By Abuchi Obiora
In the Kaleidoscope Archives today, we take on the concluding part of our discourse in search of the ace for a historic presidency for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. So, unlike in the previous statements made in his London home in 1997 as to his non-belief in Nigeria as presently constituted, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in an about-face affirmed his new belief in Nigeria, emphasizing that the country’s binding values are stronger than her differences during his electioneering campaign tours preceding the 2023 general elections.
In defense of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s new position in respect of Nigeria, his supporters argue that those earlier statements were made during the difficult time under General Sani Abacha’s military regime. And again, I say, or is it?. The man may not be talking deep from his heart as claimed by his supporters. Since there are little differences between the execution of wars, political struggles and the activities of the underworld, let us extend our search for a historic presidency of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the underworld dens of mafia kingpins who made bold statements with audacious acts and their defense of those acts done in their chosen careers.
Alphonse Gabriel Capone, popularly known as Al Capone (or Scarface because of a scar in his cheek), the American notorious gangster (born in Brooklyn, New York on 17th January 1899, died in Florida on 25th January 1947), who became famous for his numerous infamous gangster activities in Chicago once said that “You can get much further with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone” adding that “It is enough to ask someone to kindly give you his gun than telling him that you need his gun to kill him.”
So, on whose mandate does President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stand? On Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate? I doubt! The President may actually be standing on his own mandate as may be discerned from his pristine statement about Nigeria made in his London home in 1997. Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the Executive Governor of Anambra State would say “History becomes!” History beckons on any patriotic Nigerian who has accessed political power at the highest level to save Nigerians of the present and future generations from political redundancy. History beckons on someone, anyone with political power at the highest level of Nigeria, to unburden the country and infuse her once again with the sustaining breathe of life. History beckons on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to unbundle Nigeria and earn an indelible legacy for himself. History beckons…., history beckons…!.
In order to maximally leverage on the numerous comparative advantages in both natural, mineral and manpower resources which are scattered in the nooks and crannies of the country, Nigeria needs to be unbundled. Forget the empty threats of some people who think that heaven will fall if such a thing is done. By the way, it must be made clear to them that if heaven does fall, it will definitely fall on their retrogressive heads.Nigeria needs to be unbundled in the following manners: Devolution of powers to the States from the federal government to achieve strong Federating States with a weak Centre. Equitable resource control to encourage competition and to give the States and local governments more revenues especially allowing them to control their internally-generated revenues.
Revenue allocation through reviewing current revenue sharing formula to favour the States and the local government areas. Rotating power amongst geographical zones in the manner that some states have already adopted by rotating their States’ governorship opportunities amongst the Senatorial districts, to promote national unity.
Constitutional reforms through the amendment of the constitution of the Federal Republic to reflect the principles of true federalism including reviewing the Exclusive List in the Constitution to grant the popular opinion of Nigerians to grant the States permission to create State policing. Granting autonomy to local governments in both financial and operational angles to quicken grassroots development and checkmate influx of people to the urban areas and the cities. Removal of immunity clause from the constitution to hold political leaders and other public officers accountable for their actions thereby minimizing corruption.
Structuring the above seven key issues for effective governance through the adoption of a Parliamentary System of Government both for ease of Governance and to reduce governance cost thereby trapping funds for core development purposes. Back to our case study: would Abraham Lincoln had won the US presidential election in 1860 if he had said in his campaign that he would abolish slavery when he assumes office? Of course, not. First, he wanted to win in the election and then with his feet on the ground, he abolished slavery. That singular, courageous and audacious decision, more than anything he did during his interrupted tenor, is the major reason why the world hears so much about him, studies him and respects him till this date.
Yes, this also brings us back to contemplate the observation by Al Capone about a kind word, the gun, and the action that follows when the gangster or even the politician (as we have found out how so closely related the operations of both are) grabs the gun (power!) securely in his hands. But it took maximum courage for Abraham Lincoln to abolish slavery in the US and enter the history books. We shall find out later that he paid for it with his life. As for the opinion he held earlier which he made known in his London home in 1997, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, like all, “Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges even when there are no rivers” (Courtesy of Will Rogers, an American Humorist, writer and entertainer known for his witty sayings and commentaries on politics and society who, born on 4th November, 1879, died in a plane crash on 15th August 1935).
The logic from all that we have been saying is that Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Executive President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has grabbed a lifetime opportunity, if he knows this (especially as age favours him better than Abraham Lincoln), of changing the narratives in Nigeria and deep-etching his name on gold in the annals of Nigerian national history. If he is not able to do this, he must have lacked the courage and audacity of Abraham Lincoln and the wisdom he needs to transform himself into a national figure for all time in Nigeria.
Secondly, with the groundswell of common opinion across the country and the underground works of the ADC party coalition to excuse him of the office to which he will like to be re-elected, he will do himself a lot of good learning from the case study presented in this discourse and adopting the blue print as the quickest and easiest exit route to an honourable retirement and in the process endear himself to the hearts of Nigerians who have suffered untold hardships during his four year tenure as the President of the Federal Republic. At this point, the question to me should not be whether or not he got to that office by good or crooked means. That has been overtaken by events which must yield to the realization of greater good for Nigeria and Nigerians for the sake of overriding public and national interest.
