Before the revenue sector reform, the tax system was plagued with issues of under assessments, arbitrary assessments and non-assessments; non-remittance of taxes and diversion of revenue/sharp practices; loss of revenue due to the State Government; low remuneration/morale and lack of skills comparable to those of tax payers; lack of required facilities for the tax administrator to carry out its functions which were manual in nature and inconsistencies in the application of enforcement standards.
“In the past 18 years, Lagos has transformed. In terms of roads, in terms of infrastructure, in terms of governance, in terms of a general investment environment, in terms of security, the government has given people a greater opportunity to thrive. This is what we need at the national level”—Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, a seasoned Banker and renowned Economist)
Politics, they say, is a very long game and for Asiwaju, it’s been a long time coming. Nigerian politics and indeed, politics is laced with intrigues, subterfuge, treachery, horse-trading and uncertainties, but after every contest, a winner must emerge. Political parties have conducted their nomination exercises and we are one step into the 2023 General Elections. Between now and the 2023 General Elections, is still a very long time; 24 hours they say, is a long time in politics. Thus, one could imagine that there would still be some new alignments and realignments. For Asiwaju, a master strategist, clinching the ticket of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is an admixture of “A Long Walk to Freedom” and “The Audacity of Hope.” Hope is frail, but difficult to kill.
Beyond the dexterity, sagacity, audacity, acuity, tenacity and resilience of Asiwaju, Nigeria herself, is at a very defining moment of her existence and without mincing words, the 2023 election; some believe, is a “make or break.” For Asiwaju and always, he has demonstrated distinctive excellence, courage, consistency, zeal and resilience. As a pro-democracy activist, Asiwaju was a frontline participant in the restoration of democracy, following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election. The current democratic dispensation Nigeria and Nigerians now relish is premised on that life threatening struggle, led by Asiwaju. June 12 as popularly called, was annulled by the then Military President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. This sparked nationwide revolt and protest that eventually conceived and birthed a pro-democracy movement; the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). Before then, Asiwaju had served in the short-lived 3rd Republic, as Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District at the 3rd Assembly (1992-1993). He was a prominent figure in the Abiola struggle and naturally became a prominent figure in the quest of NADECO for the restoration of democracy in Nigeria. Asiwaju’s home in London, played host to a considerable number of political rebels, refugees and revolutionists, who were vehemently opposed to the unpopular annulment of the 1993 Presidential Election and the eventual military junta of late General Sani Abacha. He was in London on exile and his home was a “mecca” of some sort for all those who needed succor. He was a rallying force for the NADECO struggle and its leaders. According to John Kayode Fayemi (Governor of Ekiti State, Former Minister of Solid Minerals and convener of the ‘Radio Kudirat’, a pro-democracy media house), “Asiwaju is one person that I have worked with in the democratic struggles and was one of the wheels on which the engine of the NADECO spun in the dark days of authoritarian rule.”
Asiwaju risked his life when he joined forces with fellow compatriots and comrades in the National Democratic Coalition to chase out the military and restore democracy. He risked his life when he joined forces with fellow compatriots in NADECO to chase the military from our national political life and install democracy. The democracy Nigeria currently thrives on was fought for and Asiwaju remains a hero of that long struggle. Following the demise of Late General Sani Abacha in 1998, General Abdulsalam Abubakar emerged as Military Head of State and set in motion a process of transition to civil rule. Infact, he then put in place the Project Implementation and Management Committee (PIMCO) that regularly met at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja to strategize and crystallize a long term development plan for Nigeria in the process of transition. Interestingly, Mallam Nasir El Rufai (who later went on to serve as Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprise, Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and now Governor of Kaduna State) served in that Committee. The coast became clear for a transition to democracy; Asiwaju returned to Nigeria, bestrode the political firmament of Lagos like a colossus and went on to pick the ticket of the defunct Alliance for Democracy to contest the Governorship of Lagos State, the Centre of Excellence. Asiwaju won the Lagos State Governorship Election by a landslide, polling about 841,732 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr Dapo Sarumi, who polled about 184,900 votes. The man, Asiwaju went on to conceive and deliver a foundation for the prosperity of Lagos.
