“…Tinubu should enjoy his legacy of what he claims to have done in Lagos… but this is not his moment. His day has been and gone!”
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The recent Press Statement by the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, signed by Festus Keyamo, SAN, Director of Public Affairs and Chief Spokesperson, Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council titled: OBASEKI’S ‘BREAK-UP’ STATEMENT: A STUDY IN SHEER HYPOCRISY is considered most unfortunate and gravely undermining of an objective call for Nigerians to critically examine and address the political party that has triggered some of the very pertinent issues currently suffocating the strength of our unity, national security as well as economic survival.
It certainly wasn’t an outburst as alluded to by the one-time human rights activist but a careful and factual assessment.
It is infantile and mischievous for an S.A.N. to misrepresent a response to a question by our Presidential Candidate, H.E. Atiku Abubarkar. I won’t waste Nigerians’ time explaining that, as discerning minds know exactly what Atiku said. The only candidate that has made outrageous, divisive and entitlement statement is Keyamo’s principal, who has added the Yoruba word Emilokán to Nigeria’s political lexicon.
With his principals’ entitlement mentality, when we hear Keyamo talk about historical stance of APC northern governors, we giggle in disbelief and wonder if he believes what he is saying as it is common knowledge that out of fear, blackmail, Emilokán and lack of self-conviction on how to sell the APC brand to Nigerians, they refused to contest.
Even offering them power as alluded to by Keyamo was not enough incentive for Governors too embarrassed to campaign with their party’s catastrophic handlings of our nation’s affairs in the last 7 years.
Isn’t it hypocritical that a party that ran a northern candidate against a serving southern incumbent one term President in 2015 will today call anyone insensitive to power rotation? APC and its co-travelers should lay on the bed they made.
Isn’t it hypocritical, when against the sensibilities of all well-meaning Nigerians, with different religious bodies and even the fair-minded members of the APC; the APC is still adamantly defending a Muslim-Muslim ticket of their Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates? Any interest which seriously believes in our continuous unity should feel provoked and be suggestive of ways to avoid the apparent calamity which the APC is aiming to foist on our political space with such stubborn and obtrusive political ambition which glaringly is a departure from the understanding, fair play, tolerance, fellow-feelings and patriotic fervours that have nurtured our togetherness thus far. Isn’t this hypocritical?
When building political blocs, apart from the agglomeration of different interests with concerns which appeal to all, it cannot be overemphasized that Nigeria has never witnessed greater agitation for ethnic separatism as it stands today. Considering the role religion and sectional favoritisms in national appointments have caused, the call to have a rethink of all endangering factors should be critical to all.
Apart from the restitution of our economy, the PDP currently presents the surest aim of unifying our nation at the brink of disintegration.
As it stands today, the APC has become a revolving door of desperation for power, the Emilokán syndrome fueled by crass ignorance, senseless power hound, apparent lack of empathy for bringing governance into a pitiable state of despair; for which all well-meaning Nigerians must strenuously resist from continuing to devalue.
Regretfully, the APC has been given a great chance at governance at the centre. We can all attest to the general abysmal state of affairs today. Nigerians have the benefit of making comparison. And we even hear how the APC Presidential candidate has been going about campaigning on how to build on their apparently pitiable legacies. Tinubu should enjoy his legacy of what he claims to have done in Lagos… but this is not his moment. His day has been and gone!
With the benefit of hindsight, Nigerians are wiser now. They understand that Godwin Obaseki was not merely making a political campaign statement, but a call for self-appraisal and national preservation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Osa Nehikhare
Deputy Director, Media & Publicity
State Campaign Management Council
Hon. Commissioner for Communication and Orientation
Edo State