My observation though, is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is already beyond half way in achieving a restructured Nigeria because he presently has everything going for him. I hope he knows this. For example, no Nigerian civilian president in history has ever had the type of overriding control which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has over both the Executive, the Legislature and Judiciary and these are the important vehicles through which he can, with minimum challenges, ride to a restructured Nigeria. Don’t ask me how he has been able to achieve this.
It is also on historical record that no civilian government president of Nigeria has ever influenced the type of mass defections, even amongst the executive governors of states, from political parties that brought them into power to the APC, than President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Again, don’t ask me how he made it possible for himself and why the political parties from which those people defected have been reluctant to take such decampees to court to recover the mandate given to them by the political parties from which they defected, in line with constitutional provisions. Some people will want to talk about immorality here but like I said before, the purpose of this discourse is not to give vent to the moral implications of serving rotten eggs to Nigerians, but to find out how the rotten eggs can quietly or discreetly be replaced with fresh and healthy ones.
The process of doing this is what I seek and that is the difference between wisdom and foolishness. In my defence of this opinion, I will question if it is not immoral to wage wars where people are killed and property destroyed just to defend already secured territories or even annex new ones. Writing in his book, “The Prince” (1513), Niccolo Machiavelli (born in Florence on 3rd May 1469 and died in Florence on 21st June 1527), an Italian philosopher had argued that “A ruler should do whatever it takes to maintain power and achieve their goals, even if it means being ruthless or morally questionable”. This political school of thought gave rise to the aphorism “The end justifies the means” and I bet you that most important and lasting legacies in the history of man have always been done without general and public approval.
So, with the Legislature and the Judiciary safely tucked in President Tinubu’s pocket (don’t ask me how he did it), he can easily influence such sweeping constitutional changes in the manner already explored in this discourse. This is the exact point where the ace for an enduring and historic legacy of the presidential tenor of Bola Ahmed Tinubu can be located and my best advice is for this to be done before 2027 elections.
My analysis is that he will either grab this opportunity and hit the history books as the greatest president that Nigeria has ever had or lose it and be eternally dumped in the trash can of Nigerian national history as the worst president the country has ever had given his excruciating economic policies and the swindling of Nigerians through weird tax policies. As I get close to concluding this discourse, I must observe that my careful study of the style and operational pattern of the President in the administration of the affairs of Nigeria concurs with the written and established principles of retaining power once secured.
Some of these principles are articulated and enumerated in the book “The 48 Laws of Power” by Robert Greene.I observed that the President is especially using Laws 27, 33 and 39 in that book, which, according to Robert Greene are “Play on people’s need to believe in order to create cult-like followings”, “Discover each man’s thumbscrew” (know their weaknesses and ‘screw’ them up even if need be, with the EFCC or other government agencies!), and “Stir up waters to catch fish” (Create chaos in order to maintain control”, respectively but a middle aged man, born on 16th June 1987, Ryan Holiday, an American Author, Entrepreneur and Media Strategist, in one of his books on self-improvement and philosophy called “The Obstacle Is The Way” observes that “A clever trick works but once because the next time you try it, you might discover that what was an advantage has become an obstacle.”
This is exactly what I foresee happening in the 2027 Nigeria general elections when the President will approach the Nigerian electorate to seek for re-election in the same manner he grabbed and ran with the Presidency in 2023. To avoid an imminent embarrassment for the President in the polls, I will recommend for him a recourse to law 48 in that Robert Greene’s book, viz: “Be formless and shapeless.” This means that in order to continue to be politically relevant after his Presidency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu or his advisers should read this case study and adopt the blueprint herein recommended, which I offer him free of any charge whatsoever.
In conclusion, I also advise that if the President of the Federal Republic should contemplate working on and adopting this blueprint, he must eschew the mistakes and carelessness of the glamorous Abraham Lincoln who enjoyed showcasing his oratory at public places. It was unfortunate that this “weakness” of his to sample his charisma let him open to assassination because when the hot lead shot from the barrel of the gun held by John Wilkes Booth, a big time confederate sympathizer and an ally of bruised slave masters hit the back of the head of President Abraham Lincoln at exactly 10:15pm on that fateful night of 14th April 1865 at Ford’s Theater in Washington DC. (he died the next morning), it was clear that the decisions which Abraham Lincoln had taken on the Civil War and slave trade had made enemies for him in the same manner the decision to restructure Nigeria will make enemies of people who have already identified themselves, for President Bola-Ahmed Tinubu.
Though President Abraham Lincoln died, those two major landmark decisions which he took, for which reasons he died, have become two of the most important pivots upon which the greatness of America is presently laid.
Abuchi Obiora is an Author, Journalist and Media Consultant. He is also a Biographer, Public Affairs Analyst and the Web Content Creator of a Web Resource Channel called “The Master’s Chamber”
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Website: https://abuchiobiora.com.ng
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