The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph – Thomas Paine
Mudslinging is a major part of political campaigns. While in the US it is called the kitchen sink and politicians and their handlers use it in moderation, Nigerian politicians who, in the main, behave like implacable young Turks, literally empty pit latrines on their opponents as unfounded allegations are thrown at will. Indeed one politician was quoted to have said “If you aspire to public office, be ready to be told the number and names of men that messed with your mom before she got married”.
With a background of this nature, the journey to Nigeria’s political leadership is thus not for the faint-hearted, as it is fraught with outstanding challenges and obstacles including outright vilification, maligning, and libeling of political opponents.
In the case of President Tinubu, his decision to contest the presidency of Nigeria was met with a baptism of fire, acid, and shit. Without a grain of a doubt, he has been the most mocked, abused, and caricatured candidate and now president. Notwithstanding the overdose of mockery, burlesque, accusations, and intentional prophecies of doom, Tinubu emerged victorious, showcasing an uncommon resilience and determination in the face of organised adversity.
His entry into the presidential race was met with ridicule and parody. He had observed with utmost dismay that a clique within his party, the All Progressives Congress, (APC) who had a preferred candidate, wanted to muscle him out of the race. It was an almost frustrated PBAT that echoed “emilokan” to his audience at Abeokuta. Soon the word emilokan became his second name. A popular club latched onto this and did a road show with the new name Emilokan.
Detractors and political opponents attempted to undermine his credibility by portraying him as old and infirm. Ugly photo-shopped photographs and doctored videos of him with a wet butt and tremors of the hand even at rest appeared online and went viral. But the man was unfazed. As a rare political strategist in the mold of Sun Tzu, he trudged on, unperturbed, with eyes fixed on the prize. True leadership is not determined by age alone but by vision, experience, and the ability to inspire change which he has in abundance. Unburdened by the mockery on social media, Tinubu’s accomplishments and political acumen spoke louder and eloquently to him and the electorate than the baseless caricatures.
At the height of the political barnstorming, accusations of being a drug baron were leveled against him, to tarnish his reputation and character. However, discerning Nigerians knew that the accusations were baseless since they were not supported by concrete evidence before passing judgment. A letter from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that absolved him of any criminal records in the US was dismissed as forged. Those who dared to support or defend him on social media were harassed, harangued, and cyber-lynched by bullies. Whereas the focus should be on evaluating a candidate’s policies, capabilities, and commitment to public service, many Nigerians were swayed by the social media campaign of calumny against PBAT.
Months before the election, Nigerians experienced one of the most protracted fuel scarcities. With the benefit of hindsight, it is believed that it was contrived to do PBAT in. While the fuel crisis was still lingering, the CBN announced a currency redesign project which was poorly conceived and implemented. Currency was scarce and Nigerians saw hell since they couldn’t access their cash trapped in bank vaults. It was apparent even to the unwary that the currency redesign was targeted at PBAT to deprive him of funds since it was erroneously believed that PBAT was suffused with cash which he could use to buy votes. It was believed by the opposition politicians that the deadly combination of fuel and cash scarcity was enough to turn the electorate against the ruling party which incidentally is the party of PBAT.
However, in contrast to the forced opinion polls and fake prophecies by some charlatans who called themselves prophets of God that gave victory to Obi, PBAT won the elections convincingly with 8,794,726 votes to Atiku’s 6,984,520 and Obi’s 6,101,533 votes. PBAT also scored over 25% of the votes cast in 30 States, 6 more States than the constitutionally required 24.
As has become customary of Nigerian politicians who do not accept defeat, the losers took their case to the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. Again, in a detailed judgment that took about 12 hours, the 5 judges were unanimous in giving victory to President PBAT.
Before this time however, in a show of shame that brought indelible dishonor to the religion of Christianity, known and unknown entities who parade themselves as prophets, ‘prophesied’ the demise of President Tinubu before May 29 the date of his inauguration and his arrest by the military on his inauguration date.
That Tinubu prevailed in the face of these prophecies and unrelenting prayers for his death is a testament to a divine force that is propelling him. While the case was before the PEPT, the Obidient Movement started a campaign of “All Eyes On the Judiciary” ostensibly carefully planned to blackmail the judges into delivering a judgment that is unfavorable to PBAT.
The judges of the PEPT gave no hoot to the campaign of blackmail. The victory of Tinubu in the presidential election was affirmed, proving his popularity and the trust placed in him by the Nigerian people. His victory at the polls and in the PEPT is a testament to his ability to connect with citizens, articulate a compelling vision, and inspire hope for a better future. It also highlights the maturity of the electorate in discerning baseless accusations from genuine leadership potential.
But the traducers were not done. Off they went to Chicago to dig for his academic records in the mistaken belief that the degree certificate that he submitted to INEC was forged. PBAT’s lawyers indulged them in delaying tactics to further raise their false hope. As expected, the legal calisthenics in Chicago ended with wailing and tears, once again, for those who went into the rectum of PBAT seeking to find what was not there. The much sought-after academic records were released and everywhere became resoundingly quiet.
President Tinubu’s odyssey serves as a reminder that a political leadership position is not for the faint-hearted. It requires resilience, fortitude, a heart of steel, and an unwavering commitment to the betterment of society. The challenges he faced during his campaign and still facing from the antics of those suffering *post-election defeat disorder should serve as motivation for him to lead with purpose, addressing the issues that matter most to the Nigerian people. The contest was fierce and the triumph was glorious. President Tinubu’s long walk to the presidency of Nigeria has been marked by adversity, including mockery, unfounded accusations, fake news, and prophecies of doom. His glorious triumph in the face of these challenges demonstrates his strength of character and determination to serve the nation. It is crucial to support him in his renewed hope effort to lead with integrity, address pressing issues, and foster unity and sustainable progress for Nigeria. The current economic situation in Nigeria is less than satisfactory. However, the darkest hour is before dawn. PBAT is an egghead who will pull Nigeria from the brink and put her on the path to sustainable development. His pedigree speaks eloquently to this. Let the President be.
Dr. Prosper Ahworegba, a Physician, Healthcare Administrator and Chartered Management Consultant wrote from Abuja.
