Category: Dr John Ekundayo

Going down a memory lane in this edition of “Followership Challenge”, this columnist is compelled to recall personal encounters that took place in 1993 while sojourning in Keffi, a town located in then Plateau State (now Nasarawa State). On this particular morning, my wife was undergoing birth pangs characteristic of imminent delivery. We both knew that delivery of a baby is imminent by the signs and symptoms showing forth one after the other as this child was expected to be the third born. My wife and I then decided to head for the maternity centre when she was registered for delivery. It was not a small journey. It was a journey of no less than 30 kilometres from Keffi to Nyanya, Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Why did we decide to register in a town far from Keffi? A story for another day. Fortunately, the journey, smooth as it was, took about 30 minutes. I was behind the wheels. The midwife welcomed us. Pronto, I was told to get into the Nyanya market almost opposite the centre to buy corn palp (Eko in Yoruba language) whilst my wife was admitted. I returned within minutes and was welcomed with good news: a baby girl had been delivered by my wife! The day was 17th November 1993. That was the day General Sanni Abacha terminated the illegal entity foisted on Nigeria by the then military junta headed by the maradonic, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB).

What was the background of this story? It is good to let the untutored and unlearned youths angling for interim government know this bit of our history. The military junta decided against all rational reasoning to annul the best election ever conducted in Nigeria and forced a laidback and lackadaisical illusion tagged interim national government (ING) on hapless and helpless Nigerians. Under intense pressure from politicians, elder statesmen and political analysts, IBB “stepped aside” (in his own diction) and inaugurated a hastily conjectured “interim government.” Nigerians that could not confront the daredevil, gun toting boys in khaki (as the soldiers were wont and wired to). IBB stepped off the stage on 27th August 1993 and the ING took over. It was topsy turvy or roller coaster ride for the ING headed by a Yoruba technocrat, Chief Ernest Shonekan (incidentally an Egba man from Ogun State, same birthplace as the acclaimed winner of the June 12 presidential election, Chief Moshood Kasimawo Osuolale Abiola, aka MKO). What a quasi-crafty conjecture of the military junta aided and abetted by some mischievous and devious politicians and retired military top brass. It was planned that the seemingly innocuous ING would unfold a transition programme that would conduct a ‘proper’ election and handover to a democratically elected government. This was not to be as the power-hungry khaki boys struck without much struggle as most power was in the hands of the then former Chief of Army Staff and then later, Minister of Defence, General Sanni Abacha. He was obviously the most senior military officer as at the time IBB stepped aside. It was a bloodless palace coup d’état that ushered in General Sanni Abacha as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. It is instructive to saliently state that the ING, even as some uniformed are now clamouring for one, did not last up to 100 days, as the restless military junta aborted it on 17th November 1993 – the day my darling daughter was born in Nyanya FCT. Prior to this time of delivery, there were rumours of wars necessitating the southerners to relocate from the northern part of the country. My family and I decided not to follow the bandwagon as our faith was unshakeable that there would be no war. Ultimately, there was none, even though a cacophony of ugly incidents littered certain sections of the country but Nigeria did not go to war. We survived it then! Are we going to survive it this time especially with the vociferous venting on social media?

Initiating Interim Illusion?

“Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” – Winston Churchill, erstwhile Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Who, taking cognizance of our history bitterly spiced with military interregna, could be toying, tossing or tinkering with the atavistic and archaic idea of stirring the polity for an agenda setting that will culminate in an awkward contraption of interim government? It is unfortunate that instead of certain known elder statesmen becoming peace builders or makers. They are even the ones in the forefront stoking the fire ferociously with their unguarded and untamed utterances in a unique time that our country needs healing and reconciliation. Who will bell the cat and bail us out? Ace columnist, Simon Kolawole, was so aghast and angst at those troubling the peaceful cohesion and coexistence of Nigeria stating it simply and squarely:

“Peace-building seems to be going out of fashion. We now appear to have entered an era when those who should promote peace, mutual respect and understanding are the ones stoking the fire of hate and strife — all because of the political emotions of the moment. People who should call hate mongers to order and make genuine efforts to help heal our wounds are the very ones pouring fuel on the naked fire. Some are doing it openly and brazenly while others are at the backend engineering things, with their hands barely hidden. The penalties for this mischief, borne out of desperation, will sadly not spare anyone” (Thisday, Sunday, 2nd April 2023).

Biblically, it is written in the book of Job: “Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old” (Job 12:12). Unfortunately, we cannot decipher and discern this in the present-day Nigeria! Is it not said in Yoruba common parlance: “ti omode ba nge igi ninu igbo, awon agbagba lo mo ibi to ma wo si” (meaning: if children are engaged in felling a tree in the forest, it is the elders that will know where the tree will fall)? Elder statesman, erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo, a day after the 25th February 2023 presidential and national assembly elections called for a cessation of the collation and declaration of results citing certain irregularities whereas the extant law does not support abortion of the electoral process. In an equal measure, a former erstwhile national commissioner of INEC, a cerebral sociologist, Professor Lai Olurode, countered the stand and stake of Baba Obasanjo, by asserting inter alia: “It is not a patriotic call from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, probably emanating from ‘bad belle’ and personal hatred, vendetta and settling of old scores between Obasanjo and the presidential candidate of APC whose prospects of winning eventually looks brighter, . . . Even, elections in saner and more developed societies aren’t devoid of imperfections, fiasco and skirmishes” (Premium Times of 28th February 2023). It was crystal clear that Baba Obasanjo was pandering to the political aspiration of his protege, Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party (LP). Be that as it may, there is no wrong doing in democracy in doing so, however, as an elder statesman and global personality, more sagacity laced with altruistic mien is expected; this should be the distinguishing decorum and demeanour associated with the grey headed. In this vein, vituperation venting oozing out from another elder statesman, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, politician and industrialist, proprietor of the now rested Spartan Football Club, Owerri – a club noted on the field of play for discipline, dedication and winning streaks nationally and intercontinentally. He, too on live telecast was engaged in a seeming spewing of indecorous diction at a particular tribe, which he later recanted, albeit, as the Yorubas are wont to say: words are like uncooked egg, once it is dropped on bare ground, gathering it is impossible (“eyin l’ohun, ti o ba ti jabo, ko se ko mo”). It was at the first anniversary of the creative and cerebral Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, Anambra State Governor. The statements made by Chief Iwuanyanwu was deafeningly defining that it set the internet on fire! Coming on the heels of this, the Vice-Presidential candidate of LP, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, was on the Channels TV programme of recent and was off tangent taking cognizance of exemplary etiquette by calling on the Chief Justice of Nigeria not to contemplate the inauguration of the new government  come 29th May 2023 even as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had validly declared the presidential flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the winner of the 25th February 2023 presidential election. Is the handshake not getting beyond the elbow in this scenario? Moreover, some seemingly naïve denizens, mostly untutored youths, marched on to the fortified Defence Headquarters, Abuja begging the military to take over power! How mundane, myopic and mischievous? Do they fathom the end of the saga they were instigating or initiating? Do these overt and covert actors cum onlookers (followers sitting on the fence) reflect or ruminate on the concomitant consequences of these gibberish gangsterism who care less if the whole house is pulled down, unknown to them that just like it happened when the military took over from the then ING in 1993, so will it be, and this time, it could be more ferocious. Hopefully, though appearing toothless and benignly belated, the Directorate of State Security Service (DSSS) has waded in stating saliently that the plot of foisting ING on the country is real and the personalities involved are well known. Pray, what further nudging does the DSSS need to decisively swing into action? Is it until this house falls from one side and repairing it may be a herculean task?

