A social commentator, Kayode Ogundamisi has submitted that no single person can claim to have made Muhammadu Buhari the President of Nigeria as such power belongs to God alone.
Ogundamisi said this on Friday in a reaction to the claim by the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu that Buhari couldn’t have emerged President of Nigeria in 2015 without his support.
He argued that the likes of Pastor Tunde Bakare, Atiku Abubakar, Bukola Saraki, Rotimi Amaechi, Rochas Okorocha and many others would have their own versions of how they contributed to making Buhari President.
It will be recalled that Tinubu on Thursday stated that Buhari then as a candidate had already given up hopes of emerging as a democratically elected President of Nigeria after contesting and failing on several occasions.
The APC leader however said he went to Buhari in Katsina and agreed to work with him to emerge as the President of Nigeria on the condition that he would take care of the Yoruba people in the country.
Naija News reports Tinubu stated this while addressing APC delegates in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Thursday.
However, Ogundamisi on Friday said while the efforts of Tinubu can’t be belittled, many persons contributed to the emergence of Buhari as President and if they were to give their own account, there will be many versions of how Buhari became President of Nigeria.
“Make all of una go siddon [sic], no one man made Buhari President. It was a collective effort of multiple coalitions with Tinubu being a major part of that and the then political environment making it possible for Buhari to get the vote of people who will not ordinarily vote for him,” Ogundamisi wrote on his verified Twitter handle.
“Whilst Tinubu’s contribution can’t be minimised, the same goes with the contributions of other members of that coalition and NONE told us the reward was for Buhari to hand over Nigeria to them. Atiku in 2023 will be contesting under the same conditions that made Buhari President.
He argued that just as Tinubu has been having his preferred candidates in who becomes Governor of Lagos State, so does President Buhari has a right to have a preferred candidate to take over from him in 2023.
Ogundamisi however argued that the final decision on who becomes the next President of the country lies with Nigerians at the polls.
“No one Man is “Awade in Yorubaland”. Tinubu rightly had preferred candidates and has influenced the emergence of Lagos Governors since he left public office, why does he think Buhari shouldn’t have his own preferred candidate in the National election?
“What Buhari should not do is impose any candidate on the APC. He can lobby, he can campaign but should respect the wishes of the APC stakeholders in a free and fair primaries. The Presidency of Nigeria is not the entitlement of any Region or any Individual. It is a context.”
He submitted that whoever eventually emerges the APC candidate for the 2023 elections will have a lot of work to do in convincing Nigerians to vote for the party.
In his statement, Ogundamisi pointed out that the survival of Nigeria is greater than the political ambition of any politician and no person should be forced on Nigerians, adding that the APC primaries must be free and fair.
“Lastly, Y’all had better start preparing for the possibility of an @atiku Presidency as even before all this drama, the angst in the country is towards a change in the party in National leadership. So any APC candidate still have a very long road to travel to get to the villa.
“I’ve said it before and let me say it again, no man can play God, not Tinubu and not Buhari. God gives power, if you like scream from now till 2089. Tinubu’s political survival in the South West was a COLLECTIVE EFFORT! With many INDIVIDUALS contributing to that survival.
“No one can underestimate Tinibus contributions. BAT can not underestimate the contributions of individuals at great personal sacrifice to his own personal and political survival, if he’s feeling betrayed, we have individuals who felt betrayed by him but still chose to respect him.
“The greatest Yoruba leader was Chief Obafemi Awolowo, he never felt entitled, he united Yoruba and even in the face of opposition within Yorubaland he found a way of bringing the young hot heads together. Awo ran a collective leadership, he did not play God. That is leadership.
“And this threats of bringing APC down if Tinubu does not get the ticket at the #APCPresidentialPrimaries? Who gives a f****? We had many political parties that have come and go. What is more important is the survival of Nigeria. Parties can always disband, align and realign.
“BAT’s version of how Buhari became President is Tinubus version. Tunde Bakare @atiku @elrufai @bukolasaraki Rotimi Amaechi, Rochas Okorocha and many others have their own versions. The version that is obvious to the general public is that Nigerians chose to give Buhari a chance.
“The President and the APC owes Tinubu and others only one thing and that is an open, free and transparent #APCPresidentialPrimaries.
“No individual should force another individual to drop their ambition to serve just like we saw during the charade of an “election” of APC NEC,” he said.
This article was originally published on Naija News