By For Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu, the Jagaban of Borgu, the leading light of Nigeria’s modern democracy, words can never be enough to describe your personalities in details.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, you are a veritable pillar of Nigeria’s modern democracy and a proven political prodigy of our times. You have, through your tenacity and upbeat spirit, over the years, carved a niche for yourself as the foremost politician of our dear nation’s fledgling Fourth Republic. Although this was not your first foray into politics, evidently, it is in this current dispensation that you emerged as a full-fledged personality stamping your authority in the arena of local, national and international leadership.
As the APC National Leader, you have continued to guide, inspire and lead our noble causes of liberation from political oppression and improving the quality of life of Nigerians. You have shown to all and sundry that you are indeed the leader of leaders. No doubt, yours is a sterling example of statesmanship and steadfastness. You stay the course always.
Notably, one of your efforts, as a major arrowhead, alongside other like-minded progressive Nigerians, led to the merger of parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC). This ultimately resulted in the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the installation of the current APC-led national government.
It is no surprise that you are now a household name. In Nigeria of today, Asiwaju is a subject. Many great works have been done to eulogise you. You are, “the man that rose to the peak of his calling on self-belief, sagacity, dignity, vision and divinely mobilised force beyond human comprehension.”
Many beautiful words are being used to paint you including: courageous and fearless political General, patriot, motivator, strategic thinker, risk taker, lover of grassroots politicking, builder of men and women, humanist, visionary leader, crowd puller; a crusader for change and progress, the enthronement of the rule of law, electoral reforms, justice, good governance and development; and a great apostle of power, which, in his view, is never served a la carte.
Whatever might have been done to advance the cause of democracy before the Fourth Republic has paled with your avowed commitment, in the extant dispensation, to champion the cause of sustaining one of the cardinal principles of democracy: the people’s right to choose. In this pursuit, you have become the face of the alternative force in a nation that for all intent and purpose, has been tending towards a one-party system since 1999. Singlehandedly, you brought about uncommon transmutation to the Nigeria’s political landscape, thereby overcoming all odds to assume prodigiousness pronounced by the people.
Among several gifts in political philosophy, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu, you are a master of the art of timing. You organised all opposition flanks into a formidable force to give the then ruling federal the fight of the century. Succeeding on the strength of purpose, you saw the political tide of our country’s power system and stood to fight alone as an Alliance for Democracy (AD) Governor when others fell like pack of cards to the decoy and antics of the then ruling party in the 2003 general elections. As the leader that you are, you were able to see the unseen. By 2007, you had remodelled, revamped and re-engineered the political relics of South West Nigeria to emerge as a formidable opposition, fought a stunt fight, defeated and removed an incumbent Federal Government that had reigned for 16 laborious years in our nation. That was a feat that was only better imagined; but you made it a reality for us all. Your struggle perceptibly brought us all out of our struggle. Thank you.
Asiwaju, you are great in much ratification. If leadership is truly about unlocking people’s potential to become better, indisputably, you are the best. No living political leader in Nigeria is near your achievements in matters of organised followership and leadership breeding. You will definitely leave your footprints on the sands of time.
For standing against the tide of twisted power and might all these years, you have preserved our today. You are truly an architect of modern Nigeria, a driving force behind an emerging Nigeria of our dreams.
You have ushered Nigeria into the meeting hall of democratic nations. By staying the course, by investing your intellect, time, experience and resources in the struggle for a better country and by working with people of like minds, you remain our beacon of hope, our mentor and our barometer of visionary leadership. It is evident that words, indeed, are not enough to account for your leadership traits.
On the account of your 65th birthday daddy, on behalf of the good people of Eti-Osa Constituency 02, we wish you a happy birthday sir.
We love you. May we continue to drink from your fountain of knowledge and wisdom, and continue to draw inspiration from your unique leadership style for a very, very long time.
May the Good Lord continue to keep you in good health, and grant you many, many more fruitful years ahead.
