By Emeka Ugwuonye
There are certain factors that place Tinubu ahead of his opponents at this time. The following are ten of such advantages Tinubu has over his opponents.
1. No other Governor in Nigeria has ruled his state for a straight 24 years. Tinubu has maintained total control of Lagos from 1999 to this moment. Lagos is the richest state in Nigeria and the 6th largest economy in Africa.
2. If any judge was appointed in Lagos State in the past 24 years, such judge knows he owes his judicial career to Tinubu. Some of those judges have gone on to become senior judges in Nigeria.
3. Even if Tinubu did not appoint you, if you have served as a judge in Lagos, and you acquired land in prime locations in Lagos, it is very likely you once sought Tinubu’s favors.
4. What about powerful businessmen and corporate organizations doing business in Lagos? Many of them felt they owed something to Tinubu. Dangote might not have built his refinery if Lagos did not declare an area a free zone which basically made it possible for Dangote to get land almost free of charge.
5. Tinubu has the incumbency factor on his side. The President, all the ministers, all the commanders of the security forces are ready to support him.
6. He is very competitive and has a strong record of control and dominance. Look at what happened during the APC primaries. He use money and other factors to completely overwhelm his rivals. Indeed, he had no rivals. Also, look at what happened when weeks to the election, the Central Bank initiated a policy that would have stopped Tinubu from using any stockpiled cash to buy votes. Five Governors went to court against the government and Central Bank. And the Supreme Court stopped the Central Bank within a week. Look at what happened to all those who once opposed Tinubu. El Rufai once opposed him, but now, his a diehard supporter. Ribadu, Keyamu, Wike, etc once opposed him, but now they support him. Remember the fight between Adam Oshonmole and Obaseki. Tinubute supported Oshonmole while Wike supported Obaseki. That meant that Wike and Tinubu were at war with each other then. Today, Wike is Tinubu’s boy. What does that tell you about Tinubu?
7. The greatest of the advantages is the fact he will be sworn in on Monday as the President of Nigeria. With that office comes incredible and indefensible powers, including the power to appoint judges and power to pressure the Supreme Court.
8. The Americans and the rest of the international community are not opposing him. They have congratulated him and they are sending delegations to his inauguration.
9. Due to the fact that people don’t know enough about Tinubu, he could very well be an agent of a foreign government like the CIA. If so, he is guaranteed of America support always.
10. His opponents are weak and scattered. If Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar where challenging Tinubu as a united force, they might have been more impactful. But they are splintered and their interests do not necessarily converge. And these two parties, especially the Labor Party, have inherent internal weaknesses that make it hard for their forces to cohere.
So, at this moment, Tinubu is unstoppable. I know that an average Obident is angry, emotional and is always looking for who is supporting whom. But this is not a matter of what you wish for. It is a matter of what is feasible and practicable. Stopping Tinubu is no longer probable or even possible. His opponents should return to the drawing board and plan differently. At the same time, the nation should adjust and accept that Tinubu is their President. Rather than cry over the past elections, brace yourself and get ready for 2027. You can expect the courts to reverse the election results anywhere else except the presidential elections.