Interim Illegitimacy

As at the time of hitting the press, many lawyers, namely, Prof. Itse Sagay, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, Femi Falana, Mba Ukweni, Ahmed Raji, Chief Ajibola Aribisala, Babatunde Fashanu, Adekunle Oyesanya and Emeka Etiaba, all of them Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), had pontificated that aggrieved politicians or parties should approach the law courts instead of unnecessarily heating up the polity. It is also a point in law that matters before the law courts or tribunals should not be subjected to debate, discourse or discussion as such actions are tagged sub judice in the eyes of the law! In essence, the judicial process must run its legal course. However, justice should be dutifully served, and not denied or delayed so that the common man can repose confidence in the judiciary. In surmising this point, fiery and sagacious lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, pointedly pontificated that interim government is an aberration, and abhorrent creation of the military which in modern times should be wholly jettisoned. He succinctly and saliently stated, inter alia: “there is no provision for the creation of an interim government in the 1999 Constitution. It is an extraconstitutional measure that may be set up by a military junta. The last interim government hurriedly put in place by the Ibrahim Babangida military junta in August 1993 after the annulment of the June 12 presidential election collapsed like a pack of cards after 82 days” (Nation, 31st March 2023). Should some sane minds clamour that other Nigerians follow them down this horrendous, hideous and hurting lane that set our country back for years then?

In concluding this treatise, it is worth giving credit to whom it is due. There was a man writing as far back as 7th January 2023 who ‘saw’ many of these things coming. Writing in the Sahara Reporters (available online), Richard Odusanya is like a man looking at a peerless prophetic prism and pontificating: “to be clear: Olusegun Obasanjo, Afe Babalola and their surrogate; Peter Obi, are working for Interim Government. They know for sure that elections are not decided on the basis of sentiments and emotion. Their strategy is to discredit the 2023 Elections, which Obi and Atiku have very slim possibility of winning given the lack of cohesion of the opposition parties. They may then incite the Youths to take to the streets in protest to provide an opportunity for military takeover. Sadly, they’re unmindful of the previous errors, because the military will not take over for them, military will take over for the military. They may in fact be among the first victims of such an adventure …” What more to add? It is high time DSSS and all pertinent apparatus of government woke up from their seeming sudden slumber, and being on high alert to forestall the derailing of our nascent democracy. Shouting out, akin to what all courageous followers, a la this columnist should do, to all peace-builders and peace-makers to courageously, conscientiously and collaboratively synergize altruistically to salvage our country from interim illusionists and war mongers! We should not succumb to their smothering subterranean savagery service. It portends poisonous palates!

John Ekundayo, Ph.D. – Harvard-Certified Leadership Strategist, and also a Development Consultant, can be reached via +2348030598267 (WhatsApp only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com

“My political strength is in my sincere relationship with my friends across Nigeria. We have been friends for decades. You can’t use over 40 years of your life to pretend, … I did not wake up one day to say that I want to lead Nigeria. I was on queue too for decades, the queue of friendship, the queue of perseverance, the queue of track records, the queue of capacity, capability and patriotism.” – Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President Elect of Nigeria.
“Nigeria’s politics is just so fascinating. I was here for the last election and I will finish with this election. I am indeed impressed with Nigeria’s democratic journey … Yes, there have been some setbacks but overall, I see this as positive and Nigerians should be proud.” – United Kingdom High Commissioner to Nigeria, Her Excellency Catriona Liang.

It is heartwarming to read and hear congratulatory messages coming from across the globe directed to the President Elect and the Nigerian government, some tinge with titbits of critiquing the electoral process. In all, even the one from the United States of America (USA) government, there was none that was overtly or covertly canvassing the throwing away of the baby with the bathwater, to wit: cancelling the election outrightly. Surmising it in unison, they all point to the fact that Nigeria must improve the process going forward. Most significantly of the endorsement, the one that was seemingly unbiased and represented objective perception was the one given by the outgoing United Kingdom High Commissioner to Nigeria, Her Excellency Catriona Liang. In her farewell visit to the Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan, she saliently and succinctly stated: “Nigeria’s politics is just so fascinating. I was here for the last election and I will finish with this election. I am indeed impressed with Nigeria’s democratic journey … Yes, there have been some setbacks but overall, I see this as positive and Nigerians should be proud.”

Erstwhile President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua came in as president and immediately attested that the poll that produced him as the de facto man in the saddle, was greatly flawed and he initiated a reform straightway! Will Tinubu tilt the scale in such a way that future polls will be much more credible that invariably will make most stakeholders perceive the outcome as fair and square? It is obviously known that whatever degree of fairness and openness exhibited and exemplified by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), there would be irreconcilable issues that the courts will still attend to. This is allowed for in democracy; and it is a path of honour that true democrats will resort to rather than agitating and angling for violence.

Presidential Poll: Posers!

