In the last three weeks or so, I have seen political movements of some opposition politicians who, like nomadic herdsmen are migrating from one end to another in search of greener political pastures. Chief of these politicians is the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El’Rufai, who has been upbeat in showcasing his disavowal to a Tinubu second term project ostensibly because he was not accommodated in Tinubu’s government. Nasir El’Rufai’s political stature is as diminutive as his frame. He rode on the crest of General Buhari to get elected in the first place as Governor of Kaduna State. His second term chances were abysmal, but he managed to sail through. In Kaduna State, APC won four out of the fourteen House of Reps members, and the entire three senatorial seats were won by the opposition PDP under Mallam El’Rufai. Now that Governor Uba Sani has taken Kaduna State leadership to a new height, things are falling in place, security is improving, the notorious Birnin-Gwari axis has been dominated, and a new lease of life has taken a foothold in the state. Both Christians and Muslims in Kaduna State are elated to see a Governor Uba Sani that has been able to cement robust relationship between the two dominant religions, and has consciously nurtured this to a productive level.
President Tinubu represents the algorithm of power that was anchored in 2023 when General Buhari was exiting power. It was the turn of the Southern part of the country after the eight years of General Buhari despite orchestrated effort to upturn the arrangement. It is a political dichotomy that cannot be ignored in balancing the scale of power between the North and South. President Tinubu would be spending his first four years in 2027, and the option of a second term is already knocking at the door to complete the Southern term. Any gang up at this time would attempt to altering the political applecart that will undoubtedly hurt the North-South divide as it were in trying to stabilize the power rotation that has endured for sometime now. Those who are promoting a coalition to upstage this healthy arrangement in the manner we’ve seen Atiku Abubakar, Nasir ElRufai, Peter Obi and others, are only playing to the gallery, seeking political relevance at a time that the political equation seems at odds for any Northern candidate. While the North will resist any attempt to bring on board a fresh candidate from the South, the option of a Tinubu second term is most assured to cede power to the North in 2031. A fresh Southern candidate will seek to spend eight years irrespective of the agreement, and this will hurt the political turn of the North.
Aside from this political reality that will play out in the 2027 electoral permutation, President Tinubu has shown a remarkable courage and resilience in confronting the challenges he inherited from his predecessor. Having acted on the subsidy bottleneck on his first day in office, with supply stabilising on a consistent basis, president Tinubu has shown positive leadership of an uncommon patriot, who is determined to leave his imprints in the sands of time. He has generated new ideas like the student loans board, credit scheme, floating the naira, implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act, fixing the refineries and quite a number of interventions that have impacted on our economy. Introduction of CNG Buses, to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal as well as building a national conversation that promotes national cohesion. The insecurity in the country largely inherited by the present administration, is receiving serious attention and the huge budgetary provisions, first of its kind in the country, is an indication that the president means business. For the first time, budgetary provision for Nigeria Army rose beyond a trillion naira mark. It is now left for the military to judiciously apply the resources for optimal benefit.
Talking about opposition and the coalition diadem, a lot of missing gaps are evident. The major opposition party, the PDP, is presently in disarray, unable to articulate a common roadmap to play alternative role to the ruling APC. The PDP is manifestly fractured, broken and prostate, trying as it were to remain afloat. The PDP is made up of several factions and earlier attempts to patch up it’s cracked walls have ended up in further polarising the party that has now become a shadow of its old self. A party that wants to form the nucleus of a coalition, ought to live above board and be a shining example on how to stay relevant as opposition party. The PDP is presently decrepit and utterly in turmoil, hemorrhaging on dithering steps, and struggling to remain alive by the feeble strings of a few of its elected state Governors. The party is buffeted by the vaulting ambition of a few of her chieftains, led by Atiku Abubakar, who has taken the PDP as his own personal property. In the fullness of such madness, there is no way that the PDP can remain the nucleus of opposition coalition. The SDP has also given indication that its party won’t be available for hijack in any shape or form. So, the opposition will find it difficult to rally round a common platform for the sole purpose of upstaging the incumbent president.
When President Tinubu was contesting in 2023, a lot of landmines were planted on his way. Like a cat with nine lives, he surmounted all of them, and came out triumphantly after such a keenly contested election. The then outgoing government introduced currency swap that mopped up physical cash from circulation, tortured Nigerians and prevented them from assessing their savings, all because they wanted to break president Tinubu and deny him the opportunity to succeed former President Buhari. Tinubu was undaunted. Like a political strategist that he is, of the progressive hue, he knew exactly how to confront political opponents when issues get to a dizzying height. He was tactful and diplomatic in his emanations. He knew what he needed to do and at the end of the day, all the gang up against him fell by the wayside like a pack of cards. Tinubu was elected. His second term will assuredly another opportunity for his stock-taking. He’s shown enough capacity and courage thus far, and his desire to generate therapeutic ideas in response to our developmental challenges has been at the front burner of his administration. This is a wake up call to all concerned. It is time for us all to rally round Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for his second term, in order to consolidate on his forward looking policies that will relaunch the country on the path of growth and development. President Tinubu surely deserves a second term, and he will surely succeeds.
*Prince Afegbua is a Public Affairs Analyst
