola to build that machine, not for their own sake, but for his own sake.
“In many ways, Rauf Aregbesola, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Lai Mohammed, Yemi Osinbajo and the many others in the Tinubu orbit, are really Tinubu’s benefactors. They erected the structure that took Tinubu to the presidency. Rauf, for instance, was behind much of what Tinubu shows off as his achievements in Lagos.
“The emerging facts suggest that if you enter Tinubu’s orbit, a mark is placed on your head. You are not authorized to have independent thought or have independent ambition. You have become a prisoner, and your duty is to always answer “yes sir” to your “benefactor.
“Unfortunately, Mayor’s “Rauf Aregbesola’s Perfidy” leaves me with the impression that leadership and governance in the Bola Tinubu orbit is a “paddy-paddy” thing in which servitude to him and biological relationships are far more important than competence and maybe national interest.
“Mayor did not paint the picture of a democrat but that of an emperor to whom everybody must bow, or worse still, a mafia lord whom everybody must fear.
“He states that his recollection of Rauf Aregbesola, a former Commissioner for Works in Lagos State, two-time Governor of Osun State, former Minister of Interior and now, General Secretary of the newly formed coalition party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), is that of “a scruffy looking man, with his ‘tebliq’ trousers.
“He admitted, however, that Aregbesola had capacity as a significant grassroots mobilizer in Alimosho, the most populated local government in Lagos State, which was the reason when Tinubu became governor, apart from appointing him Commissioner for Works, Tinubu made Aregbesola the arrowhead of a new party structure, independent of the Afenifere elders and made his office the vehicle to compensate party faithful.”
Yusuf Oketola is a trained journalist with over five years of experience in the media industry. He has worked for both print and online medium. He is a thorough-bred professional with an eye of hindsight on issues bothering on social justice, purposeful leadership, and a society where the leaders charge and work for the prosperity of the people.
