THE seven decades of his life have been remarkable for struggles, battles and exploits in a beleaguered country assailed by low life expectancy.
The milestone birthday underscores the triumph of a dynamic, courageous, focused and resilient actor who has miraculously traversed the thorny path of life and triumphed to fame and glory.
For the consummate politician, master strategist and dependable leader, the survival calls for celebration.
However, the baseline for the 70th birthday is thanksgiving to the Creator, who has made him a special breed and a national asset.
The celebrator has been a restless and adventurous youth, an academic wizard at school, a workaholic financial surgeon, a boardroom guru with boundless energy and drive, a great manager of men and resources, a new breed politician, a committed pro-democracy activist, an astute administrator, a progressive to the core, loyal party stalwart, a bridge builder, and an apostle of national unity.
Today, he is a colossus, statesman and citizen of the world.
Many have described him as the main issue in Nigeria’s current politics. They believe that he is a critical factor in the 2023 permutations. He has unfolded his bid for the highest office with a sense of duty and patriotism. The question is whether you are with him or not.
Why has Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Jagaban Borgu, Third Republic senator and governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007, remained relevant, 15 years after leaving the corridors of power? How has the formidable and time-tested structure he built survived the storm and stress of the nation’s political intrigues?
His successful career in private and public life is an act of God, the Giver of unique opportunity, honour and grace, who has not allowed his weaknesses as a mere mortal to overshadow his strengths.
Political scientists and other researchers on leadership should beam the searchlight on this enigma with a huge brain. What have become inspiring about him are his unrelenting spirit, audacity of hope, mobilisation prowess, organisational acumen, boldness and bravery, determination to succeed in accomplishing difficult tasks, discipline of mind, and power of ideas, focus and foresight.
Yet, his fidelity to cherished values of friendship, capacity for sustaining a broad followership and ability to triumph in adversity remain legendary.
Even when betrayed by trusted allies, he remains undaunted with the belief that no man is infallible. His forgiving spirit is his armour. Kind-hearted and compassionate, Jagaban Borgu is always eager to care for friends and foes alike.
Many politicians want to be like the Lion of Bourdillion, who is a meticulous planner, a great risk taker, a principled actor, a thinker, visionary, a democrat, talent hunter, tolerant and accommodating leader, a philanthropist and man of the people. The question is: how many of them can afford to go through the same furnace?
A highly sagacious and electrifying personality, Tinubu is full of magnetism. A great debater, he has always honed his skills of negotiation, consultation, persuasion, and reconciliation. Although he is willing to bow to superior arguments, he usually surrounds himself with egg heads from diverse fields. The point of departure is that Tinubu will never condone intellectual laziness and a line of action devoid of masterful logic.
The background to his welfarist ideas is the philosophy of service premised on the evergreen Awoist theme of “Freedom for All, Life More Abundant”. This is a solid commitment to the masses. But, the heterogeneous society should also be organised to appreciate its plurality and drive for unity in diversity. The assumption is that the multiple crises of nation-building, conflicts of political participation, and politics of distribution can be genuinely moderated in an atmosphere of equity, justice and fairness.
A great attribute of this colourful politician is his ability to discover and mobilise talents for development. Those he has groomed for leadership roles have become vice president, governors, ministers, legislators and heads of lofty places. He has also successfully raised a crop of disciples and competent successors -Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode and Babajide Sanwo-Olu – who have built on the unprecedented, steady and consistent progress in the Centre of Excellence.
But, his finest moment was 2015. He mobilised the Southwest to participate in mainstream politics, leading to a strategic partnership that produced Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as President.
Not only did his efforts, along with his compatriots across the six zones, herald the miracle of political change in that year, they also laid the template for continuity and consolidation in 2019.
Tinubu earned the appellation of a kingmaker, owing to his massive exploits in state, regional and federal politics.
