A national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, urged Nigerians who have been accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of being too slow to allow the President at least 100 days of honeymoon.
He said change, which was at the centre of the party’s campaign ahead of the presidential election, would not be achieved with a magic wand.
Tinubu spoke with State House correspondents shortly after meeting behind closed-door with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“May 29 was when this President was sworn in. It is an international norm, there is an honeymoon period, at least a minimum of 100 days’ honeymoon. And you won’t allow honeymoon at all? You said change is not coming. Change is not by magic. It is driven by the people, the spirit and the character and the planning,” he said.
The former Lagos State governor said the nation had witnessed many problems in the past because policies were made in a hurry without proper planning.
He said it was better for the government to take its time to plan, than to rush into taking actions because of sentiments and emotions.
He added, “It is not fair to jump into those conclusions (that change is late in coming). There must be time to plan, to review and even listen to people.
“There is a separation between a campaign period, articulating your vision, expressing the promises to Nigerians, there is a time to look holistically at what you inherited, analyse it, distill and then take action.
“Even in a 100 metres race, there is a time to say ‘on your mark, set, ready, go.’
“So, you don’t even want a time to be on your mark, set and go? No, you are not being fair.”
The president met members of your party in the House of Representatives that ended in deadlock. What is your position in all these?
On the leadership crisis in the National Assembly, Tinubu said it was only the conclusion of the media that the peace meeting called by Buhari on Monday ended in a deadlock.
He said rather, his position was that there was a political process that needed to develop its own life and be worked upon to stabilise and continue to serve the interest of the populace.
Tinubu said by the time the National Assembly started its lawmaking in earnest, the President needed to step in once in a while as he did in order to let the people to understand the import of the expectations of the public and particularly of the international community on various programmes and institutions.
He said Buhari’s decision to step in to douse the tension was not a wrong step.
The former governor said he decided to visit the President to welcome him from what he described as successful trip to the United States of America and to ensure that the party remained on track.
ReplyDeleteMallam El-Rufai’s political appointments since he became Governor of Kaduna state have had their best share of controversies. My previous articles have properly documented the intrigues in his appointment of characters like Jimi Lawal, a well-known scammer and fraudster, as Special Assistant on Investment. For time and space, I will not retell those here. His more recent controversial appointment which confirms El-Rufai’s role in the whole Chibok Girls’ saga is his appointment as Chief of Staff Madam Hadiza Bala-Usman, the co-founder of the notorious #BringBackOurGirls group that made things difficult for former President Jonathan. A curious observer is made further confused by the fact that apart from the fact that Ms Hadiza is a known All Progressive Congress (APC) supporter, like Mr Jimi Lawal, she is not from Kaduna. Although, a little bit of clarity may present itself when one finds out that Ms Hadiza did not just start doing hatchet jobs for El-Rufai. As a matter of fact, she stood as El-Rufai’s chief agent during the APC primaries in Kaduna. Any curious observer will immediately see the connection… Ms Hadiza is now being handsomely rewarded for her labour of love and for properly acting out her part of the whole Chibok Girls fiction.
At this point let us introduce another character into our story; Ms Oby Ezekwezili. Having lost her hold on power since her stint with the Obasanjo administration and with no other route into the World Bank’s complex bureaucratic structure, she gladly accepted to play a major role for El-Rufai by joining and ultimately leading the #BringBackOurGirls group. Mind you, being an indigene of Imo state played in her favour. El-Rufai, being a smart man, only made Ms Hadiza the founder and Ms Ezekwezili the convener, so that the group is not seen as a Northern ploy against President Jonathan, a southerner. The role of the former Minister of Mines and Solid Minerals is therefore very clear in that regard. Whoever says el-Rufai is not smart needs to invent another meaning for that word.
Let’s now close the circle: “Madam Due process” as Ms Ezekwezili is sometimes called, understood every word in her job description and knew that no mistakes would be permissible under her new appointment. We are all witnesses to how she did her job well and the attendant drama that followed each speech she gave. She is every day on social media campaigning for the release of the fictitious girls. The matter climaxed in the week to the presidential election when Madam Due process’ voice was loudest. In a typical and predictable way, she suddenly became dumb after General Buhari of the APC was sworn in. No one has heard about Chibok Girls or the notorious group led by Madam ‘Due Process’ ever since, all thanks to Mr. Nobody!
At this point, let us look at some unusual coincidences. Just recently, President Buhari had a scheduled meeting with the notorious #BringBackOurGirls group. Should anyone be surprised it was just after that day that the Boko Haram became bolder. They demanded that the Buhari government negotiate with them. One of the conditions which the government appeared to have accepted now is the release of Boko Haram prisoners for the kidnapped girls. What was El-Rufai and Oby’s response to this?
Rather than focusing on his immediate task of governance, he has been more preoccupied witch-hunting a former minister under the GEJ Administration. Perhaps, someone should help us tell him to stop all this attention-seeking tactics and focus on the more serious business of governance. Is he so bent on outshining his bosses, President Buhari inclusive? Why trying to make the President look inadequate? That still reminds me, why is it every time El-Rufai does something no matter how negligible, he beckons to the press to show off? Are we as a people now celebrating mediocrity in the name of performance?
If truth must be told, it is imperative we probe deeply the true intentions of El-Rufai and his relationship with Oby and the #BringBackOurGirls group.
Well I do not believe anything you say cos you lack the credibility and integrity to become a moral compass for Nigerians. The more you talk the more you anoy them .So.Mr integrity and Nelson Mandela of "Nigeria" please, please leave Mr President alone.I know PMB is for every body and for nobody. He must do his job and nobody can buy him over by sweet words cos it is the change we all want and voted for.
ReplyDeleteHe presented his argument well, coz so far I ve not see any sign of change all I see is a group of confused and angry individuals who are angry abt one thing or the other instead oof getting to work. Well after 4yrs when we dnt see any sign of the magic APC promised Nigerians they will be shown the way out.
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