The Director-General of Tinubu Support Groups Management Council, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, speaks on Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu 2023 presidency bid, which has continued to gather momentum. Jibrin was a guest on popular television show, Journalists Hangout, anchored by Babajide Kolade-Otitoju, on Television Continental, monitored by Joy Bakare. Excerpts:
You are a man with strong conviction, what makes you think Bola Tinubu can take Nigeria out of it current situation?
We have spoken about that over and over, and straight to the point key is that he is equipped with so much experience. Understanding Nigeria, understanding the politics of Nigeria, understanding the people of this country, understanding the nature and pattern of our economy, understanding the basic needs of our economy, understanding the issues when it has to do with the politics of our economy of our country. And of course social issues. Secondly, his competence has never been in doubt and his capacity to change things and improve on what he met on ground. Repeatedly, we keep saying over and over that he has done this in Lagos we have seen, even after leaving government, he has not held any political office but everybody knows that he has been part and parcel of politics that has impacted positively to this country and people of the country. So, when you look at his capacity and educational background, as an Accountant, his working experience in multinational organisations, service in the Senate of the Federal Republic, working in the Executive Arm as Governor of Lagos State, serving for two terms, in the past 15 years he has been in the corridors of power, encouraging the government and building opposition, strengthening the institution of our government.
You have no doubt that at this point in our country, this is the person we are looking for One thing that has generated so many controversies lately is the source of Tinubu’s wealth. I want you to throw more light.
It has never been a source of controversy; the only thing is that this is applicable to all of us and also to journalists. Any journalist who asks such questions, we sure that he is up for the mischievous so we would not give him the opportunity to do that. But when you talk about the age, source of Asiwaju, the spending of Asiwaju, it has always been in the public. So, I personally find it embarrassing that a journalist will ask the ages of public officers. Every year, he celebrates his birthday. Sixty-nine years old and getting to 70. It have never been in dispute. For someone who has been hunted right from his schooling days by multinationals, has worked for Mobil, gone into politics. This man didn’t go into politics a poor man. I can assure you that no senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a poor man. And he went into politics as a senator. He has means and of course he is in the public glare. This man has business in his DNA, importing, exporting and the rest. All the people talking are fully aware that he was sponsoring pro-democracy single handedly. Nobody has come out to say or give a contrary opinion about that. Even in the 90s. So why didn’t they bother to ask him that where is he getting all those money from and over the years? This is a man that has had investment all over the world and massive shares in Apple, Manchester United. So, he has been in business and even if you put that aside for somebody of his caliber and the level he has attain in politics not only in Nigeria, for someone like Tinubu will have enormous goodwill. Categorise his life, his business and you can also categorise the second part of his wealth from massive goodwill from well wishers and that should not come to anybody by surprise.
Are you sure that Nigerians are in support, especially from the northern part of the country?
Yes, I am very sure that majority of Nigerians are in support of him. And again I have said that any day, anytime that we call for an election, within the APC and even if it is referendum, Asiwaju is going to win. And he remains the second most influential person in the part and nobody can argue with that. President Muhammadu Buhari remains the most influential person in the party and within the party. And if you are talking about the elite of the party and the general public, Asiwaju, nobody can argue that and it spreads across the country. If you take away President Muhammadu Buhari, no individual can defeat Asiwaju Tinubu within the APC either in a direct election or indirect election or a referendum in any part of the country. You can put that to test. So, it is a matter of somebody who deserves it and whose time has come. It is a matter of somebody who has shown loyalty to the party, who has helped in building the party, who has come through for the party. And I think this is the time that the party needs to come and rally round him. In any case, President Buhari is the most influential, he is the second most influential and of course, he is a symbol of the APC whether we like it or not. That also applies to the country in general. At the APC, he is popular when it comes to the general elections. I have also challenged anybody to a public debate that Asiwaju remains in a front runner in the 2023 general elections, whether in the APC or the general public.
What are the problems that you think he must solve?
These are problems that are universal. In every country of the world, problems rotate around security, infrastructure, economy, education, social welfare and health care. These are problems that are like a natural phenomenon. Since we were born, these problems have been in existence. When you read from the First Republic, you might even be surprised to learn that the problems we are facing now is the same as at then. It is not just applicable to Nigeria alone. It is just that it differs in all countries. When you go to the United States, England and the rest, they are still talking about infrastructure, health care. So, in Nigeria to narrow down the issues to Nigeria, these revolve around the same issues of the economy and when you talk about it, people will want to trickle down its effect. I don’t like saying that they want to see food on their tables because it can be misrepresented. The most important thing is that yes the economy has been diversified. Whosoever says the economy has not been diversified he cannot really see. He needs additional eyes to really see. He needs additional glasses to see. But what we also need to work on, of course that usually takes a bit of time to ensure that it trickles down. Of course there is the issue of the economy and people want an increase and tingling down so that they can be able to have funds that they can call theirs in their pockets and when you talk about infrastructure, we have done a lot in the last couple of years. And again, they want to see the infrastructure has been completed and they want to see an overhaul of the health sector of affordable housing, affordable educational system. President Muhammadu Buhari has done a lot, a fantastic job in last seven years and what you will hear if you go round the country is that nobody is better than Asiwaju because he has demonstrated that he can. And even his worst critics have never for once questioned his competence and his capacity. So, Nigerians are convinced that yes this issues have been completely dealt with in this regard, they believe that the capacity of Asiwaju is per degree and when he becomes president, they want assurances that when he becomes president, he will be able to concentrate, narrow down on these issues and deal with them decisively.
