By Lanre Adewole
About five weeks ago, several prominent Yoruba traditional rulers, leaders of thought and elders; both partisan and unaffiliated, commenced troubleshooting expeditions to realign estranged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.
Both, according to information available to me, have agreed to directly and candidly confront the tension between them, with the President’s camp reportedly hoping the governor, who has undoubtedly established self as the dominant political force in the vote-rich state, would abandon his own presidential run to support his fellow Yoruba incumbent, to enhance the latter’s electoral path and numbers to reelection.
While I have not confirmed a date for the proposed meeting or even if a date has been set at all, another information I have on the developing story is the politics of the selection of prominent traditional rulers within and outside of the state, being contacted to sit in on the planned rapprochement parley.
While a side favours just a recently-installed first class traditional ruler who is believed to be anti-the governor, the peace makers are pushing for an all-inclusive traditional conclave that would look non-partisan and objective.
It would seem the proponents of the expanded representation are “winning”.
Between the president and his “younger” brother presiding in Ibadan, it’s a case of what politics joined together, alleged shabby valuation, put asunder.
I learnt alleged five sticking points have been pointed out and in the middle of them, uncomfortably perched the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Am I being codedly here? Yeah, for confidentiality sake.
So the President’s camp doesn’t wholly trust the confident talks and promises from the president’s men from Northern Nigeria would translate into votes needed to retain Aso Rock and has reasoned a screw must be tightened on the southern solidarity reelection project, now that it’s increasingly looking like the electorate will sustain the momentum against rigging.
Of the 17 southern states, only Oyo under Makinde is openly against the President’s reelection and the governor’s camp would say, for good reasons.
Makinde is a scorned supporter of the President who after years of perceived abandonment, decided to chart an oppositional course.
Abuja’s initial reaction was to ignore him, possibly thinking his open declaration of opposition to the president’s reelection, would fizzle.
Then he declared for the same seat, meaning he’s seeking to oust the man he helped instal in 2023 as a leading opposition figure, and Abuja responded with a fury.
The President’s key surrogates went after him and his street credo, trying to recast his puritanical and gentlemanly public image.
Now the die appears cast and the duo would likely battle each other for the number one seat, less than four years after they were holding hands as buddies and crooning the sweet melody of victory into each other’s ears, despite belonging to different political parties!
The bond then was more of getting what was due Southern Nigeria though the parapo/alajobi (being of same Yoruba heritage) angle can’t be wished away.
Of the trio highlighting the electoral map of 2023, Asiwaju was the race’s proverbial child with a waist available for presidential bracelet and the allegation of anti-party against Makinde and many other leading Yoruba politicians who aren’t of APC but who worked for the realization of the southern presidency project, will easily collapse in the face of the rough tactics employed by the northern political establishment to keep power in the zone after eight years of Buhari.
Kintsugi is Japanese word for repairing broken pottery with gold or silver lacquer.
The art is also known as “golden joinery” or “golden repair” (known as kintsukuroi).
The highly philosophical creativity is connected to what is known in local Japanese parlance as wabi-sabi; an aesthetic, centered on accepting imperfection and transience.
The central idea behind kintsugi is that instead of hiding cracks, the method is used to highlight the broken parts in the course of fixing, making the object’s history part of its beauty.
Sounds complex but intriguing?
That is what I believe would be the outcome of whatever mending efforts being made now to reconcile the duo, though nothing is given or far-fetched in politics generally.
Even a Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat representing Pennsylvania made an appearance and spoke at the first-ever Republican midterm convention headlined by President Donald Trump, days back.
In politics, the never-say-never sanctity is settled.
Before the crisis of confidence between the Nigerian leader and the Oyo governor blew into the open, it had simmered for a while.
Maybe if the president isn’t one to sell his own short to buy outsiders outrageously expensive, maybe the reticent Oyo governor wouldn’t have flipped.
For a couple of reasons, I take a special interest in Asiwaju’s governing strategy though his politics occasionally makes me puke.
When everything is deemed ok for you to be ok, regardless of who is thrown off the bus or under the bus, I will likely find you reprehensible.
And then the hypocrisy of condemning what you deem good but must be cast as bad because it isn’t you doing it. I possibly can’t stand you.
A miracle doesn’t stop being one because it isn’t for you.
The Lord’s doing must always be marvelous whether you are the beneficiary or not.
That is why Jesus pounded the Pharisees all through His ministry.
Practically all the policies of the current administration literally killing Nigerians today had been condemned by the president as a private citizen and leading opposition element, seeking to capture power.
That means when he was condemning petrol subsidy and floating of currency, et al, he wasn’t speaking for Nigerians; he was pursuing his selfish interest of making the other party look bad to gain ascendancy.