Tinubu’s achievements as Governor of Lagos State
t would be unsavoury to glamourize the achievements of the indefatigable Asiwaju in Lagos, without putting clear, the ruins meted on Lagos after successive military administrations that held sway. Lagos was the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria up until 1991, when the FCT was moved to the newly created Abuja. Infact, according to Mallam Nasir El-Rufai in the book titled, “The Accidental Public Servant”, the FCT was moved to Abuja due to the inability of the successive military Governments to contain and effectively manage the rapidly growing population in Lagos and the resultant pressure on the limited available infrastructure. The influx of people into Lagos following the oil boom and successive events of infrastructure development and economic growth, sparked an unassailable rural-urban migration of people from all geo-political zones of the country to Lagos. People sought better lives, better jobs, better standards of living, even as population remains the main driver of growth in urban economies. Lagos became an agglomeration economy of some sort and the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, by 1999. Unfortunately, it takes more than the power of the gun and the resplendence of Khaki, to lead and manage a metropolitan city state that Lagos was fast becoming. It would take innovation, creativity, mental stability and progressive ideals, laced with vision, knowledge, strategy, execution and good governance. Military officers are not trained to occupy Government offices and their clear inability to successfully run Lagos; a miniature of Nigeria, is/was a clear indication of their incompetence, with regards to administration and governance. They are unskilled in policy and governance and Lagos was politically adrift. The military was unable to keep up the pace of infrastructure development required to sustain the rapid economic and population growth that Lagos was experiencing at that moment and the policy coordination that would be required; more particularly after the same military, truncated the 2nd Republic and halted the progress that Lagos was making under Late Alhaji Lateef Jakande (2nd Republic Governor of Lagos State). There was chaos and tremendous decay and a completely disorganized transportation system. Therefore, it was an easier option to hasten the process of a new Federal Capital Territory that would be built from scratch. There was no gravitation towards any long-term economic plan or infrastructure plan. Lagos was in ruins; there was a dearth of public infrastructure; there was an absolute collapse of institutions and infrastructure; the majority of rural-urban migrants ended up in the urban slums; across the length and breadth of Lagos, there was disorderliness, lawlessness and disorientation and insecurity was heightened. With a fast growing population and concentration of national industrial activities, Lagos certainly needed substantial human capital investment, revenue sector reforms and investment in socio-economic infrastructure. Asiwaju came just at the right time; a time when Lagos had sprawled into a hectic and overburdened metropolis; a time when Lagosians became used to assuming responsibility for their own security and disdaining government as a burden rather than a force for the public good. Asiwaju turned a corner by laying the legal, administrative, fiscal, and physical groundwork of a modern megacity. The dramatic reengineering of the machinery of government, from tax collection to police patrols, played a crucial role in that turnabout.
After winning the 1999 Governorship election, Asiwaju set out earnestly to assemble what I’d love to describe as the best cabinet that has ever been assembled in Africa. It was a government of seasoned professionals, successful private sector individuals, policy professionals, development enthusiasts and consummate politicians, drawn from many parts of Nigeria. It was a Government that paraded eminent and distinguished individuals like Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN from Ogun State (who served as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice), Dele Alake from Ekiti State (who served as Commissioner for Information), Yemi Cardoso from Lagos State (who served as commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget), Wale Edun from Lagos State (who served as Commissioner for Finance), Ben Akabueze from Anambra State (who served as Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget), Rauf Aregbesola from Osun State (who served as Commissioner for Works) , Muiz Banire from Lagos State ( who served as Commissioner for Transportation), Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN from Lagos State (who served as Chief of Staff), Musiliu Obanikoro from Lagos State (who served as Commissioner for Home Affairs), Dr Obafemi Hamzat from Lagos State (who served as Commissioner for Science and Technology), Mr. Joe Igbokwe from Anambra State (who served as Chair of Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency), Olufemi Lanlehin from Oyo State (who served as Special Adviser), Sunday Dare from Oyo State (who served as Special Adviser) and Lai Mohammed from Kwara State (who served as Chief of Staff in the first term of Bola Tinubu’s Government before resigning to contest the Governorship of Kwara state in 2003) amongst others. Asiwaju’s Government was cosmopolitan and visionary; Lagos lived up to its description of being a ‘miniature’ of Nigeria.