Youth speaking with their votes: Did the President Elect hear very well, and will he heed to their heart-cry for a proactive, productive, progressive and prosperous country that will avail opportunities for the teeming youths without necessarily having to be highly connected to a governor, senator, legislator, minister, or any top politician at the state or federal level? In the President Elect acceptance speech, he succinctly stated inter alia: “Now, to you, the young people of this country, I hear you loud and clear. I understand your pains, your yearnings for good governance, a functional economy and a safe nation that protects you and your future.” It is equally good for the incoming government to expeditiously utilize the transition period between now and 29th May 2023 to initiate interfacing with the diverse youth groups in a bid to address their anglings and agitations whilst being allowed to voice their frustration as expression not vocalized can turn to depression. One beauty of democracy is that it does allow the minority to have their say whilst the majority will have their way. Howbeit, a leader, who considers himself as the father of the huge house called Nigeria, will not just sit and side with the majority but, in going forward, seek to hear the angst of the minority against the system that has resorted to the “japa” syndrome. I was lecturing one of them who has japa to a country in Europe on the need to kowtow my political leaning, and she retorted by saying that she would love to see the quality of life in that country in Nigeria, but alas the old politicians have failed them. To her, and many of them, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and People Democratic Party (PDP) are the same. In essence, this explained the raison d’etre of many of them routing for the Labour Party (LP) forgetting that the candidate of LP, former Governor Peter Obi was part of the old brigade junketing from All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) to PDP and now to LP, all in a bid to jostle for visibility or better positioning. Definitely, a proactive and progressive youth reorientation should be inculcated into governance without delay whilst issues raised by the bulging youth population are swiftly addressed strategically within the nick of time. It is instructive for the ruling party, and specifically the President Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to note that one thing that would have taken the wind out of the sail in the presidential poll was the inability of the teeming youths to carry their crusade penetrating the northern part of the country just like it garnered momentum in the southern part. This was a replica of the infamous #EndSars saga! Hence, better to make hay whilst the sun shines! The bulging youthful population (with about 70% of the population under the age of 30), with their energies and enthusiasm could be properly harnessed for optimal national development otherwise the teeming youths could become the devil’s workshop as nearly 20% of them are unemployed or unengaged (statista.com, 2021).

Religious connotation and confrontation in the run off to the presidential poll? The ruling party, though not ruing for going the route of the much controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket that majorly pitched the majority of the Christians against the joint ticket of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima, will need to bounce back in going forward in governance that the party is not skewed towards Islam, and in fact, has no surreptitious Islamic agenda as some purveyors within the fold have intimated the flock. This angst was partly responsible for the outcome of the poll in Lagos, Federal Capital Territory and Plateau. Yours sincerely belonged to diverse Christian platforms that open support for Tinubu was anathema to the ears of many. It is interesting and intriguing that such supporters were not spared fire and brimstone especially taking cognizance of the apparent incompetence cum negligence of the incumbent administration in checkmating and crippling demeaning damages done to the flock of Christ in states like Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, Taraba, etc. It was amazing that Benue State was narrowly won by APC in the presidential polls against bookmakers’ postulation. The feat was largely attributed to the political prodigy and personae of the duo of Chief George Akume, a long-time ally of Asiwaju Tinubu, and the influential gubernatorial candidate of the party in the state, Rev. Father Hyacinth Iormem Alia. The question is: how will the new government blunt the supposedly sharp edge of religious scheming and schism polluting and polarizing our politics and politicking within Nigeria’s context? This is a seemingly herculean task that the incoming President and his team have to quickly contend with in the spirit of national true reconciliation before Nigeria turns to another Lebanon! The initial appointments into positions in both the executive and legislature will prove naysayers wrong or otherwise. Followers are watching keenly.

Regional raison d’etre and rationalization in the choice of who to govern or lead is one danger of our nascent democracy. This was clearly palpable in the last presidential poll with distinguishing depiction in the southeastern region of Nigeria. Is the trend not damningly deplorable to the development of our democracy? What are the “lessons learnt” and how will this be diffused nationally in future polls? It is worth interrogating the votes garnered by the Labour Party (LP) in the southeastern states to not only decipher their credibility but the acclaimed voting pattern of the Igbos in that part of the country. Same should be done for Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It was obvious that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP won Osun in the southwest; and in Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa in the southsouth. Equally, Asiwaju Tinubu won outside his southwest base in the northeast, northwest, northcentral; one state in the southsouth (Rivers) with none in the south east. In the same vein, Atiku did not win any state in the south east, the traditional stronghold of the main opposition party, the People Democratic Party (PDP). All said and done, with Tinubu losing Lagos, his de facto fiefdom; his Campaign Director General, Governor Lalong losing Plateau; President Buhari losing Katsina; the Chairman of his party, Senator Adamu losing Nasarawa; and key helmsmen of APC (Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Yobe, Kebbi. Gombe) losing their states to the PDP and NNPP – the latter in Kano. It was only erstwhile Governor Peter Obi that swept all the stakes in the states of the southeast (Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Imo and Ebonyi) leaving none for any other party with exceptional and eccentric huge margins in all the states. Most analysts concur ethnicity amplified in the outcome of the poll in this region and hence the need for the people of the southeast to politically retreat, rethink and restrategize in future polls if anyone from that region will attain the presidency of this country soon. It is amusing that a major socio-cultural organization of the Igbo extraction is vehemently clamouring for a Senate President from the zone in the incoming government forgetting that in politics, the figures at the polls are flaunted at crucial decision-making points especially relating to appointments. However, on the altar of equity, unification and magnanimity, the presidency of Bola Ahmed Tinubu may yield to such an overture from the region where the sun rises.

 Lessons Learnt: Going Forward!