Not even in Nigeria’s modern history has a killing tax regime been unleashed on the citizenry as being witnessed now. And it is what syntax purists will call “present continuous”. Nobody knows when it will stop, maybe except this president is denied another four-year term.
And the mission won’t be a piece of cake though not impossible.
In fact, the President keeps looking vulnerable though he’s a fighter and has a fighting chance if he can hold together the “Big Tent” that delivered him four years ago.
That is why the Nigerian leader should agree if the peace parley ever holds that he mismanaged the Makinde support, instead of his current alleged grandstanding that the Governor is to be blamed for not being patient with him and allegedly conducting the business of their relational as if he is an outsider to him (the president).
Pray, what is this thing about someone being “omo inu ile” (a family member) and “ara ita” (just an acquaintance).
So it is family that should be denied while omo olomo (someone else’s) child, is fattened on awoof (surplus freebies).
How is the monkey’s head fashioned, that ape’s, isn’t?
You sent two people on an errand and both delivered, with one, even outperforming the other. But the bottom line is; both delivered. Then on the consideration that the one that delivered less, operated from a very hostile and rugged terrain that had defied results in the past (which can’t be denied anyway), the one who delivered more, now got nothing and the other “achiever”, getting everything?
Even the older brother of the returning prodigal, kicked (Luke 15).
Considering that he had to win, using the proverbial apa alapa, ese elese (harnessing diverse interests), I appreciate the IOU load on the President’s neck despite the enormous opportunities to settle political understandings at the federal level but agreement is agreement (in Festus Keyamo’s voice) and the President is yet to deny to self-engaged rapporteurs between the dueling duo, that he made no commitment to the Governor.
So why is he the only one receiving an empty folded palm?
Maybe the Governor should also change his prayer point (chuckling). Abi na backfiring awure (goodluck charm rooted in Yoruba tradition)?
In the crisis between the Governor and the President, faulting the former will require a very subjective reasoning, because how do you hold the performing party in an agreement, faulty.
But some Yoruba leaders and intelligentsia are excoriating the governor, though mostly in private conversations, taking sides along racial identity.
Under whatever circumstances, they can’t fathom a Yoruba governor in opposition to a Yoruba president.
They say the Governor has relationship issues and badly manages the President.
In a small circle of Yoruba intelligentsia, they believe the governor will soon unravel badly in his perceived oppositional presidency run against the President.
A noticeable strand in practically all the anti-Makinde rant I have heard so far can be paraphrased as “o de ti se daadaa, o wa fe fi nka kekere bara e je lodo Yoruba (he has done so well so far in governance delivery but he can leave office ingloriously standing against Yoruba interest by running against the president).
Some delved into recent history to justify the stance, recalling names of wildly-beloved Yoruba leaders who fell into ignominy, appearing as attacking Yoruba political interests, especially during the June 12, 1993 giddy days.
Does the Tinubu presidency represent the Yoruba race?
I will leave individual readers to answer from their perspectives.
Is any prominent Yoruba running against him a baseje (spoiler)?
Readers should also answer it as desired.
Is Makinde playing Judas, like when Vee-Pee Osinbajo was labelled for squaring up with his former boss for APC presidential ticket?
His transducers should seek facts and search their conscience if it is Jesus-like for the president to spurn political agreements (most of APC chieftains quietly working against him today are angry for being kicked into the sidelines).
Is the Oyo Governor a four-star general in governance delivery?
No one has offered a contrary opinion yet, though the issue of council fund is regularly raised against him by the President’s men and I have it on good authority that he’s likely to be taken in for interrogation on May 30, 2027, once his governorship immunity is over and the current federal power arrangement is retained.
Politics can be funny. The Governor who has been widely acclaimed for performance is being hounded while the “gbewudani” (figure heads) are being daily romanced and romanticized by Abuja, all in the name of reelection politics.
Isn’t politics supposed to be a means to an impactful governance end?
Meanwhile the Yoruba will say ka beran wi, ka beran wi (blame should be apportioned as due).
Even those who love the Governor passionately and rooting for him have also consistently mentioned his weak capability in consultation .
He should work on that, regardless of where he ends in 2027; Aso Rock, part of the jubilant opposition sending Asiwaju packing or even EFCC gulag.
Truth is, many of his critics are desperate to see him there.
One with heavily-accented Yoruba language will glee “Makinde yi, yio mo sewon ti o po. (This Makinde will spend a considerable time in prison).
For the president, my fear for him is rooted in an Igbo proverb, “a dighi amu aka ekpe na nka” (won’t translate).
According to God’s Word, only the devil uses people and casts them away.
May the peace makers win.