According to Asiwaju, “when I became governor-elect, I assembled the best brains that I know of because of my previous training. I was trained by Deloitte Touche, formerly Deloitte, Haskins and Sells in Chicago, out of the Illinois practice office, before I joined Mobil. Corporate governance is essentially a great element in public sector management and governance.” This formidable team set out to develop a long-term infrastructure and economic growth plan for Lagos State. Lagos began to experience a wide range of reforms; judicial reforms, law reforms, economic reforms, policy reforms, tax reforms and institutional reforms. Reform is the bedrock of development. Central to the reform process of the Asiwaju-led Government was the revenue sector reform.
Large metropolitan areas are different from other cities and towns and these differences have implications for metropolitan public finance. The services that the Government provides in metropolitan areas and how they pay for them are inextricably linked to governance. Firstly, there is the need to design an effective metropolitan governance structure. Secondly, there is the need to set out an appropriate fiscal structure. The success of a metropolitan city is inevitably tied to its fiscal autonomy. For a metropolitan area to succeed, each tier of government needs to know what functions it is responsible for, and it needs adequate powers and financial resources to perform those functions. Against the backdrop of this, Asiwaju’s Government embarked on a wide range of revenue sector reforms. It is noteworthy that Lagos was making a paltry sum of about N600 million monthly in IGR, which was insignificant to the volume of work to be done. Undoubtedly, Governments require revenue to augment the spending needs to maintain an adequate level of public investment.
It is noteworthy that taxes are the main source of revenue in both developing and developed countries. Nigeria as a country has a low tax to GDP ratio caused by factors like inelastic tax system, complex tax laws, narrow tax base and weak tax administration. The large size of the tax gap suggests that increasing the tax efforts in an efficient way requires reforms of the tax policies and tax administration. One of the intervention areas of the Asiwaju-led administration in Lagos State, in 1999, was to optimize the State’s tax potentials by achieving a very substantial, if not total, coverage of its taxpayer base. Simply put, to bring all taxable persons into the tax net. In order to actualize this goal, the administration initiated the State’s Tax Administration Reform Process.
Before the revenue sector reform, the tax system was plagued with issues of under assessments, arbitrary assessments and non-assessments; non-remittance of taxes and diversion of revenue/sharp practices; loss of revenue due to the State Government; low remuneration/morale and lack of skills comparable to those of tax payers; lack of required facilities for the tax administrator to carry out its functions which were manual in nature and inconsistencies in the application of enforcement standards.
The Government adopted a wide range of strategies that helped to shore up its tax revenues such that since 1999 and through the reforms, Lagos was able to capture more people into the tax net as there was continuous increase in taxpayers’ cumulative growth, with more than 20% growth rate per annum. These strategies are, but not limited to; Taxpayer Education and Enlightenment, Payment Process Transparency and Convenience, Self-Assessment System (which was first of its kind in Africa), Organizational Restructuring, Bringing Tax Payment Closer to the People, Creation of New Operational Units and Enforcement, Collaborations between MDAs. As part of the organizational restructuring of the tax regime, an autonomous Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) was created
According to Mr Babatunde Fowler (former LIRS Chair and later Federal Inland Revenue Service Chair) who midwifed the LIRS autonomy, “autonomy would enable revenue authorities to strengthen their institutions and prime them to generate more income for their countries.” For instance, revenue generated in Nigeria grew from about N1.840 trillion in 2007 to about and over N4.5 trillion in 2015, when FIRS was granted autonomy. It is noteworthy that the Federal Government is in the habit of adopting Asiwaju’s novel ideas and more particularly, in the area of revenue generation. Infact, according to Kemi Adeosun (Former Minister of Finance) “The tax mobilization we copied from Tinubu is what we are using and we thank you for leading the way in tax collection. As a matter of fact, when you embarked on aggressive tax collection, which eventually led to increased Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in Lagos, many people complained. However, the truth is that we all can see the massive infrastructural development achieved from your aggressive tax collection.”