One key issue also, is security; of course everybody understands that security now has become a global issue a President Muhammadu Buhari has done a lot but again because we are faced with a new kind of security situation in the last couple of years. The more the government tries to proffer solutions to block an emerging trend they also (the bandits, etc) are also coming up with other means. So, Nigerians are also concerned for a president that will come and consolidate all the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari in terms of security, he has been accurate, acquisition of hardware and software for the military. There have been training and retraining. The issue of change and be able to be proactive and not react. We believe that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is very acquainted with this and will be able to pick up from where the president stops.
Nigeria is bigger than Lagos State what kind of advantage will you be having if you are a researcher and you want to take two places in Nigeria to be able to test the capacity of somebody then vis-a-vis to be able to manage Nigeria. The first thing that comes to mind is Lagos and Kano. And of course the sophistication of Lagos, one’s someone becomes a governor there and succeeds you do not have any doubt to give him a bigger responsibility in Nigeria today that he is going to make good of it. And you know this issue is becoming so monotonous because we have spoken about it everywhere.Everybody knows what Asiwaju has done in Lagos State and nobody is going against that because he managed Lagos State well from what he met in Lagos State and build up Lagos from every aspect and he laid a long term blueprint, laid a solid foundation and most importantly, building a chain of leaders that have continued to contribute to the progress and development of not only Lagos but Nigeria as a whole. Wherever he goes to in this country, he will be welcomed.
I also sympathise with those who have continued to criticise Asiwaju, in other parts of the world. Someone like Asiwaju will be put in a very special place created for statemen and men of honour in the history of our country because of what he has done. So, people like us have come out and decide to support and put in our best. We are not just doing that for doing sake, we are doing it because we know that this man has the capacity to continue from where President Muhammadu Buhari stops and be able to complete all the good works and meet the yearning of Nigerians. So, for him to have succeeded as a governor of Lagos State is a good basis to be able to accept him and say yes he will be able to perform.
Can you attest to his fitness level given the rigorous nature of campaigns?
I get very surprised when I read the pages of newspapers and I see all that they write but again if you relate with him you will see that it requires fitness that has to do with the office of the president and mental fitness. In mental fitness, Asiwaju has distinction. If you know him, you will know that he is completely sound both in urban and street wise. He understands exactly what the problems are and what he would do about it. When you sit with him and have conversation and see how he dissolves the problems of Nigeria, how to deal with it and how to pick up from where President Muhammadu Buhari stops, you will be amazed. So, in terms of the physical fitness majorly, he is fit to become the president of Nigeria. Like every human being, he will fall sick and get well, so I don’t think that should be a big issue.
I keep saying that the conversation should move to real issues. Why are people not saying that they are worried that he cannot do the job or that he is not an intelligent man, he doesn’t have a pedigree or that he is not a good manager of people. I am worried that he cannot carry everybody along, manage the resources of Nigeria, I am worried he cannot improve the revenue bills of Nigeria and get us out of this shackle. I am worried that he would not take the best brain and put it in the best position.
Do you see religion playing significant role in deciding the next president?
This is a very sensitive issue to Nigerians. The last time I spoke about it, a lot of people really got the picture of where I am coming from. Let me try to choose my words very carefully and let me preempt him, I don’t know who he would pick as his running mate but the issue of religion in our country is very important but when it comes to the actual election, it has always proven otherwise. So, you could say oh, you have to run with a Muslim or a Christian. But in instance when this was put to test, it didn’t prove that Nigerians actually bother about that. Which is what I keep saying?
During MKO 1993, people say it is a long time. Well it is still Federal Republic of Nigeria. Well, put that aside. In recent history, I’ve tried to draw examples from different situations in the National Assembly, where we’ve had different Christians: David Mark and of course Ekweremadu. It was the same thing that played out: “Don’t try that, you’ll lose the election.” But they went for the election and they won. The Muslims voted for them. In Femi (Gbajabiamila) and (Ahmad) Wase, the same thing. I managed that campaign so I can competently speak. They said we were going to win but that the moment we run both Muslims, you will lose. The Christians all voted for us. In recent history, it happened in Kaduna for El-Rufai, both Muslims, and he won. So we’ve had history of both Christians and Muslims. The point is that in conversation and in perception, we get emotional about it, but in the few instances where you can say in actual tense, where those issues have been put to tes,t it has proven otherwise, but it rarely matters because within the APC. We have good Northern Christians that can be vice president and we also have good Northern Muslims that can be vice president, but that will be the decision of our candidate and by the grace of God the incoming President in 2023, that is not my decision.
