The disciples of Chief Obafemi Awolowo learned the ropes, not the vision. The morphology of the human brain is the same but the way it interprets information is very different from one man to another.
So it is better most times that the owner of a vision is allowed to carry it out, just as Awolowo did as the premier of the old western Nigeria.
When he died, the disciples scattered like a pack of cards. Awo’s vision was too bright for their eyes to see. They could only wear his type of cap and glasses but not his philosophy.
Awo never jumped from party to party and for me, this is the only idea I have seen in Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He may not have shared some of Awolowo’s principles, BAT has got his own principle, which I pray should work for him.
He cannot be described as Awo’s natural disciple but having read some of the books authored by the late Sage, Tinubu’s dogged moves in Nigeria’s politics are strategical.
I think those who refused to agree are beginning to see this wisdom. He was sick, no doubt, yet he commands respect from his London home where he is recuperating.
Yes, we were made to believe that the politicians who visited Tinubu did so on health issue, the latest visit by the northern caucus in the House of Reps changed the calculation.
The sick man saw off his visitors and took photographs with them. As a matter of fact, one of them volunteered to lead BAT’s presidential campaign team.
It was revealed that the visit went beyond delivering a”get well” message, it was more of politics.
Tinubu birthed this administration. He had a deeper vision of what he wanted, which of course he could not impose as he did in Lagos. Nigeria is bigger and too sophisticated but then, he knows that things can work better if given the opportunity.
Creating a template to lead a country is like presenting a proposal for a contract, or building software to solve a problem. Only the creator of an idea has the best logic to implement it.
But my reservation is Tinubu’s health. The surgery was on one of his legs. He has not declared publicly his presidential ambition but some chieftains of his party, All Progressives Congress (APC) believe he is the man that can douse the ethnic tension in the party.
Will the numerous visits to London help the present situation?
Kunle Awosiyan is a journalist based in Lagos, Nigeria.