The Former Minister was rightly so because Lagos began to experience massive growth in revenue generation from 1999 onwards and this has largely contributed to the infrastructure trajectory of Lagos. Lagos became the first state to issue bonds in the capital market for large infrastructure. Asiwaju’s tenure between 1999-2007 began the transformational process for the city, post military era. He steered major social and infrastructure projects such as the rapid transport bus system, civil service reforms that removed ghost workers from the payroll, and fiscal reforms that set Lagos on the path to country-leading tax revenues. The Internally Generated Revenue of Lagos began to grow phenomenally, from N600 million to N2 billion, N3 billion, N4 billion, N5 billion and peaked at about N10 billion in 2007. Lagos state now generates about N60 billion monthly in IGR and is still growing, even as Asiwaju remains the architect of modern Lagos. The Government used the instrumentality of the new revenue regime to stimulate the conception of novel ideas and the execution of landmark projects which are, but not limited to the following:
i. Asiwaju in 2000, contracted the development of an Independent Power Plant of about 270MW capacity to AES to provide power for Lagosians in order to exit the epileptic power supply of the Federal Government- led, but now defunct NEPA. The 270MW now forms part of the national grid;
ii. Asiwaju, a firm believer in true federalism immediately understood the challenges of governing a metropolitan area and in order to bring government closer to the people and address the challenges of governance and development at the grassroot, created 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs). It was a testament of courage and convictions even as this development led to a face-off with the then conservative Federal Government;
iii. Health sector reforms which led to the decentralization of the Health Management Board and the creation of The Lagos State Ambulance Services (LASAMBUS), an ambulance management scheme, Hospital Services Commission and Lagos State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency;
iv. Asiwaju conceived the idea of having a Free Trade Zone in Ibeju Lekki in a bid to make Lagos a thriving megacity and live up to its billing as the commercial nerve center. In fact, all the successes recorded in the Lekki Free Zone Area including the Dangote Refinery and Fertilizer Plant wouldn’t have been realized, but for the vision of Asiwaju;
v. Asiwaju’s Government decentralized the Ministry of Works and Housing and birthed a housing department into a full-fledged ministry, charged with providing 500 units of houses yearly. This made the Lekki corridor the fastest growing real estate investment destination;
vi. As a firm believer in a decentralized policing and security services system, the Asiwaju-led Government started the Rapid Response Squad (RRS);
vii. In a bid to tackle environmental issues in the State, Asiwaju created special agencies like LAWMA, LASEPA, LWC, and PUMAU. According to Asiwaju, “I created ministries that were needed, I created various government agencies that I needed, new agencies. I broke some of the over webbed government agencies that were called ministry to a manageable and compact environment to start to work the system” This was part of the civil service reform process embarked upon by the Government; and
viii. The Government embarked on a wide civil service reforms. Before the advent of the Government, there was gross indiscipline, a great deal of dishonesty, lack of accountability, corruption and civil servants not seeing themselves as agents of growth. There was no proper system of record keeping and personnel administration and civil servants were not properly motivated. Asiwaju introduced technology into public sector accounting by engaging Oracle from the United States. The Government was able to eliminate the ghost workers and change the payroll system. Following the introduction of the new payroll administration system, the state began to save close to about N600 million out of a payroll of about N1.2 billion; meaning that about 50% had been subject of fraud and mismanagement of the payroll. Those monies were then rolled back into increase in salaries and allowances for civil servants. Asiwaju began to encourage civil servants to see the need for long term investment and the potential returns. According to Asiwaju, “I encouraged them to take small trenches in it and I’ve given them the loan to back it up, an interest-free loan. When they saw the monthly and quarterly return from the bonds and where the principal is still guaranteed, they were delighted, they were surprised, it was never done before.
