It is no longer news that a few days ago, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the APC National leader embarrassed the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun in public.
Tinubu, who had gone to the state to meet with APC delegates, in his speech, said but for him and God, Dapo Abiodun would not have been Governor of the state today.
Asiwaju’s outburst came as a big shock to many because he is usually not that blunt and confrontational in his speeches. Months back, he had also told his aides not to attack any of his associates, who attacks his personality. So, why did Tinubu now take on Abiodun frontally?
We can tell you why. City People spoke to a few of Tinubu’s aides and we gathered that it was because Tinubu felt, Abiodun who he helped to power, had repeatedly betrayed him since he became the Governor of Ogun State. And over the last few weeks, he had refused to show support for Tinubu's presidential ambition.
What immediately triggered Tinubu’s anger was Abiodun’s non-commital Welcome Speech, wherein he said the delegates will do the right thing. Tinubu had expected the Governor to show some support for him, but Prince Dapo Abiodun who kept an expressionless mien didn’t say anything in his speech to show support for Tinubu’s cause. Yet, weeks before now when Osinbajo visited the delegates, he had openly embraced the VP and had revealed that it was Osinbajo who supported his bid for governorship years back.
According to an insider, Tinubu who had for months been tolerating Abiodun’s antics decided to give it to Gov. Abiodun publicly. Before now, Tinubu had also received reports of how Gov. Dapo Abiodun was reluctant in supporting SWAGA, which was set up to promote Tinubu’s presidential ambition. Unlike other governors, Dapo Abiodun had refused to openly associate with Tinubu’s ambition, preferring to tilt towards VP Osinbajo’s ambition.
Tinubu’s aides further explained that what got their leader all the angrier was the fact that despite how Tinubu stuck out his neck for Abiodun in 2019 when he wanted to be Ogun State Governor, Abiodun never showed appreciation. Insiders revealed that it was Tinubu who got all the key political players in Ogun State to support Abiodun’s candidacy when Senator Ibikunle Amosun was bent on stopping Dapo in 2019. Since Tinubu’s Abeokuta speech, a lot of political analysts and insiders who should know have revealed a lot more about how Gov. Dapo Abiodun betrayed Tinubu.
Veteran journalist, Gbemiga Ogunleye wrote about it in his article titled Asiwaju Goes For Broke!
According to him, "A couple of weeks ago, on April 29th to be precise, I sent a message to my friend of over two decades, Richard Akinnola, complaining about a news report credited to Vice- President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to the effect that Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, nominated Osinbajo as the Vice-President. For the uninitiated, Akinnola is a respected journalist, celebrated human rights activist and influential social media influencer. Presently, he is at the forefront of the campaign for his friend, the Vice-President, to be the President of Nigeria.
"I told Akinnola to advise his friend to stick to his usual refrain: that it would be a disservice to the nation if he doesn’t contest for the Presidency and to emphasise his experience and expertise. I also told him that the VP could leverage on the fact that he wouldn’t have to learn on the job if he elected."
"Crediting Aregbesola, a man who had just thrown Tinubu, his benefactor, under the bus, with his nomination as VP was low, I told my friend. Akinnola promptly responded, and said what the VP said was that Aregbesola notified him of his nomination not that the goatee-spotting Minister nominated him. Even then, he agreed with me that the VP ought not to have said that and promised that he would tell the VP."
"It is in the light of incidents like this that we should situate Tinubu’s outburst of Thursday, when he met the Ogun State All Progressives Congress, APC, delegates in Abeokuta. At the meeting, an angry Tinubu had said without him and God, the President, the VP and the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, wouldn’t be holding the positions they are holding."
"Those close to Tinubu say it’s not in the character of the man to talk in that manner. But that the Jagaban of Borgu had been pushed to the wall by those bent on frustrating him within the APC. They say it is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that the Jagaban of Borgu, who has campaigned in more states than all the presidential aspirants in the APC is the man to beat. Therefore, the man couldn’t understand why obstacles are deliberately being put on his way. They allege that the President deliberately encouraged serving Ministers to enter the race to frustrate Tinubu’s ambition."
"The idea of a consensus arrangement is also a ploy to screen Tinubu out.
The attempt to draft former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, were also cited as attempts to frustrate Tinubu out of the presidential race. Tinubu's sympathisers also allege that, picking John Odigie Oyegun, a former chairman of the APC, who doesn’t see eye to eye with Tinubu to chair the APC’s screening committee was another attempt to throw a spanner in the wheels of the Jagaban’s presidential ambition."
"To make matters worse, was the President’s address to the APC Governors, shortly before he travelled out to Spain, that he be allowed to choose a successor since the APC had a policy where the Governors had a hand in choosing their successors."
"It is in this light, Tinubu’s supporters argue, that we should situate Jagaban’s outburst on Thursday."
"Come to think of it, if a man is pushed to the wall, what do you expect him to do? All Tinubu is asking for, say his admirers, is a level-playing field where all aspirants are allowed to test their popularity. Come to think of it, have critics bothered to ask why the Jagaban had to put Dapo Abiodun in his shoes?
