I admire those who stood guard in the grinding cold weather outside the Chatham House for the purpose of defending the mandate many of us believe in. I would have chosen to be out there too but I’m not getting younger anymore.
I recall in history about 30 years ago, the similar roles myself and other young Nigerian professionals played during the Trafalgar Square Declaration and many events leading to it of Chief Moshood Abiola’s presidency. We were young, we were suave, we were well educated and we believed so much in the content and packaging to salvage our nation but alas, it was truncated.
The Tinubu Mandate is an epic one no matter how faulty it is. It is recurring after 30 and 60 years that Chief Abiola and our sage, chief Awolowo who are all from the Yoruba race made efforts to lead the country but were flatly and wickedly denied of it. Should we allow such to happen again? Should we throw the baby away with the bath water? I guess not.
Yes, Tinubu is not a saint but who is? Again, Tinubu cannot know it all, tell me anyone who has ever known it all except God. Why then do we condemn him always for his minor gaffes? Why do we detest success when we see or notice it in others? Why do we pray for their downfall?
Everyone at a point in life may have health challenges but the Tinubu I saw live and direct yesterday was as fit as a fiddle and his intellect was perfectly intact and definitely has something to offer this generation based on experience he has garnered over the years. He is well qualified to lead just like me and and has been bold enough to put himself out there.
It is left for you to vote for him or not but don’t destroy his image with your lies, untruths and misinformation. You have a choice to either vote for him or any of his opposing candidates. That’s your prerogative.
To the Yoruba Nation agitators, you have never been wrong in your quest for a just and better nation for our people. Your cries are over the catalogue of injustices meted to our leaders at various points in time, from Obafemi Awolowo, Moshood Abiola, Olusegun Obasanjo had a taste of it, so also was Dipo Diya and many others I cannot begin to name here.
Truly, our people are feeling the heat of injustice through misgovernance, life is becoming short and brutish through deliberate actions or inactions of government. Insecurity has permeated and pervaded the country causing food shortages, ritual killings, armed robbery etc. we must continue to stand for our nation and race and endeavour to protect the weak from those ravishingly engendering to trample on our heritage. It is a call to duty.
Nevertheless, we must exert wisdom, we must be sensible, we must allow knowledge to flow through our hearts and souls in order to gain our foothold again. We are a race that has been through many internal wars, slavery and colonialism. We seriously need wisdom and understanding to be able to overcome what we have been through.
Let us gather our strength behind a man who has risen to queue behind Oduduwa, Oranmiyan, Awolowo and Abiola and maybe we not have a cause to regret for doing so.
Dr George Olufemi Ogunjimi
Bamofin of Ojo Kingdom, Lagos writes from Goffs Oak, UK.