In an excellent analysis by the erstwhile Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmud Jega, he overtly opined: “The top four candidates in this election got 37%, 29%, 25% and 6% respectively. This compares closely with 1979 when Shagari got 34%, Awo got 29%, Zik got 16%, Aminu Kano got 10.28 and Waziri Ibrahim got 10%”. In this columnist’s opinion, this poll of 2023 was the most contested election in Nigeria’s chequered history taking into cognizance the deployment of technology which was not the case in 1979 or subsequent elections. Moreover, the proportion of people who had not been voting in earlier elections was seemingly on the upward rise in this particular election partly due to youth awakening and expressed angst of some people against their faith. In essence, their votes were sent as messages to the party in power. Finally, when all chips are down, Asiwaju Tinubu won, not because of regional or religious reasoning but rather as a result of decades of dedicated bridge building as simply and squarely stated in his own words: “My political strength is in my sincere relationship with my friends across Nigeria. We have been friends for decades. You can’t use over 40 years of your life to pretend, … I did not wake up one day to say that I want to lead Nigeria. I was on queue too for decades, the queue of friendship, the queue of perseverance, the queue of track records, the queue of capacity, capability and patriotism.” This statement of Tinubu was ironically in sync with the stand and stake of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, former Head of State, whose military junta annulled the June 12 election purportedly won by Chief MKO Abiola. Aftermath of the 2023 presidential poll, he posited: “Failure of Peter Obi in the last election is a failure of religious politics in Nigeria. No one should deceive you again. Failure of Atiku is a failure of regional politics in Nigeria. No one deserves your vote because he’s from your region. With Tinubu, Nigerians chose Nigeria.”

In surmising, INEC, as unbiased and objective umpire, should ensure all i’s are dotted whilst all t’s are crossed in the over 176,000 polling units of the country to ensure fair and credible gubernatorial and house of assembly elections in all the states. There should be better logistics in place than the presidential and national assembly polls. The security agents should enhance their performance more than they did on 25th of February 2023. INEC staff – whether adhoc or permanent – should be above board with no incidence of colluding to alter the people’s will in any constituency or state. This should be sacrosanct! Moreover, the system of counting and collating should be transparently done with appropriate party agents and INEC officials endorsing as stipulated in the Electoral Act. This time around, INEC needs, with the humongous amount at her disposal, to fortify her ICT equipment and personnel against internet cyber-criminals. The regulating agency may need to hire such highly skilled personnel from other climes possessing proven credentials to checkmate hacking of servers. Finally, in almost every presidential election from 1979 to 2023, there have been incidents of the unwarranted “band-wagon effect” of voters angling toward the party that won the presidency or daring intention to cause upset in a state in subsequent gubernatorial and house of assembly elections to the chagrin of the party that won the presidential election, often filliping ethnic or religious card. To this end, this columnist is proposing a system where all the five elections namely: presidential, senatorial, house of representatives, gubernatorial and house of assembly are held on the same day. The arrangement could be such that presidential and national assembly elections will be on one side whilst the gubernatorial and house of assembly elections will be on the other side within the same polling unit. Going forward, this will kill the nauseating band-wagon effect syndrome making some politicians reap where they have not sown. Imagine, this occurred, for instance in Lagos, the gubernatorial election would have been won with huge margin by the incumbent Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu considering opinion polls before the presidential poll. Hence, the need to review and respond to this in future elections as a way of enhancing the electoral process. Nothing is cast in stone in ensuring we get it right!

John Ekundayo, Ph.D. – Harvard-Certified Leadership Strategist, and also a Development Consultant, can be reached via +2348030598267 (WhatsApp only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com

“In the widely read treatise: “Leadership Challenge” (written by the duo of Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner), the main ingredient of leadership as attested to in more than 25 years of research inquiries spanning all the continents of the world, was integrity. Hence, the acronym from the book: DWYSYWD (meaning: “Do What You Say You Will Do”). Personally, this columnist would congratulate the President Elect whilst whimsically whistling into his ears: “May your road be rough” (apology to the late Tai Solarin, dogged educationist, social crusader and politician of repute). Taking cognizance of the acceptance speech of the President Elect, he palpably perceives his job well laid out for him. Operationalizing the mandate and manifesto is the kernel of the matter that will ultimately make the followers (citizens) to see, feel, touch and embrace their longings and yearnings. This is what is tagged good governance: doing good for the greatest number of people.”

Saturday, February 25, 2023 has gone down in history just like June 12, 1993. To this columnist, the presidential poll of February 25, 2023 was the most keenly contested election in the history of Nigeria. However, in the last edition of this column, as pinpointed, the most credible, peaceful and acceptable election thus far in Nigeria’s chequered history was the June 12, 1993 presidential election. It was won fair and square by the flagbearer of then Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Moshood Kasimawo Osuolale Abiola (aka MKO) who roundly defeated his only opponent, Alhaji Bashir Tofa of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC). There were only two parties then. However, the political perverts and mischievous militicians, wining and dining with military top brass, torpedoed a triumphant and titillating electioneering process that eventually sent Nigeria into another awful and awkward military interregnum – an adventure that set our country back for many years in the wilderness! May we never tread along that trajectory of torture again!! The presidential and national assembly elections of 25th February 2023 have come and gone! Winners have been rejoicing while losers have been sulking; the pouting of some was vociferous and surprisingly illogical taking cognizance of the allegation of rigging the elections. However, the allegation of electoral heist being peddled, mostly by the duo of Labour Party (LP) and People Democratic Party (PDP), is rationally illogical and immaterial when viewed against certain metrics and yardsticks of monitoring and evaluation of electioneering process. In the context of this column, the postmortem analysis will be fixated on the presidential election.  

Presidential Poll: Postmortem

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be assessed pre, during and post-election. There was a huge preparation on the part of INEC preceding the February 25th 2023 election; much of this was well stated in the last edition of this column. However, in terms of logistics, INEC fell short of the high rating recorded in the 2022 gubernatorial elections of the duo of Ekiti and Osun States. They were late arrivals of men and materials at some polling units in some states of the country. Nevertheless, security was well provided. Yours sincerely was on TVC News a day after the declaration of result (precisely on Thursday 2nd March 2023), and I did commend the maturity and professionalism displayed by the police and armed forces personnel on duty virtually in all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria to ensure peace, safety and sanctity of the poll. In addition, the conduct, counting cum collating of the votes at most polling units were transparently carried out with all parties and voters witnessing the process except in places where there was violence. In the latter case, the votes were voided. Votes were also voided where there was over voting; INEC seemingly has ‘learnt lessons’ by preventing the ugly monster that reared its head at the Osun gubernatorial election in which the interrogation of BIVAS exhibited and exposed overvoting. In this last edition of this column, it was curiously pinpointed that election result should be declared promptly as a mark of peerless poll. However, it was not so with the presidential poll of February 25th 2023 as INEC, in these days of digital technology, taking cognizance of the humongous resources in their kitty, should be able to deploy rugged and robust technology that could resist any assault from any internet daredevil denizens. INEC could learn from other countries in subsequent elections. The National Assembly (NASS), going forward, may need to streamline or moderate the Electoral Act especially in the aspect dealing with the announcement and declaration of the winner of the presidential poll. It is not only a sheer waste of time and resources but heightened tension of the citizens after elections conducted and announced at state levels would thereafter be announced and declared again at Abuja! Going forward, in these days of digital technology, the NASS and INEC should put heads together and ensure that once elections are declared at state levels, it should be a live telecast that the INEC Chairman simultaneously seated at the International Collation Centre (ICC) will witness and declare the announced results. There is also a point worth mentioning here: INEC failed to communicate appropriately the nauseating and nasty experience of the combat its servers were confronting due to the incessant and intense onslaught from daredevil internet warriors ready to compromise the figures. Effective and efficient communication, handled in a matured manner, is sine qua non to a peerless presidential election.