"For God’s sake, Abiodun has a right to throw his weight behind his preferred candidate but he has no right to distort history. As Asiwaju rightly pointed out, Abiodun’s predecessor, Ibikunle Amosun, a fellow APC man didn’t want Abiodun and wanted his protege to succeed him but it was Asiwaju who threw his weight behind Abiodun and ensured his emergence as Governor. Indeed, when the APC presidential candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari came to campaign in Abeokuta, he urged the party supporters to vote for him as President but that they were free to vote for anybody in the other elections. He didn’t campaign for his party candidate, Dapo Abiodun. Buhari did this because he didn’t want to offend his friend Ibikunle Amosun. Furthermore, according to those close to the Asiwaju, Dapo Abiodun had been avoiding receiving the Jagaban. Each time the Jagaban informed him of his plan to come and campaign to the Ogun delegates, Abiodun always found an excuse to discourage the Jagaban. It’s either he wouldn’t be in town or he was indisposed. To add insult to injury, when the Vice-President came on his campaign trail, he publicly credited the Vice-President with his emergence as Governor. That was too much for the Jagaban to take, hence his outburst."
"Those who accuse the Jagaban of having a sense of entitlement, forget that he wasn’t talking to the country. He was addressing his party men (and women), reminding them of how much he has sacrificed for the party."
"He reminded them that but for his sacrifice, the President Buhari wouldn’t have achieved his ambition."
"As a human being, it is natural for Tinubu to expect Buhari not to be antagonistic to his ambition, even if he would not support him. Thrice Buhari tried to be Nigeria’s President. Thrice he failed until Tinubu went to him and the rest, as they say, is history."
"Those who are against Tinubu’s ambition make a song and dance of his so-called baggage. Pray, which human being doesn’t have baggage? Which human being hasn’t done something he or she is not proud of?
On the same issue, another writer wrote: “It is most unfortunate that people on several occasions will neither take time to ponder on issues deeply, before making an erroneous conclusion on a matter that they know nothing about!
"When Amosun was fighting and frustrating Dapo with violent determination to truncate his gubernatorial ambition, he visited Osinbajo in Abuja for help but Osinbajo didn’t have the required political mechanism to save him. He advised Dapo to go and meet Asiwaju."
"He ran to Tinubu in Lagos for cover and reinforcement! It was Tinubu that galvanized political muscle to save him through the support of Chief Olusegun Osoba and Chief Gbenga Daniel that eventually scattered Amosun’s warring camp against Dapo. Asiwaju hugely funded his campaign and other logistics."
"Now, Asiwaju Tinubu had severally informed Dapo that he was coming to meet Ogun State delegates and, Dapo was dribbling him, by telling him that he won’t be available to welcome him! Asiwaju eventually told him not to bother, that he will visit Abeokuta even without Governor’s presence. That was when Dapo rushed back to Abeokuta!"
"There is no one in Asiwaju’s shoes that will not be tempted to get annoyed with the Shoddy way he is being treated. An associate of Tinubu wrote: People could be wicked and selfish. I faced guns in Odogbolu for Dapo during his campaigns and I was seconded from the Asiwaju camp. My story no be interesting one, but anybody I’ve ever benefitted from I will never come back to disparage even if the person hurt me as Dapo did.”
Another writer, Akanni Oladimeji Balogun whose nickname is Licensed Sugar Daddy wrote about, Asiwaju, Osinbajo, Amosun and Dapo Abiodun. He took his reader down memory lane. From what he wrote, he is an insider. “In the race towards the Ogun APC primaries in 2019, Senator Amosun had pocketed all the 40 elective offices which he announced publicly via “Breaking News” at the presidential lodge in Abeokuta. Initially, Dapo Abiodun was supposed to be given the Senatorial ticket of Ogun East under the 40/40 arrangement of Amosun but along the line, things fell apart between the two."
Prince Dapo Abiodun got VP Osinbajo and Kemi Adeosun involved, but they tried endlessly to make peace, but Amosun, decided to drag his old-time friend, Dapo Abiodun in the mud. At this point, Dapo Abiodun himself vowed to go for the Number one seat himself to show Amosun that before he ventured into politics, he had already won an election as a Senator in 1998 under UNCP. This was what led Dapo Abiodun to Asiwaju Tinubu, Gbajabiamila and Senator YAYI."
"For those that don’t know, DA in 2015 led Amosun to the palace of Awujale to plead with Akinrogun Osoba, so that Amosun can have a smooth 2015 election. In the same way Amosun at the hilltop home of OBJ to begged Baba to shut his support for GNI so he can also have a smooth 2015 election... All these people are still alive!"
Prince Dapo Abiodun approached Asiwaju and Gbaja because he was aware that the YAYI structure was a formidable one and he needed that structure to fight Amosun. DA got Asiwaju to pave way for him at the national level. Asiwaju was practically moving up and down for DA to have a successful primary against an Amosun who had a 100% party structure.
In all these, the VP was not in the picture yet! This was why Amosun kept on ranting and made several newspaper publications accusing Asiwaju of rigging the primary in favour of DA."
Now, this is where the story gets interesting...
