A NEW LEASE:
WHY TINUBU WILL GET A SECOND WIND
By Ajiroba Yemi Kotun
“A child never does finish a chore.” – American Gothic, 1988
BOLDLY taking for granted that the Nigerian president Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), whose “reforms have stabilized the nation’s economy” would seek re-election in 2027, one wonders if he will truly have strong challengers in the looming presidential choice. Well, definitely not these usual two-faced, lying pretenders, who are already used to the flattery of their admirers and supporters. Thus, they have become deceitful by desperately promising to do only one term if given their party’s presidential ticket, which is bound to drive a wedge between them eventually. “God hath given you one face and you make yourself another.” – Williams Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet, 1623. Like ‘con artists’, they have been hoping to fool Nigerians to gain their confidence, having contrived the choir-boy-act and engineered some clever spin control. However, as American novelist Herbert Gold (1924-2023) would say, the people “…knew too much about con to fall for that one…”. So, it is just another plodding language that is short of milieu.
Always drive outside your limits. In truth, “Why take the minimum from life if you can take the maximum…?” asks Vambola Tullus, an icon of transformation and limitless possibilities. Of course, only hasty pretenders (who egoistically can’t wait their turn and whose impacts have been limited by their imagination and commitment but won’t stop making a rod for their own back) would agree to pick minimum over maximum – whatever their reasons or limitations. Clearly punching above their weight, they still don’t have a clue. And, though painful to push, conversely, truth is beautiful to behold. But, these well-known double-dealing politicians are by design deforming Nigeria’s off the record power rotation policy and everything cunningly and dreamily. “A liar and a gold-digger; what a perfect match.” – Runaway Heiress, 2025. This is in order to make that deceit appear smart to unsuspecting Nigerians, bright to the gullibly unaware, and grand to the credulously stubborn. However, unknown to them, a deceit merely reinforces the fault in us all and does not correct, secure, or heal any wrong in a process.
However, a hero knows himself. Absolutely, a marathoner like Canadian athlete Ted Fox (1958-1981) known for his Marathon of Hope, PBAT, to whom starting strong and finishing strong are both superior and heroic and, as a result (without malice towards anyone, any zone, or any region), has continued to boldly and truthfully do what his predecessors were afraid to do to help put the country on the right path as well as bind up her wounds, has long known that a single term of four years is never enough to achieve much and has since December 22, 2022 (or thereabout) anchored his possible re-election bid on his performance. Certainly, “He needs a second wind.” – The Guardian (2016).
Choose to lead your government with maximum impact. That, even if he cannot finish what he has in stock in his projected two maximum terms of eight years (the truth is that no one honestly can), President Tinubu will need other strong leaders like himself to continue after him from May 29, 2031 (if returned in 2027 as “Omo-Ologo” getting his second wind is now widely becoming sacrosanct for his “Renewed Hope” task to continue after him (never “a return to weakness”). So, for PBAT, who is today doing what “could have been done 39 years ago” (As SGF George Akume recently deposited) what counts is where he ultimately and hopefully closes in 2031.
See? Even hope can run like a lion. In that case, the only way for PBAT to finish what he has on track for Nigeria is to keep running “his Marathon of Hope cross-country run” like he has been doing nationwide with a will since assuming office amid a mission to unite the nation by means of his achievements. And later, hand over to a bold and competent successor from the North that he must have been mentoring already or will mentor. Knowing this, one just has to stoop to the master, especially, and his three-successors-governor of Lagos State in view of where the Center of Excellence, for example, has reached presently and headed. Surely, renewal and more similar national understandings will endure to symbolically give project Nigeria, too, ‘a new lease of life’ with such renewed vigor, renewed hope, and renewed opportunities. And, furthermore, the country that is now on the periphery to solid spins and jumbo jet growths will have less to fear or worry about. Nonetheless, we Nigerians still need to stay the course with the pathfinder [Asiwaju] tirelessly and hold fast to our transformed dreams. So that when the time comes, we don’t spoil the ship for a hap’orth of tar.
Congratulations to Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), the new INEC, Chairman, on his appointment.