The aforementioned are some of the giant strides of Asiwaju. Asiwaju’s visionary leadership in Lagos, often put him at loggerheads with a conservative Federal Government led by a former military officer. According to Asiwaju, “You have a constitutional democracy and a Federal system of Government, and there’s a constitution. Unfortunately, you have a president who had governed as a military dictator. They say old habits die hard, and I believe in federalism, and that’s the principle of federalism … But I headed for court several times to challenge what I consider the impediments. How can I seek approval before I plan my state? The planning approval of the state road, the plan approval for real estate development is a serious matter. I went to the Supreme Court and challenged several unconstitutional habits of the Federal Government. Use a civilized manner to correct the anomalies which a previous military officer would not see as positive, not as a matter of principle, from the man who sees it as confrontational, but I didn’t care. I was not intimidated.” Amongst other reforms, the Asiwaju-led government, put in place reforms in the judiciary and justice sector. The conditions of the court rooms in Lagos before the advent of Asiwaju’s government was a gory sight of big rats and cobwebs. According to Asiwaju, “when I saw the condition of the court, I was close to tears.” There was no organized filing system; the writing process was tedious; judges and judicial officers were not motivated as they had no vehicles and provision for housing. Asiwaju immediately knew that if a nation wanted an incorruptible judiciary, there must be a sincere welfare package and incentive for judicial officers. Infact, investors would look at the administration of justice system in an environment before making it a destination for their investment. The government introduced good welfare packages for the judicial officers, got them cars and houses to retire to and embarked on building new and modern courtrooms. Furthermore, technology was introduced in court records administration, judgment writing and court proceedings.
Lagos has since witnessed tremendous and unassailable growth in terms of Infrastructure, Investment, FDIs and Financial services. Lagos has continued to sponsor the prosperity story of a considerable number of successful entrepreneurs and industrialists; the likes of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Tony Elumelu and Femi Otedola. Lagos has also continued to provide enabling opportunities for start-tups who themselves have created their own success stories. For instance, the entire country was agog as one of the Tech start-ups, Flutterwave, a payment gateway and a Financial Technology (FinTech) outfit, reached a unicorn (US$1 billion valuation) after raising about $US170 million on the New York Stock Exchange. Also, PayStack, another FinTech outfit, was acquired for about US$200 million by Stripe, an American payment services company. Tech is the new oil and the business friendly environment of Lagos continues to provide support for start-ups. So strong is the impact of the start-up ecosystem that it got the attention of Mark Zuckerberg, who visited Yaba, Lagos, an area that is widely regarded as the Silicon Valley of Nigeria, housing about 50 start-up founders at the Co-creation Hub (CcHUB), the city’s innovation Center. Further to that visit, Zuckerberg invested about US$24 million in Andela, a software developer. Furthermore, Zuckerberg launched a series of initiatives to further drive innovation, skills development and economic impact in Nigeria. One of these was the NG-HUB, an aspect of Facebook’s initiative that coordinates developers, start-ups and the wider community to share ideas and train about 50,000 students and MSMEs through a series of digital skills training. All these successes could not have been possible without the support of the Lagos State Government for Tech start-ups in Lagos. Lagos also plays host to a wide range of micro small and medium enterprise (MSMEs) and of course, people come to Lagos for better lives and there have been testimonies of people who came into Lagos, picked up life from the streets and the fortune of the city which rewards hardwork, diligence and consistency, smiled on them. That is the Lagos spirit and success narrative; a city that is committed to prosperity and never goes to sleep.