Amosun being close to Buhari made several frantic visits to the Villa to get the President to step into the Ogun State matter.
Now, the VP came into the picture...
DA was also disturbed and needed backing right inside the Presidency. He approached the VP who truly tried his best, which of course infuriated Asiwaju. The VP only actively gave support during the election when every other thing had been sorted by Asiwaju with Yayi providing Structure. Osinbajo was only in charge of the security architecture. He actually played that part so so well."
So when the VP came to meet delegates and party stakeholders in Ogun State in April, DA for whatever reason chose to rewrite history and decided to throw past genuine efforts into the dust bin. He said to the delegates and party stakeholders that the VP was the reason why he’s a Governor today while denigrating his main benefactor."
"For every action, there is always an opposite reaction. Asiwaju needs to set the record straight. He’s human. He feels betrayed. Insiders say it was the same steadfastness of Oshiomole on this DA’s primary that cost him his position. That’s a huge sacrifice for the Governor to rubbish.
“Eleyi” is one of the least ways Asiwaju could have used to describe someone that threw sacrifices of so many into the trash can without even blinking!
This is politics! Osinbajo didn’t contribute a dime! The only name Oshiomole forwarded for a political appointment was thrown into the trash bin by the Governor. That person is a politician from Ogun State too. This was one of the major reasons Adeosun was destroyed.
Lastly, before anyone reacts to Tinubu’s statement in Abeokuta, be sure you know the story behind it. The fact! Yoruba will say “Isoro ni igbesi”.
Another writer has also wondered why people are castigating Tinubu. “But why are we taking all these on Tinubu. We should always remember that Tinubu himself is a human being that has blood flowing in his arteries."
"Some of us who are talking about this man, if we are put in his position will do worse than he has done. What position have some people in the church or society attained that they do whatever they want or like believing that nobody can reprimand them?
Appreciate that when a goat is pushed to the wall, he will fight back. Virtually aål friends and foes of Tinubu are against him even to the level people he made for lust for power. It is painful and misguided when you see the people you made coming up against you. Is it that easy? This is the position of Tinubu now which everybody must realise.
How many of us can pass through the persecution that Tinubu is going through and still keep quiet. Not even to Governor Abiodun who we all know his antics and misgivings. This is a nation where we hail thieves and celebrate the rogues."
"Now let’s take Tinubu out from the list of contestants in APC. Who is remaining there that can stand Atiku of PDP? Thereafter we start complaining about marginalization or Fulanization. Look at how the northerners weaved wool around Atiku when it was getting clear that Wike was lead bound."
"Please let's leave whatever Tinubu must have done even yesterday and face reality, or else we Southerners are going to be the loser. The war Tinubu is fighting now is existential in the situation where his life ambition is threatened."
"If Tinubu is out of the equation, Yoruba will be lucky to have the deputy speakership. Here is a man that gave us the Vice Presidency and the speakership of the house. With all his downsides, he is still a man to be reckoned with."
Orun ma wo, ki se oro enikan. My take.
There are those who insist that it was Tinubu who put pressure on Chief Osoba to support Abiodun's bid in 2019. According to sources, "Chief Olusegun Osoba didn’t initially support Amosun but Tinubu prevailed on him. Amosun became Governor. Amosun resisted Dapo Abiodun; Tinubu fought for Dapo to be Governor. It’s EASY for Tinubu to FIGHT for them when they were helpless but we are seeing how EASY it is for them to GANG UP against him!"
Another writer, Akhine asked Nigerians to put themselves in Asiwaju’s shoes. “In 2018, when it was obvious that the outgoing Governor of Ogun State was bent on installing his own stooge as a successor, Osinbajo rushed to his now-estranged benefactor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu stating that as a sitting VP how can he not be able to pick and make a Governor in his home state – that this is a political disgrace for him."
According to the writer: Asiwaju detailed one of his associates in Ogun State, a prominent prince and House of Reps member, who in collaboration with 2 former Governors organized the Governorship primaries and snatched the ticket from the then incumbent, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. It took a detachment of police officers from Lagos and the goodwill of the actors to free the delegates at that time who were held hostage for over 3 hours by hoodlums at the venue of the primaries. These are recent political happenings and the players are still alive."
"After the primaries, Prince Dapo Abiodun now went back to Tinubu, not Osinbajo for further discussions. It was Tinubu who made it happen then. Finally, he became Governor of Ogun State."
"And this is the same Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who wanted to visit Ogun State for Consultation with delegates, the first time and the Governor dodged him, giving excuse not to receive him. He still came, saw the delegates and left."
"Again when he was in Ibadan, he had planned to come to Ogun state with the Governor's initial consent, he now backtracked to ask Tinubu to reschedule the visit for another day, because he was busy in Abuja and not available to receive him.
Asiwaju said he should not worry, that he will go ahead with his visit and still meet with the delegates again. It was at this insistence that Gov. Abiodun rushed back. And people are saying Asiwaju should not be outraged and angry."
"No one in his shoes would condone such an insult “egbin”, that this man, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been subjected to without pulling all the stops. Put yourselves in his shoes.
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