Tinubu: Chief Servant in word and deed?

There was a governor in the north central region who once mouthed the moniker or sobriquet, Chief Servant. He was nothing near in word and deed as he could not walk the talk. In the widely read treatise: “Leadership Challenge” (written by the duo of Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner), the main ingredient of leadership as attested to in more than 25 years of research inquiries spanning all the continents of the world, was integrity. Hence, the acronym from the book: DWYSYWD (meaning: “Do What You Say You Will Do”). Personally, this columnist would congratulate the President Elect whilst whimsically whistling into his ears: “May your road be rough” (apology to the late Tai Solarin, dogged educationist, social crusader and politician of repute). Taking cognizance of the acceptance speech of the President Elect, he palpably perceives his job well laid out for him. Operationalizing the mandate and manifesto is the kernel of the matter that will ultimately make the followers (citizens) to see, feel, touch and embrace their longings and yearnings. This is what is tagged good governance: doing good for the greatest number of people. This columnist was upbeat as Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his acceptance speech declared with enthusiasm:

Read Also: APC group asks opposition to join hands with Tinubu to develop Nigeria

“Political competition must now give way to political conciliation and inclusive governance. During the election, you may have been my opponent but you were never my enemy. In my heart, you are my brothers… Many people are uncertain, angry and hurt; I reach out to every one of you. Let the better aspects of our humanity step forward at this fateful moment. Let us begin to heal and bring calm to our nation.”

This columnist is elated that as at the time of going to the press, there is a proactive and practical way forward as the President Elect has set up a Reconciliation Committee to interface with the duo of the flag bearers of the Labour Party (LP) and People Democratic Party (PDP), former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi. Inclusion, even though opposition is permitted in democracy, is core and crucial at this stage of our nascent democracy.

Next, candidly he pontificated on the youths’ palpable angst against the system that have denied them access to enviable quality of life in comparison to their colleagues in other climes. He went further: “Now, to you, the young people of this country, I hear you loud and clear. I understand your pains, your yearnings for good governance, a functional economy and a safe nation that protects you and your future.”

In my first meeting with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu shortly after the June 2014 gubernatorial election in Ekiti which was shared on TVC News Breakfast as “My Asiwaju Story”, shortly before this presidential election, I did succinctly and saliently state that leaders in Africa always tend to think for followers, unknown to them, that it is better to listening to the tinkering of the followers like Hilary Clinton did at the initiation of his campaign for the Senatorial seat of New York. One germane thing that the President Elect needs to imbibe now is the art of empathic listening. It is simply and squarely listening, putting himself in the shoes of others who are pained without interrupting the flow of speech, for expression suppressed can turn to depression. It takes two to tango! The President Elect is on one side and the mass of followers is on the other side. Asiwaju Tinubu should be better prepared to interface with the youths taking cognizance of the youth bulge in the population projection of Nigeria. Failure to do this comprehensibly now may spell doom for our collective political future. As a grandfather, I can say categorically that most of them are not wont and wired to our way of thinking and doing that has not exhibited any positive or palatable outcome. Personally, convincing some of my daughters to follow my direction was like forcing water to flow uphill; many of them are disenchanted and dispirited with the set of old politicians, regardless of the party of affiliation. The young people see all of you as the same. Truth be told. Will you as the President and Commander in Chief, truly act as the Chief Servant, to set the tone that it would not be business as usual? Will you walk the talk? Will you Do As You Say You Will Do (DWYSYWD)?

Moreover, possibly at your inauguration, Mr. President Elect, you may need to set up a truth and healing commission since you speak about healing in your acceptance speech. In this same country, please take note that some people were displaced from their homesteads and farmlands, some were killed or maimed, many were kidnapped and later released with humongous resources while others had their villages pilloried and burnt. All eyes will be on you not to just gloss over these obnoxious and odoriferous acts of some errant citizens and some carried out with callous foreigners in cahoots with fellow countrymen. The bottom line is the urgent need, possibly within the transition, to truly interface and engage with religious leaders: separately and jointly. The religious lines should be blunt in our national lives. This columnist lived before in south eastern Asia nations of Singapore and Malaysia. The latter, though a Muslim country, allows for citizens and residents to practice their religions in harmony with others and to not bring that to private and public offices. In addition, Nigeria should play down on race or region!

First and foremost, you are a Nigerian. However, this is not an excuse to skew appointment to one part; any Nigerian, in private and public office, should not see himself as an Ibibio, Bachama, Nupe, Igala, Fulani, Mumuye, Idoma, Yoruba, Kanuri, Ebira, Benin, Ijaw, Hausa, Urhobo, Tivs, Itsekiri, Igbo, Gwari, etc.

Surmising succinctly and saliently, the President Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, should be at the receiving end if he truly desires healing within the house called Nigeria. Going to the 2023 elections, Nigerians were divided! Over the years, the duo of APC and PDP have their fair share in the rot in security scares and economic eccentricity: the raison d’etre for the youths protesting with their votes against the old brigades in both parties. It is gratifying that the President Elect has assured that incessant strikes will be a thing of the past whilst there will be inculcation of students’ loan to aid indigent students. Hence, university autonomy is on the way! Moreover, in exhibiting and amplifying their angst against the incumbent government, the Christians both in the northern and southern part of Nigeria, having lost properties, possessions, lives and limbs, resorted to wage ‘war’ against the ruling party by being vehement and vociferous with their votes in the February 25th presidential polls. In essence, the President Elect should not wait till inauguration; this transition offers the opportunity to engage and interface with religious leaders in both Christianity and Islam. Will Tinubu indeed be a Chief Servant – in word and deed through demonstration of emphatic listening leading to healing? We are following and flowing along as a stitch in time saves nine!

