2023: Osinbajo, Tinubu And The Price Of Godfatherism

Osinbajo 

Tinubu

 In her book published on April 15, 1999, titled, “Aid to Africa: So Much to Do, So Little Done,” Professor Carol Lancaster citing Professor Claude Ake’s analysis of Godfatherism in Nigeria's politics, stated; “(Nigeria) Professor Claude Ake lifted a veil on the functioning of government agencies while reminding us of how little we know it! The state in Africa has been a maze of antinomies of form and content: the person who holds office may not exercise its powers, the person who exercises the power of a given office may not be its holder, informal relations often override formal relations, the formal hierarchies of bureaucratic structure and political power are not always the clue to decision making power. Positions that seem to be held by persons are in fact held by kingship groups.” The vice president of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has become a victim of Godfatherism. 

One of the best-known beneficiaries of Godfatherism has become entrapped by power and he cannot ask for his right or what should rightly belong to him. The price of Godfatherism. At the height of their powers Godfathers can make and remake politicians. They are the channels through which power flows. Their numbers are declining geometrically in recent times due to fallouts that have characterized Godfathers and Godsons relationships. Many of such relationships have ended acrimoniously. 

Sadly for Osinbajo he is beholden to the last of the Godfathers and former governor of Lagos State and the self-styled national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) (a position not known by the constitution of the party). Stories have been told and confirmed that Osinbajo was an afterthought as vice presidential candidate to the presidential candidate of the APC, General Muhammadu Buhari back in 2015. It was at that time that the Godfather and kingmaker Tinubu showed inkling that he wanted to be close to the power at the centre in Abuja. He declared interest to be the vice presidential candidate to General Buhari for the 2015 presidential election. Not even the fact that he is a Muslim and the party’s candidate for the election is also a Muslim in a religious sensitive country like Nigeria could dissuade him. He was ready to go the whole hug to achieve his ambition. In his mind he believes that he could do it, after all, late Chief MKO Abiola pulled it off in 1993 when Abiola (himself a Muslim) picked Babagana Kingibe also a Muslim, as his running mate and still presumably won the election which was eventually annulled by the military. It was an ambition that divided the party and former Senate President Bukola Saraki who opposed that became his enemy for which the Kwara born politician was made to pay the political price in 2019. It took the then APC presidential candidate Buhari to convince Tinubu to jettison the ambition and accorded him the privilege of nominating another candidate. He nominated Professor Yemi Osinbajo who had served as commissioner in Lagos State, a state in which Tinubu has in his pocket like so many nickels and diamonds. 

Five years since Yemi Osinbajo emerged on the national scene as the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and three years to the end of the maximum two terms of office of President Muhammadu Buhari, Osinbajo has been left out of the equation of possible successors to the Aso Rock Presidency in 2023. In decent climes vice presidents have easy succession to the presidency when the Presidents have served the maximum allowed period on the position. But this is Nigeria. The land of the absurd. Instead of many groups emerging to support Osinbajo to takeover the Presidency in 2023, what do we have? It is the Godfather and kingmaker who had always wanted to be king that is gaining all the momentum, setting up structures under several youth groups that are gradually taking over the media space telling Nigerians that Tinubu is the best thing since sliced bread. That he is the one to continue with the legacies of President Muhammadu Buhari. They said that making Tinubu president would be his reward for helping to make Buhari President in 2015, instead of accepting the obvious fact that Buhari was made president in 2015 by God, and not by any man.

They want people to believe that it was all because of Tinubu. If Tinubu has such powers he would have made himself president in 2015. He knew that the only way to dislodge incumbent President Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 was to go and beg Buhari to run. Not because he loved Buhari as could be seen from some unprintable things he said about Buhari in 2011 when he (Tinubu) was in the same bed with Jonathan. It was Buhari’s massive followership that was akin to a religious adoration that made Tinubu support him for president in 2015. And it showed in the millions of harvested votes from northern Nigeria (Buhari’s stronghold) in turning the tides against Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election. Osinbajo on the other hand has shown that he is an effective leader. Few would disagree that most times when the President travelled abroad for medical treatment and handed power to him officially he had performed excellently well. 

In fact students of power often fear for him because of his excellent performances because they know that according to the First Law of The 48 Laws of Power, by Robert Greene he should, “Never Outshine the Master.” It was Baltasar Gracián who said, “Being defeated is hateful, and besting one’s boss is either foolish or fatal. Most people do not mind being surpassed in good fortune, character, or temperament, but no one, especially not a sovereign, likes to be surpassed in intelligence.” Osinbanjo’s five star performances when he had the opportunity to run the country was winning him loads of fans that he was fondly being referred to as the “Star Boy” by most Nigerians. His performance madesome people uncomfortable even if the President did not mind. The cabal eventually ensured that he was put in his place. More so as the President’s health improved dramatically and he had no more reasons to travel for long for medical reasons, the vice president has fewer opportunities to display his leadership prowess. 

However, the fact remains that Osinbajo has shown flashes of a brilliant leader and that he could run this country if the APC led by President Muhammadu Buhari refused to zone the 2023 presidency to the South East as common sense and natural justice demand! And if Osinbajo is not given the right of first refusal and Tinubu is given the presidential ticket, it would mark the triumph of Godfatherism over competence and the nation will be the loser!