Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ABAT, has done it again and I have been coached into curating these pieces into a series – seeking to capture on a new national level, Jagaban’s ‘point and kill’ like leadership acumen, of identifying potentials and other human resources that can be utilised in achieving very numerous developmental goals. In my previous piece, ‘ABAT: Gov. Yahaya Bello as a prudent choice for National Youth Coordinator of the Presidential Campaign Council’, I exemplified Asiwaju’s knack for assembling persons of unique abilities, requisite knowledge and sometimes experience; whom he drives to produce outstanding results in governance and nation building. The quest to shape a future dotted with promising and valuable leadership quality often informs Asiwaju’s careful and prudent assemblage that never ceases to be result oriented, and development driven. Two to three generations of the greater majority of Nigeria’s population are fast catching onto this realisation. This simplifies the bandwagon effect that ABAT’s campaign has right now, and will continue to ride on significantly, in the coming days and weeks of intense campaigns.
First was Gov. Kashim of Borno, fondly my Master builder, who led ABAT’s primary election campaign. It was a no brainer to pick Kashim who was a sturdy administrator over an 8 year tenure as Borno governor; picking a performer like Prof. Zulum as a successor. Kashim as VP candidate to Asiwaju was simply spectacular. Others coming to vie for the candidacy were both ‘messing’ with us and with themselves. How can? Upon all Kashim has done as a governor in the epicentre of terrorism and asymmetrical warfare? And all he is doing for the Jagaban project? Come on! It was his, with a crowning right of first refusal, especially in the face of crying interests from the North East, NE, and political permutations of souring and capturing Atiku’s base of the NE.
Festus Keyamo SAN, and Femi Fani Kayode were both nipped from Gov. Amaechi’s campaign structure, and Gov. Yahaya Bello’s team respectively and are now core, to the Media and communication strategies of the Asiwaju campaigns. Bola Ahmed Tinubu is picking and collecting his assets quietly and thoughtfully, preparing for a Presidential Campaign Council that I am beginning to liken to the Obama era, or perhaps the Clinton years of America’s rich democratic history and adventure. He has a Bayo Onanuga and Tunde Rahman who have always been pivotal to the success of his primary campaigns. Now is the time to widen the scope and reach of the campaign structure, to accommodate not only interests from political pressures and games, but to also give a sense of belonging to every nook and cranny of our richly diverse cultures and idiosyncrasies.
While Kashim is dazzling and grabbing the airwaves, both short and long ones, from Lagos as an eye-catching intelligent speaker at the NBA annual event, to Abuja as the Peace Accord signatory, all on behalf of his principal; Asiwaju is having the time in far away London, to scheme his moves, placing his pawns, Knights and Bishops smartly, checkmating the opposition at every stage in the run up to the ‘23 elections.
The king of modern day politics has made another move which is quite strategic. The appointment of Aisha Buhari to lead the womenfolk of the campaigns is an interesting one. Presumably, more votes are Northern, and more importantly, those votes are from women and youths. Who better to lead the quest for this range of votes, than one who squarely identifies with them? She has consistently shown great devotion in caring for the future of women and children; with Future Assured as a special purpose vehicle. Future assured now has the opportunity to effectively drive the campaign for the cause of women and youths, while working to secure a better deal for them, should ABAT win the 2023 elections – which by the way is increasingly becoming a walk in the park. Aisha, mamana, will do a fantastic job God willing. My prayers are with you ma’am.
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