John Ekundayo, Ph.D. – Harvard-Certified Leadership Strategist, and also a Development Consultant, can be reached via +2348030598267 (WhatsApp only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com

“Surmising it succinctly and saliently, the election of June 12 1993 could be outclassed in content, context and colour. The onus simply and squarely rests on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)… INEC needs all the courage, candour, capacity, capability, credibility and carriage to deliver effectively and efficiently such that the records of the June 12, 1993 election will be surpassed, taking cognizance of the pinpointed ten metrics aforementioned in this write up. The seeming oversight of the 2022 Osun gubernatorial election that surreptitiously allowed non-accredited voters access to the ballot must not happen in any of the polls slated for 2023! Considering conduct of elections in 176,606 polling units of the country, this columnist does not envy INEC as uneasy lies the head that wears the crown .. Will there be a goodwill on the part of the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Jega, to act as a courageous, unbiased, impartial and firm umpire when the battle is fiercest? The whole world is watching whilst the hand of the clock is ticking!”

It is still indisputable and incontrovertible that of all elections conducted in Nigeria, whether midwifed by a military or democratic government, the June 12, 1993 election has been widely adjudged the best. There were only two registered political parties – the National Republican Convention (NRC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) with the flag bearers: Alhaji Bashir Tofa and Chief Moshood Kasimawo Osuolale Abiola respectively. The election was held on 12th June 1993 throughout Nigeria. Aftermath of the election, Tofa representing the NRC polled 5,952,087 (41.64%) while Abiola of the SDP polled 8,341.309 (58.36%). The outcome of the election depicted Chief M. K. O. Abiola as the winner, though unofficial, was annulled by the military administration of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, the government that midwifed the election that was adjudged the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s chequered history. In epochal election of 1993, Chief Abiola won 19 out of 30 states, plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT): all the states in the south west; three of the states in the south east; five of the core northern states including Kano, his opponent’s political base; and four out of the seven north central states. In essence, if the infamous military regime of Babangida did not act in a covert, callous and conscienceless manner, Chief Moshood Kasimawo Osuolale Abiola would have been the first southerner, breaking ethno-religious divides having traversed all nooks and crannies of Nigeria, to outwit his opponent, in winning a presidential poll. One point worth pontificating in the whole episode of the election of June 12, 1993 was the joint ticket that MKO Abiola rode on to winning. The running mate he picked, even though greeted with uproar and hullabaloo, was a Muslim and cerebral diplomat from the north east of the country, in the person of Ambassador Babagana Kingibe. Curiously, is it seemingly incidental or immaterial taking cognizance of the controversial issue of Muslim-Muslim ticket between the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate in the 25th February 2023 presidential poll, Senator Kashim Shettima? Tinubu, Yoruba by tribe, is from the south west while Shettima, Kanuri by tribe, is from the north east; exactly the same arrangement in 1993. Anything in the offing cooking? However, that is not the subject of this article.

Peerless Polls: Pointers

How can the election of 25th February 2023 be peerless or unrivaled or matchless in content and context?

At the outset of this article, June 12 1993 election was pinpointed as the best so far of all the elections conducted in Nigeria. However, participation of followers in that election was not encouraging as a paltry 35% of the registered voters showed up on election day to cast their ballots. As a researcher and analyst, this columnist will delve into a bit of studies relating to electioneering with the attendant or associated globally accepted standards or benchmarks. According to the erudite political scientist, Robert Dahl, an election depicted as free and fair is one in which “coercion is comparatively uncommon.” Moreover, there should be political freedoms, fair and impartial political processes allowing for each vote to count, devoid of vote buying resulting in all parties accepting the outcome peacefully. Ultimately, the election processes and/or procedures must meet the minimum international standards for a free and fair election.  

According to a robust and rigorous study conducted in 2016 by a team of researchers (reference: Bishop, Sylvia; Hoeffler, Anke (2016). “Free and fair elections: A new database”. Journal of Peace Research. 53 (4): 608–616), spanning surveys of elections conducted in 169 countries covering the period of 1975 to 2011, only about 50% of the elections, based on certain mutual metrics, were scored free and fair. Consequently, there are ten salient and succinct metrics or precursors depicting a free and fair election in any state, nation or country. These are enumerated as follows:

1.            Legal Framework (is there constitutional right of citizens to vote and seek office? The 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Electoral Act 2022 are very clear on elections and electioneering);

2.            Electoral Management (is there incident of favoritism of one party over another by regulatory bodies? The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has measured up to standard, so far);

3.            Electoral Rights (do citizens vote freely on the basis of equal suffrage and access? Nigeria scores high in this aspect);

4.            Voter Registers (were there open registers available for easy and effective voter registration? INEC deserves kudos especially in the continuous voters’ registration exercise);

5.            Ballot Access (“whether candidates had in practice a right to compete in the election, with rejections of candidate applications being based on ‘internationally recognizable and acceptable norms’”: this is stipulated in the Electoral Act 2022);

6.            Campaign Process (‘whether elections were carried out without violence, intimidation, bribery (vote buying), use of government resources to advantage the incumbent, or a “massive financial advantages” for the incumbent’: Nigerians, by now should be able to corroborate or controvert whether this standard was met in the 25th February 2023 poll);

7.            Media Access (any protection of freedom of speech or any undue advantage shown to the ruling party or government owned media? – the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON) woke up from its slumber when the campaigns were about reaching their summits before sanctioning few erring media houses, there is the need to be more proactive in subsequent elections);

8.            Voting Process (is election conducted by secret ballot on a person-by-person basis plus adequate security to protect voters; prevention of ballot stuffing whilst denying multiple voting? Overtime INEC, aided by security agencies, has ensured this sustainably);

9.            Role of Officials (whether the election was conducted by competent and impartial staff of the regulatory agency and devoid of campaigning or intimidation or coercion at polling places as attested by international election observers and monitors: INEC has demonstrated adherence but only need to enhance capacity and credibility of their ad hoc and permanent staff); and

10.          Counting of Votes (whether votes were openly counted and collated with all parties concurring: with the Electoral Act 2022 and the employment of technology, especially the use of BIVAS, this is adequately catered for in the electoral process).

