Incontrovertibly, ‘God’s time is the best’. For Bola Ahmed Tinubu this is just apt. ‘Time is a storm in which we are all lost’. We all have been lost as to when Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential ambition berthed on the shores of Nigeria’s democracy. ‘The two most powerful warriors are patience and time’. Tinubu’s story has taken a lot of time, deploying patience to sustain a steady trajectory that has seen him rise to greatness, gobbling up all the undertaking elements that could have decimated his ambition and political profile.
His patience, political brickmanship, wealth, and wealth of experience, and ultimately God’s blessing, have all come together at the right time to make him the President of Nigeria on May 29, 2023. His ambition has taken almost all of his 71 years, rising to a crescendo of deft and determined politicking in the last 15 years.
Tinubu is rightly the father of modern day Nigerian politics, being one of the oldest in the game, and, of course, the most successful so far. His ambition can be traced way back to the NADECO days when he, alongside the Wole Soyinkas, fought to bring an end to military rule in Nigeria.
When in 2011, he sought to have a merger between his party, the ACN, and PMB’s CPC, to oust the ruling party, the PDP, he knew it wasn’t just time yet, for him to vie for the presidency. He appreciated PMB’s massive following in the North and knew that having him on his side, would be a headstart, if he wanted to become relevant at the center of Nigeria’s politics. He had already achieved the much needed regional power and dominance, and definitely needed a partnership with other regions of the country.
He had practically chased out Obasanjo’s PDP from the South-west and was on his way to spread his political tentacles and make alliances across the Niger. Obviously, Buhari was the go to guy as far as northern politics was concerned. The merger wasn’t to be and Tinubu did not abandon ship, rather he went back to restrategise, to come back stronger. He appreciated the importance of timing and he knew it just wasn’t the right time.
He remained patient till 2015 and he would come again for the PDP. This time, all the issues that made for the failure of the 2011 merger were addressed. It became a successful merger with patience and determination.
The PDP would also implode, and Tinubu’s new party, the APC, would attract five serving governors from the PDP. The patience of Tinubu and, of course, time, made this happen. God’s blessings were truly at play as never had an incumbent Nigerian president lost at the polls.
Tinubu pushed for Professor Yemi Osinbajo as a running mate to PMB. A Muslim-Muslim ticket, it was thought, wouldn’t fly at the time. BAT succumbed to this prophecy and supported Osinbajo’s candidacy. He wholeheartedly campaigned for the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket, and it’s been eight years since that famous victory.
In 2019, Tinubu did not decamp to contest against Buhari, like Abubakar Atiku did. He remained in the party and supported PMB for a second term. Tinubu came back to fight for the leadership of the ninth assembly within the APC. In 2015, he had lost the battle to have Senator Ahmad Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as Senate President and Speaker, respectively.
He won that battle and It’s been four years now of a harmonious working relationship between the two houses and the presidency. This is unlike the rancour filled, anti party and anti government disposition of the eighth assembly where government’s projects and initiatives suffered setbacks from the leadership of the legislature who belong to the same ruling party.
In 2023, Tinubu would face even stiffer, more diabolical and determined elements, who had decided it was their calling to stop Tinubu, on a 25-year project, and anoint a president for Nigeria. From trying to make the APC implode, to imposing their own presidential candidate(s), to causing untold economic hardship, they deployed all the humanly possible efforts they could, to make sure Tinubu did not emerge, and after he did, to make sure he did not win.
Even after winning, they would not stop at it, as one dubious scheme or the other surfaces. Even an interim government idea has been toyed with but with God on his side, Tinubu won and will be sworn in as president in a matter of days.
After decades of trying, and nurturing a political dynasty that has traversed all the relevant political coordinates of this country, God has said it is Tinubu’s Time. Time magazine, in its recent publication, named Bola Ahmed Tinubu as one of the most influential people of 2023. BAT is, today, one of Time’s best 100. He was picked alongside 20 other world leaders who made the list. Time recognises leaders by means of their activism, innovation, and achievements in their respective fields of endeavour.
Winning an election in the world’s most populous black nation is no easy feat, it said. He has had over two decades to prepare though. His political associates he has known and worked with, for a very long time. His vice president-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, you would appreciate, has known Tinubu for almost 20 years.
So, Tinubu’s journey was not just batched up and consummated in one year or two. Not even in a decade. It took decades of hardwork, resilience, patience and a lot of time. So, when this time Tinubu prayed in the face of stark betrayal, “Emi lo kan”, God answered yes, ‘It is Tinubu’s time’!
Tahir is Talban Bauchi.
It’s Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s time
