The setting was purely academic – the
convocation of a university. But, the gathering was a mixture of intellectual
giants and frontline politicians – an opportunity for a few words on the state
of the nation.
After berating what he called the sit-tight
attitude of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-controlled Federal Government,
the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor
of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, warned Nigerians that the government
was planning to rig the 2015 elections.
It was all at the 11th (special) convocation
of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State,
yesterday. Tinubu was conferred with a honorary degree and invested as the
institution’s fourth chancellor, following the footsteps of the late
businessman and leading politician MKO Abiola, the late eminent Jurist Justice
Kayode Esho and elder statesman, Chris Ogunbanjo.
To the APC National Leader, it is evident
that the PDP-controlled Federal Government is planning to rig, going by its
attitude. “You can only discern their intention from their attitude; they are
not bothered about the employment and unemployment situation in our country.
This is because they plan to rig the election,” TInubu told the huge gathering
at the institution’s convocation arena.
He added, however, that the leadership of the
progressive movement and their followers would not allow such to happen. His
words: “They are busy looking for ways to manipulate the polls in Ekiti. I am
not ashamed to tell them that this time it is going to be rig and roast. If you
mess up in Osun too, you would see our reaction; it is going to be the same way
— rig and roast.” “For every action, there must be a reaction.”
“Nobody will serve you freedom a la carte.
You must demand it. We won’t allow any mutilated election result in Ekiti and
Osun. We will drive them out. It won’t be a court matter this time.”
Lamenting the worsening security in the
country caused by incessant attacks by members of the Boko Haram sect, Tinubu
said of the Federal Government: “Enough of excuses and lies. They lie to us.
They cannot even account for the number of children that were either killed or
abducted. They carry on as if they are not accountable to us. While parents
were mourning the loss and disappearance of their children and victims of the
Nyanya attack, President Goodluck Jonathan was dancing in Kano. We are not
serious.
“For us in the APC, we wish the government
the best. As a party, we have no pact with the Boko Haram and they have no pact
with us. Our competition is basically on election. We seek your votes, not your
lives. We seek your understanding, not your failure. We wish the government
complete success. We wish patriotism prevails over partisanship. We are ready
to provide our services where needed, provided they will stay away from
blackmail.”
According to Tinubu, if voting during last
year’s Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) election was anything to go by, “then
coming elections would be ones where numbers and maths are (going to be)
immaterial.”
He added that the pattern of abuse and
malpractice had already been set in Anambra State, where the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to match its words with action
during last year’s governorship election. The APC is challenging the validity
of the election at the tribunal.
He said without electoral reform, the coming
elections would be “ones where those the people reject will be proclaimed as
the people’s choice”. This development, TInubu added, would place the nation in
dire straits.
The only way to avoid this, Tinubu noted, is
to introduce sweeping electoral reforms. He said: “Foremost, we need a fully
bio-metric voters’ verification and validation of registration system (our
current system encourages multiple voting) and verifiable one-man-one-vote. As
such, it is a veritable invitation card to massive fraud and malpractice.”
The former governor, who was conferred with a
doctor of science (honoris causa) at the special convocation, lamented that the
most troubling aspect of the state of the nation is that of lack of
inspirational leadership. He said Nigerians have lost faith “that this
government is capable of solving the problems affecting them”.
Tinubu blamed the ruling party for this,
saying “most of its politicians are not interested in progress”. For instance,
he described the recent rebasing of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
figures as false and misleading, saying they have raised more doubts about the
objectives of those in charge of the economy. He said from a modest $305
billion, Nigeria’s GDP ballooned to $488 billion. Nigeria thereby magically
leapt over South Africa to become the largest economy in Africa.
The APC chieftain said South Africa’s economy
is industrialised and that the country manufactures automobiles, such as BMW,
which it exports to Europe, while Nigeria cannot produce ordinary brake pad, he
said.
Tinubu, who was described as a champion of
democracy, promised a new era for LAUTECH, saying he is very fond of the
institution, just like his late mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji. “For many years,
this institution was one of the top, if not the number one, institution of its
type,” he noted.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the
university, Prof. Gbadegesin, justified the choice of Asiwaju for the position.
He said the former governor has demonstrated beyond doubt that he is a good
manager of resources and proved to be a distinguished leader.
He said: “Senator Tinubu is now the fourth
chancellor. It is a privilege to have such a great leader as our chancellor.
Thank you governors Ajimobi and Aregbesola for giving us the best candidate as
our chancellor. This will help LAUTECH to become one of the best in Africa.”
Tinubu later moved to the palace of the Soun
of Ogbomoso, Oba Oyewunmi Ajagungbade.
While addressing the monarch, he described
the Soun as a progressive minded person. “This is our palace. We need your
guidance and prayer. You are in the fore front of industralisation. In the
nation of our immense resources,we cannot produce mere tools. We must change
this government.”
Oba Ajagungbade urged Tinubu to lift LAUTECH
to greater height, using his wealth of experience and influence.
The event was attended by APC chieftains from
across the country, including National Leader Muhammadu Buhari, Interim
Chairman Bisi Akande, Interim National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed, former
Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and presidential flag bearer of the defunct
ACN, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
Others are Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara
State, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, who came with his wife Sherifat,
host Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his wife Florence, as well as senators and
other top party officials. They were Senators Gbenga Ashafa, Olorunimbe Mamora,
Femi Ojudu and Sola Adeyeye.
Also there were House of Representatives
Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila, frontline scholar Prof. Adebayo Williams,
Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji and former Lagos
Commissioner for Information Mr. Dele Alake.
The Governors of Lagos, Ekiti and Ogun were
represented by their spouses – Dame Abimbola Fashola (Lagos), Erelu Bisi Fayemi
(Ekiti) and Mrs. Olufunke Amosun (Ogun).
The ceremony was also graced by royal fathers
from Oyo and Osun states, which jointly own the institution. The Soun of
Ogbomoso, Oba Oyewunmi Ajagungbade, was there
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