 INEC: Shout Out!

Presently, it is just the presidential and national assembly elections that have just been conducted. Actually, these vital elections are not concluded yet! As at the time this publication will be in the public domain, counting and collating of results should be on-going virtually all over the country. INEC, this time around should brace up! It is high time, the electoral umpire synergistically harnessed digital technology in collating and announcing the results. The incidence of COVID 19, though largely detrimental and disruptive, has nicely bequeathed certain beneficial beats to the world especially in communication and education. Today, people can study without the four walls of citadel of learning just like this columnist virtually attended Harvard Business School (HBS) and got certified in Strategy after passing three core courses spanning about 5 months. This was without meeting in flesh and blood any of my lecturers and course mates. It is on this note that yours sincerely will be giving a shout out to INEC to please save us from the atavistic and archaic method of announcement of presidential election results in trickles as it was seen aftermath of the 2019 presidential poll. The process spanned days needlessly in this digital age! INEC should, by all means, save Nigerians from another harrowing and heart-rending experience. This columnist will suggest a composition of a high-powered situation room in the capital of each state of the country for collation and announcement. On a state-by-state basis, when the whole process of counting and collation is done and dusted, that state could be linked via a Zoom meeting cum live telecast, to ensure transparency and accountability. Thereafter, the results of the presidential poll state-by-state could be obtained rather than the traumatic and tortuous endless waiting for the arrival of Returning Officers, armed with election results, from their bases, to the Abuja main situation room.

Surmising it succinctly and saliently, the election of June 12 1993 could be outclassed in content, context and colour. The onus simply and squarely rests on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The umpire cum the regulator, INEC, is on a pedestal highly visible to all scholars, watchers, observers and lovers of democracy globally. INEC needs all the courage, candour, capacity, capability, credibility and carriage to deliver effectively and efficiently such that the records of the June 12, 1993 election will be surpassed, taking cognizance of the pinpointed ten metrics aforementioned in this write up. The seeming oversight of the 2022 Osun gubernatorial election that surreptitiously allowed non-accredited voters access to the ballot must not happen in any of the polls slated for 2023! Considering conduct of elections in 176,606 polling units of the country, this columnist does not envy INEC as uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. However, with the humongous resources in the kitty of INEC, and borrowing the fiery dart of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 election, Chief Moshood Kasimawo Osuolale Abiola (aka MKO), who once posited: “the bigger the head, the bigger the headache”, INEC is loaded and goaded, courtesy of Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the apparently embattled Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to outperform! Will INEC live up to expectation? Will INEC be bought over by unbridled corrupt politicians or shenanigans in the corridors of power? Will there be a goodwill on the part of the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Jega, to act as a courageous, unbiased, impartial and firm umpire when the battle is fiercest? The whole world is watching whilst the hand of the clock is ticking!

John Ekundayo, Ph.D. – Harvard-Certified Leadership Strategist, and also a Development Consultant, can be reached via +2348030598267 (WhatsApp only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com

“Yours sincerely was on TVC News Breakfast programme within the week on the review of my new book on Tinubu’s Trajectory to the throne published by Amazon. One of the anchors was inquisitive about what inspired me about Tinubu that necessitated writing a 293-paged treatise on him. I succinctly stated that it was his sagacious strategic approach to leadership. There are six skill sets of s sagacious strategic leader according to scholars in the field of strategic leadership. These are evident in his leadership right from his days as top corporate executive to serving as a two-term Lagos Governor. I will mention these skill sets briefly now but revisit them in this column not far from now. Listing them, these are: Anticipate, Challenge, Interpret, Decide, Align and Learn.”

Going down the historical lane in this edition, certain inquiries were made about Abeokuta. Abeokuta means “under the rock.” The most famous landmark in the capital city of Ogun State, Abeokuta, is Olumo Rock. Sodeke and Lisabi were ancient Egba war leaders who strategically wrested the Egba people (as the people of Abeokuta were called) from the servitude of the Oyo Empire. What is the meaning of Olumo? According to Ayomide Akinbode writing in Historyville (www.thehistoryville.com/abeokuta-history/), “Olumo means built by the Lord. However, historians maintained that the meaning of Olumo is “Oluwa fi’mo” meaning: “God put an end to our hostility against our enemies and their sufferings.” In addition, the Britannica has an added account: “Sodeke (Shodeke), a hunter and leader of the Egba refugees who fled from the disintegrating Oyo empire, founded about 1830 a principality at Abeokuta in what is now the north-central part of the state” (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sodeke). The Egba people exploited the Olumo fortress against the backlash from the Oyo warriors. In essence, the Egbas courageously but strategically outwitted the dreaded Oyo warriors at Abeokuta, thus taking their independence by force albeit sagaciously. Olumo provided a seeming refuge from the invading Oyo army.  

What is strategy? “The word strategy is from the original Greek word, strategos. This is a military terminology associated with the general’s plan for organizing forces in order to defeat an adversary in battle … in other words, strategy can be described as a laid-out plan to reach a mutual goal. This laid-out plan is arrived at after careful consideration and deliberation requiring rigorous thinking process with the main outcome of solving envisaged problems.” (Ekundayo, J. M. O (2022)., in “TINUBU: TRAJECTORY TO THE THRONE”, published by Amazon.com, p. 12). In the treatise tracking Tinubu’s trajectory to the throne, this columnist, wearing the cap of a researcher and scholar in followership studies, succinctly and saliently perceived his leadership style, as a strategic leader: in colour, content and context. Prior to arriving at this perception, yours sincerely conscientiously and consciously tracked the leadership reflexes of the enigmatic Tinubu right from his days as a top corporate executive, activist, distinguished senator of the Federal Republic and Governor of Lagos State. At this juncture, it is contextual to pontificate the link between strategy, in organizations and polities, vis-à-vis change and innovation. More on this later in this article.