Lagos has grown to become the 5th largest economy in Africa, contributing about a quarter of Nigeria’s GDP. Also, in the wake of insecurity plaguing the Niger Delta region, top oil multinationals had to relocate to a much safer Lagos. Lagos continues to be the best destination for Investment, Entertainment, Holiday and Tourism with some of the best developments in Real Estate and Hospitality. Prominent among the great ideas conceived by Asiwaju is the Eko Atlantic City, a large infrastructure project purposefully designed to protect the shoreline of Lagos and the commercial centre of Victoria Island from the ravages of perennial flooding. It is indeed a visionary project whereby a new city within a city is being built on land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean.
According to Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, “In the past 18 years, Lagos has transformed. In terms of roads, in terms of infrastructure, in terms of governance, in terms of a general investment environment, in terms of security, the government has given people a greater opportunity to thrive. This is what we need at the national level.” Lagos continues to be the Centre of Excellence and evidence of vision, strategy and execution. One of the biggest successes recorded by Aswiaju was his succession plan. According to Asiwaju, “The greatest achievement of a leader, I believe, is the ability to build and develop other managers and a good successor that would take the entity beyond the level of ordinary thinking, would combine the thinking and the dream…. I just told them, That is the person who will actualize the dream.” Asiwaju is indeed, a man of many parts.
Asiwaju as an astute politician
Asiwaju won the 1999 Gubernatorial Election on the platform of the defunct Alliance for Democracy. Infact, amongst the other Governors (Otunba Niyi Adebayo of Ekiti State, Chief Bisi Akande of Osun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba of Ogun State, Chief Adebayo Adefarati of Ondo State and Alhaji Lamidi Adesina of Oyo State) elected on the platform of the AD in 1999, only Asiwaju was re-elected in 2003. The other Governors fell to the onslaught of the PDP in the 2003 General Elections. Asiwaju became the unofficial leader of the opposition and indeed, became a natural succor for political orphans or politicians who became victims of political witch-hunt. The Asiwaju-led AD metamorphosed into Action Congress (AC). The candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Ababakar (Wazirin Adamawa) who himself became a political orphan, even whilst still a serving Vice President, emerged as the candidate of the Asiwaju-led Action Congress in the build up to the 2007 Presidential Elections. Although the AC lost the election to Late Umar Musa Yar’Adua of the PDP, the struggle for progressive ideals remained/remains a continuum. Infact, the AC sponsored candidates into elective offices; more particularly the Gubernatorial, in a bid to invest in party building and structure consolidation. Babatunde Fashola, SAN won the Lagos Governorship Election on the platform of the AC; Rauf Aregbesola, John Kayode Fayemi and Adams Oshiomole contested in Osun, Ekiti and Edo States respectively and were declared runners-up in a set of elections, widely acclaimed to have been massively rigged and manipulated by agents of the state. The mandates freely given to these individuals by the electorates were eventually restored by the Court of Appeal in 2010. By the end of 2011, the AC had not just metamorphosed into the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), but had now won about six Governorship seats and captured about six states; Edo, Ogun, Lagos, Oyo, Osun and Ekiti states.
The stage became set for a coalition, preparatory to the 2015 General Elections. Asiwaju led the then main opposition party, the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to form a coalition with some other elements of the political divide; the CPC, the APGA, the ANPP, and the PDP. This coalition conceived and birthed a merger, the All-Progressives Congress. All of these are a brainchild of the courage and political sagacity of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and for the first time in the history of Nigeria, the opposition successfully took out the ruling party at a Presidential Election. Asiwaju conceived, birthed and nurtured this coalition and merger and led it to success, following which he was described, shortly after the 2015 General Elections by The Financial Times as the “Machiavelli of Nigerian Politics.”