Let’s look at the issue of zoning, whether PDP or APC. That issue is a very hotly contested issue. If the APC decides to give your candidate a ticket, what are his chances to face a PDP Candidate from the North because if APC picks from the South, we can bet on it that the PDP will pick from the North. So what are the chances of your andidates?
Ok, I will answer this question separately. On the issue of the zoning, you know my supporting Asiwaju implies that I support that the presidency in APC being from the South and I believe I don’t have to worry about expressing my opinion publicly, but I respect other people’s opinion clearly, those who holds contrary opinions, I respect their opinion, but this is my opinion: I believe Northern and Southern issues ended eight years ago and it should not even be a discussion on the TV no matter how much we say that in the entire democratic experience we’ve been shortchanged and everything. Whatever balance we want, let it be a matter of the future. The most important is that the last eight years, a Northerner has been president. I don’t think APC will try to toy with that matter. I believe confidently that the presidency will go to the southerners, and if it does, Asiwaju clearly stands out when you look at all the possibilities, he clearly stands out in terms of experience, capacity, confidence, pedigree and most importantly the ability to win the election, which is very important and I believe more than anyone else that his gap is quite huge for anybody in the race today to win the general election that is against any other political party.
On the other hand, talking about PDP filing for the candidate will also take us back to the issue of zoning. Of course a lot of the PDP are our friends and we have these conversations and I repeat that I respect everyone who holds contrary opinions, but this is my opinion. The argument has always been that zoning is more of a party issue. In APC, it’s a different ball game. In PDP, the last president was a southerner, Goodluck Jonathan, but the reality is that the entity that is subjected to this zoning is Federal Republic of Nigeria. It’s not Federal Republic of APC nor Federal Republic of PDP, so I believe that it might be unfair for you to argue even within PDP that the presidency should come to the Northern part of the country, well I’m not trying to insinuate anything, but I know that southern leaders will have a lot of explanation to do to their people, if they see the presidency going to the northern part of the country for very obvious reasons, coming back to the fact that if they eventually fill a Northerner, it is not going to affect the chances of Tinubu.
This didn’t start today, this gentleman has invested heavily in the system, he has built network, he has built goodwill and it cuts across all the country, and I have said this severally, go to the northern part of the country and show me one presidential candidate that has more support, even random sample activities going on the street. Who? I have argued that show me one candidate that has more support that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, whether the northerners who are in the contest or the southerners who are in the contest, take it state by state, send a team there and let them do a random sampling and you will see for yourself. Asiwaju is his own Army that is coming, This is a movement, the Lagos Governor put it in a tidier manner, he said it is a movement the Asiwaju presidential aspiration or the Asiwaju presidency is unstoppable and that’s why you see that he never said he wanted to be President at any point, he was a senator in 1992 and a Governor in 1999, all of his colleagues have attempted to be president, but he never said so, you know why? Because this brain of his is sound, he knows the timing, he knows right, and he has no reason for anybody to deny him now
The way the APC and in fact the PDP is currently, Governors are extremely influential and powerful. They are more or less like the major decision makers in the two parties. How much of the support of today’s Governors from the APC does your principal have?
I completely agree with you that the Governors constitute a very influential part of decision making and of course within the party and the Country as a whole, anybody who is within the committee of Governors then he doesn’t understand the politics of the Country. The point is that Asiwaju, has always worked with the team, there are things I should say here and there are things I should not say. We have a very good teamwork and while people are talking, people are tweeting, sending pictures here and there, we are working day and night, we are reaching out to everybody, so we’re reaching out to even the Governors and the results has been extremely positive. You understand that it would be difficult for you to have, three of four Governors or four to five that there interests are merged together, maybe in the last two to three years they might have seen things that way, but you know now, just few months to the election, everybody has their interest and their also carrying the load of their people behind them, so you will understand that every Governor has to be on the table, so we have been looking at the issue that way, and that has always formed our approach to reaching out to the Governors. A lot of conversations has been going on, and I wish I would be able to mention, but I am very confident that we are already getting to the line where most of this Governors will also come out to show where they stand in what we are doing, but we have a lot of Governors who are working with us very positively, and of course I tweeted a couple of days ago and anything that comes out of me is fact, so we are working with the Governors, we’re still talking with those who thinks differently from us and the purpose is that we are not just satisfied getting the number that we need to win the election, we also want to carry along with everybody. Those who are afraid that they’ve offended Asiwaju has repeatedly said that” I am a product of grace, I have been raised to understand what it means to be gracious, I cannot have the presidency while nursing a grudge”, he is not that sort of person, you can see him in and out, when people offend him and they come back, he embraces them. So the whole idea is to be able to enlarge the room for everybody and ensure that everyone is carried along. Our conversations with the Governors will continue as a group and as individuals, I’m pretty sure we will be able to have a discussion with everyone and build some understanding.
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