Abeokuta’s Angst: Arrowed Antagonists

Shortly before the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election at the Eagle’s Square, Abuja, Asiwaju Tinubu was at the ancient city of Abeokuta. He lamented against the awkward disposition to his aspiration from influential quarters in the ruling party who seemingly and surreptitiously stood against his emergence. Tinubu was unsparing in his remarks declaring openly, inter alia, that he had been supporting others to fulfil their ambitions or aspirations. He candidly declared: it is my turn (emi lokan)! The opposition twisted this out of context to paint Tinubu as seeking for a sense of entitlement whereas he was referring to certain political permutation and arrangement within his party. Tinubu, being a known democrat, would not advocate any sense of entitlement outside an open ballot. The Abeokuta incident ruffled feathers of some top party members especially in the seat of power in Abuja. However, the APC Governors of northern extraction, led by the vociferous Governor Nasir El Rufai, stood like the proverbial Olumo Rock behind Tinubu’s aspiration by openly declaring that indeed after eight years of the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, the power should rotate to the southern part of Nigeria. This was the original position of the southern governors that was defied by the main opposition party, the People Democratic Party (PDP). In the latter, the internecine imbroglio is raging by the day with the angst of the G5 Governors becoming implacable less than two weeks to the presidential poll. Thankfully, President Buhari rose up to the occasion by ensuring a level playing field at the APC presidential primary by not anointing, covertly or overtly, any presidential aspirant. In the final outcome, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged as the APC presidential flag bearer.

Tinubu was at it again! The APC rally at Abeokuta was in the news. The day was Wednesday 25th January 2023. Venue was the historic MKO Abiola International Stadium. It was titanic Tinubu tinkering, as a sagacious strategist, loudly to the hearing of all that cared for the wellness of Nigeria that the twin evil of fuel scarcity and currency sway was targeted to stop his ambition but that he was undaunted and unyielding. He therefore charged his supporters nationwide to stop at nothing in ensuring they cast their votes at the February 25th poll. The main opposition charged again at him with the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, surprisingly supporting the CBN unpopular policy. However, sensing the angry populace backlash, he recanted his earlier stand and stake. It is remarkable to state that few days after Tinubu courageously made the remarks in Abeokuta, there was heightened hardship in getting cash to spend and fuel to power Nigerians’ vehicles. The commercial banks were still issuing out old notes within few days to the initial 31st January 2023 deadline! In fact, about forty-eight hours to the expiration of the deadline, there was seemingly no new notes being given out even as the old notes became scarce as well necessitating the extension of the deadline to 10th February 2023. The angst of the populace has resulted in protests in certain cities of the country. However, to the main opposition party, PDP, the angst of Tinubu is unfounded as his party is in power and should therefore be able to address the issues. Unknown to the opposition, Asiwaju, as his title truly depicts, as a strategist could see far beyond the visible. He was directing his verbal volleys at the fifth columnists within his party who apparently are planning clandestinely to scuttle his bright chances at the poll. These people ostensibly referred to as the ubiquitous cabal, seemingly known to Tinubu, are ready to gift the presidency to the main opposition, the PDP. The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, has promised to unmask this notorious group at the appropriate time. It will be interesting and intriguing knowing them. However, in retrospect, where was the cabal of the Umaru Yar-Adua era? In the dustbin of history! This too, will soon pass, according to a great thinker!!  As this columnist is about to hit the press with this article, unfortunately commercial banks in Lagos, fearing unleashing of customers’ wrath, have shut their doors to any transaction. Sadly, automated teller machines (ATM) have stopped dispensing in most of the banks. Regrettably, the online platforms of many banks have stopped functioning or at most, working partially! Where do we go from here as a country? Why in this season when elections are knocking at the door? Has Asiwaju, as a foresighted and farsighted strategic leader, not read the handwriting on the wall prior to this time? Is it not stated in Yoruba common parlance: “ti omode ba gegi ninu igbo, awon agba lo mo ibi to ma wo si” (meaning: when the children are chopping trees within the forest, it is the elders that know where the falling tree will land).

 Saliently Strategizing

Surmising, in form of summary or synopsis, from this write up, why is Abeokuta chosen for these two verbal volleys at the fifth columnists who are seemingly holding the soul of the ruling APC by the jugular? Could it be traced to the historical foundation of the strategic warfare patterns of Sodeke and Lisabi, the Egba founding fathers? Moreover, analysts could also ascribe this to the antecedents of the late Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Aare Moshood Kasimawo Osuolale Abiola (ala MKO). MKO Abiola was not known politically to be ambivalent or ambiguous; in his lifetime, he was vociferous and often laced his expressions with rich Yoruba proverbs to make his stand and stake clear to all not caring whose ox was gored in the process. Yours sincerely was on TVC News Breakfast programme within the week on the review of my new book on Tinubu’s Trajectory to the throne published by Amazon. One of the anchors was inquisitive about what inspired me about Tinubu that necessitated writing a 293-paged treatise on him. I succinctly stated that it was his sagacious strategic approach to leadership. There are six skill sets of s sagacious strategic leader according to scholars in the field of strategic leadership. These are evident in his leadership right from his days as top corporate executive to serving as a two-term Lagos Governor. I will mention these skill sets briefly now but revisit them in this column not far from now. Listing them, these are: Anticipate, Challenge, Interpret, Decide, Align and Learn. Summarily, Tinubu was able before the presidential primary election of APC to discreetly discern by anticipating; he wasted no time in challenging the ugly trend which eventually nailed the enemies within; he already interpreted, ahead of time, the outcome whether positive or otherwise; he also knew as a strategist that indecision could put his well laid-out plan in disarray; thereafter, he aligned the outcome to the big picture – his aspiration! Ultimately, what are the “lessons learnt” in the whole process? This is the whole gamut in actionizing strategic leadership. Going by the outcome of Tinubu’s first mission to Abeokuta eight months ago, that literally reset things appropriately in the ruling APC thus paving the way for a level playing field that ensured his emergence as the flag bearer, could this second mission kowtow the line of the first one for the seeming stormy petrel of Nigeria’s political landscape? The day, 25th February 2023 will definitely declare it!

•Ekundayo, Ph.D. –  can be reached via +2348030598267 (WhatsApp only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com