He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. The lesson is that anybody can rise from grass to grace, if he embraces hard work and converts the vicissitudes of life into challenges and opportunities for growth. In any field of endeavour, determination is key. Candidates for success should not be threatened by the fear of failure.
The same lesson may be applicable in politics. Tinubu understands, not only the language or grammar of politics, which is a great deal of struggle, competition and antagonism, but also the logic of power, which in his consistent view, is not served a la carte.
His incisive wit and strategic thinking have always paid off in moments of grave difficulties. The difference between him and many others is that this political leader always anticipates challenges. Although the Federal Government waged war against him when he was governor, he survived the hurdles. He rallied his people behind him and displayed the acumen of an effective captain. When conflict arose, he ran to the temple of justice for arbitration. The instructive lesson here is that society must uphold an independent judiciary. This is critical to its survival.
Tinubu has always guarded and guided his political territory jealously. He worked for the welfare of Lagos and Lagosians appreciated his input and leadership. Thus, while the political earthquake swept across the Southwest in 2003, drawing the curtains on the tenure of his five Action for Democracy (AD) colleagues, he became the lone survivor, the last man standing.
Since early nineties when he entered politics, Tinubu has been a consistent democrat and progressive who never jumped ship.
In the Third Republic, he took the politics of Lagos West District by storm. He became a man to watch when he won the highest votes as a senator in 1991 on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), defeating Mrs. Kemi Nelson of defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), who is now his close associate. The bulk of the votes came from the Alimoso sub-zone, which has since been referred to as the ‘Tinubu country’.
Never a bench warmer, Tinubu shone like a galaxy in the Upper Chamber. In fact, he stepped down for Dr. Iyorcha Ayu to become Senate President. Then, military President Ibrahim Babangida was experimenting with the destiny of the country.
The transition programme midwifed by the Evil Genius crumbled like cookies. Tinubu’s career as a federal legislator was aborted by the Sani Abacha regime, which sacked the elected leadership.
He returned to the drawing board to strategise for the future. Tinubu joined the pro-democracy movement, the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), to fight for democracy. By the time civil rule was restored, the symbol of the struggle, Chief Moshood Abiola, had died mysteriously in detention.
However, Tinubu bounced back in 1999. As Lagos governor, he presided over an administration that was a model between 1999 and 2007. The Tinubu years in the Centre of Excellence were remarkable for progress. He had a 24-year development plan for the transformation of the state of aquatic splendour.
As governor, he jacked up the internally generated revenue (IGR) from N600,000 monthly to billions. Today, Lagos can boast over N33 billion monthly IGR. The corollary of this is that the state can survive without federal allocation.
Also, Tinubu fought the infrastructural battle in the city-state. He constructed roads, built hospitals and schools, created opportunities for employment and re-energised the transport sector. He initiated the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. The Judiciary reform he introduced was second to none. Tinubu pioneered the payment of NECO and WAEC fees for students.
The former governor created additional 37 local council development areas (LCDAs), based on popular demand. When the allocations to the councils were seized by the Federal Government, his team of experts embarked a creative financial engineering that made the councils to survive the federal onslaught.
In 2007, he had wanted to return to the Senate, but the coast was not clear. Olusegun Obasanjo was still the President.
He began his journey to mainstream politics after liberating the Southwest from the conservative jaw. Year 2015 was the turning point. Tinubu’s gospel of strength in unity was the magic. A merger, he said, was the solution.
The team spirit in him manifested and it worked wonders. It aborted the dream of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rule the country for another 60 years.
Tinubu, the acknowledged party financier, provided selfless leadership and the quantum of resources for the novel project.
In politics and private life, Tinubu is reputed for philanthropy. His abode is a Makkah of sorts. He is a cheerful giver, benefactor, godfather and defender of the oppressed.
Many believe there are many other aspects of this great political icon’s life that may not be known until he opens in his autobiography. When the self-authored book is presented, it will surely inspire future generations.
The consensus is that this great man still has a lot to contribute to national greatness. The eyes are on him as Nigerians gaze at 2023.