- Photo R-L: Osinbajo, Tinubu*
“They said he is a Judas? They don’t know Judas’s true mission. Judas Iscariot came to fulfill prophecy. Prophets Isaiah, Zachariah and others, prophesied about the mission of Jesus on earth and how it will be accomplished. They prophesied that he will be betrayed to bring salvation.”
HATE AS DEMOCRATIC RIGHT.
On Monday, April 11, 2022, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, vice-president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, addressed the nation and declared his intention to contest for president of Nigeria.
In a speech that lasted barely 7 minutes, delivered masterfully and extemporaneously, he admitted the realities of the country, and constructed a mental bridge into the future that is possible under his presidency if he is elected by the grace of God, and the goodwill of Nigerians. The speech, came two days after that of Rotimi Amaechi, who had declared his intention to contest for president for of Nigeria.
Osinbajo’s declaration of intent, has opened the floodgates of positive and toxic emotions. To his supporters, it was pure and unadulterated joy. A fulfillment of their long-held desires, and an answer to the clarion calls on him to throw his hat in the ring. All over the country, various groups took to the streets in joyful parades. But to many supporters of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,who is yet to declare his intention to contest for president, but has informed the president of his desire, and has been traversing the country consulting leaders of thoughts, Osinbajo’s action amount to Betrayal.
They have described him as Judas Iscariot, an evil and treacherous man, a bitter of the fingers that feed him, an abuser of his destiny helper, and a dangerous person. They have even printed posters of with inscription “ The Face Of Judas”. Some went beyond his person and attacked his ancestry, his values, and his core. These attacks are not just coming from children living their age, and hired to do the dirty jobs of politicians, majority of these unhinged attacks- fact-free, virulent, and deploying over-the-top derogatory terms, are coming from supposedly matured people.
People, we assumed are old and decent enough to set the right tone and lead conversations around 2023 elections in positive ways, but who are the most unmeasured and most unhinged commentators. They are acting like children trapped in Adult Bodies.
Maya Angelous said” When people show you who they are, believe them the first time”. These people are showing us their real characters hiding under the cover of toxic and personality-cult politics. For years, they did a great job of hiding their true characters, pretending to be who and what they are not. They pretend to be lovers and believers of democracy, but they are shamelessly attacking Osinbajo for exercising his democratic rights.
Like someone said” we are the masters of our future” and politics is the key we use to shape it. How will anyone in their right senses describe another as a traitor for wanting to serve their country through the ballot boxes? Is patriotism now service to a person and not country? Common! Osinbajo is a true Patriot. Period.
They said he is a Judas? They don’t know Judas’s true mission. Judas Iscariot came to fulfill prophecy. Prophets Isaiah, Zachariah and others, prophesied about the mission of Jesus on earth and how it will be accomplished. They prophesied that he will be betrayed to bring salvation. He will be crucified, buried, and he will resurrect on the Third Day.
What if Judas did not betray Jesus, will you and I enjoy salvation today? What if what you are ignorantly calling betrayal is God’s plan to rescue Nigeria? Think about it! When has the desire to serve one’s country become treachery? Why should loyalty to an individual out-weigh loyalty to the country? Offering himself to Nigerians to decide his fate cannot be disloyalty. Loyalty to Nigeria trump loyalty to a man.
When you hear some people talk about this loyalty thing, you will think that APC zoned the presidency to the South west, and South west leaders met and decided that the ticket should zoned to Asiwaju Tinubu, with Osinbajo participating in these meetings, agreeing to the resolutions, and then acting contrary to the resolutions after accepting them. That is the only reason that can justify the vitriol being directed at him.
The fact that Tinubu appointed him as AG of Lagos, and may have played a significant role in nominating him to be the vice-presidential candidate of APC in 2015, can hardly justify this level of hate. What about president Buhari who accepted his nomination, and the millions of Nigerians whose votes made him the vice-president ? He should ignore their calls and desires because of his loyalty to one man? This is simply ridiculous and preposterous.
The attacks on Osinbajo are evil, self-serving, and are an objectification of politics of personality cult. All the clumsy embellishments about how someone made him should stop. For crying out loud, Osinbajo was a professor of Law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, when he met Tinubu.
No one-Not Osinbajo, or any of his supporters can deny or minimize the role Tinubu played in his life. Osinbajo has acknowledged Tinubu’s contributions in many speeches and videos being trafficked by some as “ Testimony”. But what these mean and little people won’t tell you or traffic, is that Tinubu himself has also praised Osinbajo to high heavens and has extolled his brilliance and courage.
Osinbajo, fought so hard behind Tinubu to repel the assaults on Constitutionalism by the Obasanjo led government on Lagos State. The same Osinbajo carried out the most significant reforms in the Lagos State Judiciary. The relationship between Tinubu and Osinbajo, is not one side, it has been a mutually benefiting union.
Asiwaju Tinubu, is a decent man given the little I know about him, he will be ashamed and troubled by the behavior of his supporters. If they can be so mean and unhinged against his associate, they will do the same thing to him if he ‘steps out of line’ on them according to their narrow and self-serving narrative and expectations. It is a shame that we are back to the era of wholesale intolerance! Let me clear as best as I can.
The presidency of Nigeria, is not the entitlement of anyone. All qualified Nigerians are entitled to contest for it, and majority of Nigerians will decide who should get it through their votes. Let the hate stop and stop now. No one is self-made. Even the influence attributed to Asiwaju Tinubu is derived from others-the people.
It is already hard for decent people to join politics because of the vicious and scorched-earth nature of politics in Nigeria, we shouldn’t make it harder. Mischievously skewering someone is not politics. Politics does not have to be a blood sport, it is, and always will be, a contest of ideas and enlargement of differences on issues.
Prof. Osinbajo holds Asiwaju Tinubu in high esteem and will always do so. He believes that the highest loyalty should be to the country and he is not worried by the insane characterization of his desire to serve by some.