Typical of coalitions as such, after the Elections, there would be scramble for relevance which could often pitch certain elements of the merger against the other(s). This was not unexpected as it almost tore the party apart. However, it took Asiwaju again in 2017, to lead a reconciliation team, preparatory to the 2019 General Elections. He swung into action and re-united the party to win the 2019 Elections. Asiwaju is indeed a team player and a party man to the core. He grew the opposition from the AD to AC and ACN up until 2013 which saw the coalition of political parties to produce the APC. The victories of Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and 2019 couldn’t have been possible, but for the astuteness and doggedness of Asiwaju, who facilitated a handshake across the Niger and turned Buhari’s quest for presidency that had become a mirage into a miracle; particularly in 2015.
Asiwaju as a True Progressive
Asiwaju is cast in the mould of an Awolowo, a Sardauna and a Zik; a 5 star General. Asiwaju is a progressive and has always leaned towards that side of the divide. His quest for the practicality of true federalism as a Governor, put him at loggerheads with the Federal Government which often became confrontational. Asiwaju went on to create additional local governments in Lagos state. This certainly infuriated the Federal Government and the same was even litigated up until the Supreme Court. The challenges of governing a metropolitan city-state would require some form of decentralization of power to give the Government a size robust enough to attend to developmental challenges at the local level. Irked by this action, the Federal Government withheld allocations that were statutorily meant for Lagos State. Asiwaju is only just a firm believer in true federalism, fiscal federalism, fiscal and territorial autonomy and a decentralized policing system. These are essential elements of a Federalist Constitutional Democracy.
Asiwaju as a builder of people
Asiwaju has always committed himself to building people, discovering talents and channeling them towards the realization of their God-given potential. This aspect for me, is the biggest allure of Asiwaju. He has committed himself to investing in human capital, building and developing individuals into leaders. It is a hallmark of selflessness and commitment to the cause of humanity. It is an uphill task to start counting the number of people who benefitted immensely from Asiwaju. He has been instrumental to the career progression of people who, with respect, have now become career powerhouses in their own rights; not one, not two, not even just a few. Asiwaju has built people and continues to do so. Interestingly, he discovers them either at a very young age or at career defining moments, believes in them and gives them an opportunity to aspire, thrive and be successful. To many, he is a destiny helper. Most times, this is all what people need, aside from being gifted, skillful or talented. Asiwaju has been able to fill that void in his generation; more particularly in a society where institutions have failed and populated by individuals who, although well meaning, are rather busy and concerned with making a meaning out of just their own lives. Asiwaju has demonstrated enormous capacity and ability to turn boys into men. Asiwaju has played a significant role at critical moments in the lives of a considerable number of people; either in their political aspirations or personal lives and ambitions. He is a magnet for young, skillful and talented people and the following people with respect, are widely reported to have been beneficiaries of Asiwaju’s large heart, in no particular order; Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), Akinwunmi Ambode, Babajide Sanwoolu, Gboyega Oyetola, Rauf Aregbesola, Adams Oshiomhole, Kayode Fayemi, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, Late Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, Hon. Femi Pedro. Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule, Late Sen. Adebayo Oshinowo (Pepperito), Sen. Ganiyu Solomon, Sen. Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi), Sen. Babafemi Ojudu, Hon. James Faleke, Sen. Olorunimbe Mamora, Sen. Tokunbo Afikuyomi, Sen. Gbenga Ashafa, Sen. Adetokunbo Abiru, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, Alhaji. Lai Mohammed, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, Hon. Adefulire Olrelope, Hon. Abike Dabiri Erewa, Dr Muiz Banire, Dr. Leke Pitan, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, Dr. Ben AKabueze, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Hon Toyin Suarau, Hon. Lanre Ogunyemi, Hon. Ayo Adewale, Hon. Abdoulbaq Ladi Balogun, Hon. Kamal Bayewu, Mr. Hakeem Muri Okunola, Mr. Babatunde Fowler, Mr Dele Alake, Hon. Tunji Bello, Hon. Sunday Dare, Kehinde Bamigbetan, Ismaila Adewusi, Mr. Joe Igbokwe and Hon. Ebitimi Agbare. The list is endless and inexhaustible.
