Asiwaju, a quintessential democrat, says Obioha

In this toast to the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who turned 63 on March 29, a former chieftain of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Chief Ralph Obioha, recounts his association with the former Lagos State Governor. 
Senator Bola Tinubu, the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a quintessential democrat who displayed a remarkable commitment to the ideals of democracy. I make this toast admittedly with envy but I must quickly add that my envy is green since it is so laden with deep admiration and respect for what he has accomplished for Nigeria.

My encounter with the Senator started over 21 years ago when he was with Exxon as a treasurer and the Managing Director of my bank – First African Trust Bank, Mr. Yomi Tokosi, disclosed that Asiwaju was one of the backers of the bank. It was not long after that, he was elected to the Senate and we found ourselves together in the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Our paths were to cross much closer when the June 12 struggle started.
Asiwaju singled himself out as the major financer of this struggle in the United States of America (USA) and stood as the main pillar of support when the body was displaying fatigue and weariness but Asiwaju, at each turn of the struggle, roused the spirit to sustain the struggle to success. As the case in all human interaction, there were moments of disagreement but now with hindsight, it is a rare gift of vision that he galvanised the sustenance of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO’s) commitment to democracy.

The Asiwaju’s legacy can be summed-up as a great fighter of democracy and by extension of consensus builder injustice visited to their son, Bashrun M.K.O. Abiola. They massively elected him the governor of Lagos State. When he assumed office as the governor of Lagos State, no one gave that state any chance of survival but painstakingly, Asiwaju, like a magic, transformed Lagos into a livable modern megapolis. Even hard-core critics gave him kudos for what he was able to accomplish for his dear state and many were quick to add that Asiwaju’s selection of his successor in the person of Governor Babatunde Fashola confirmed his selfless plans to ensure that Lagos is indeed “The Center of excellence”. Asiwaju was to experiment with various formations of political parties in his unquenchable thirst to move Nigeria forward.
In a masterstroke of political wizardry, he escaped the treachery of 2003 general elections and survived the near political annihilation of the Southwest in that election. True to his character, he rebuilt the zone and in 2007, won back nearly all the lost states except Ondo.
The icing on the cake is Asiwaju’s remarkable construction of the coalition that metamorphosed into the giant APC. Still more remarkable is his ability to discover the potency of Gen Muhammadu Buhari’s appeal in today’s Nigeria as the leader that could rescue us from the implosion Nigeria was heading into. You may not like the person of Senator Bola Tinubu that is your entitlement but Nigeria, over 25 years ago, lost most of her heroes but a nation must strive to find new heroes, not necessarily to worship them but to set role models for the emerging generations to look up to. For those who are envious of Senator Bola Tinubu, turn such envy into green as I did and join me to toast this remarkable son of Nigeria whose commitment to enthrone an enduring democracy in Nigeria is without question.
Ralph Obioha, is a former chieftain of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and former National Chairman of the Justice Party (JP).

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