Asiwaju has indeed provided and keeps providing a platform for people to realize their ambitions and manifest their God-given skills and talents. Infact, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum (Governor of Borno State) said, and we all know that “Asiwaju is known for assembling brains and building leaders.” There’s the common saying; “If you meet Asiwaju, your life will not remain the same.” Mr Sijibomi Ogundele, famously called Sujimoto, once posted on social media of how his five minutes with Late MKO Abiola changed his fortune for life. Asiwaju is certainly in the ilk of the late MKO, as there have been life transforming testimonies in that regard. Coincidentally, Asiwaju himself was an avid follower and loyalist of the Late MKO. When there is a consistent result, it’s already an indication of a consistent loyalty to principles. It’s difficult to attain the height he has, without making all these sacrifices for people connected to him. Infact, behind the success we often see, is a testament and track record of sacrifice.
In conclusion, this is not intended to underestimate or disparage the other contestants and other eminently qualified individuals in the race. However, I make bold to state that Asiwaju is head and shoulders above the rest. He has built bridges across the country; his politics cuts across ethnic and religious lines and he is a friend to everyone and a good man. He is a detribalized Nigerian who has built bridges and facilitated people, through the help of God. He has been able to keep his old friends close who have in turn, been very supportive and have been good advisers to him; the likes of Chief Pius Akinyelure (Asiwaju’s direct boss at Mobil), Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Chief Bisi Akande, Mr Tunde Badejo (his school mate in the United States) and Senator Abu Ibrahim among others. According to the Holy Bible, “in the midst of many counsels, there is safety.” The personal testimonies of individuals across the length and breadth of Nigeria, is a testament to the kindness of Asiwaju. According to Senator Abu Ibrahim from Katsina, North-West Nigeria, “Sometimes, I am surprised too that even when we were in different political parties, we still relate very well. I think that also demonstrated the magnanimity of Asiwaju. If you are his friend, you are his friend forever and he will do everything possible to maintain that link. Asiwaju is a kind person, very generous and somebody who can mentor people.” Also in another interview, Senator Abu Ibrahim, a long time friend and ally of Asiwaju since their days in the 3rd Senate said, “I was almost paralyzed, I couldn’t talk and I was assisted by Tinubu. He took me to London, where I met doctors to know what was wrong with me. They found out that it was stress, too much work. So, I told them about my daily life, what I did and they suggested that it was too much for me.” In addition, Mr Asari Dokubo, a fierce Niger Delta activist recently spoke highly of Asiwaju and how he provided succor to his family and housed them in Lagos while he was in detention. The testimonies are endless and inexhaustible. Furthermore, according to Late Dr. Haliru Dantoro (Former Emir of Borgu Emirates in Niger State, who conferred on Asiwaju the title of Jagaban Borgu), “… Infact, when I began my legal sojourn in the Emirship tussle, he also supported me in terms of advice because it was a tough battle for me. It was tough taking on the Government and we had to employ the services of Wole Olanipekun. When God made me Emir, I said this man was there when I was in dire need of help so why can’t I use my position to make him in future politically. That’s why I honoured him with the title of ‘Jagaban.’ Jagaban means Leader of Warriors.’ Asiwaju is indeed a Leader of Leaders.
Beyond his personal attributes, Asiwaju sustains the ability and capacity to turn around the resources of the country for general good with his intellect and extensive network. Nigeria has found itself in a situation; almost like that of Lagos in 1999 and it would take someone who has been able to transform Lagos, a miniature of Nigeria, to salvage the sinking ship of the Nigerian state. What Asiwaju did in Lagos is a microcosm of what awaits Nigeria and Nigerians. Asiwaju is a quintessential leader, and builder of people and nations; a progressive to the core and an advocate of true federalism and constitutional democracy. Asiwaju is eminently qualified and more than qualified to be the next president of Nigeria and become that bridge to the next generation; himself having built a generation of leaders from scratch, with respect. He has made his sacrifices and paid his dues. Simply put, it is his turn and his time is now.
Ayodeji Olatubora
ayodejiolatubora@gmail.com
