By Vincent G. Uba

As we approach the 2023 presidential election, it is expedient and informative to identify the key factors that would determine who gets the majority of the electorate votes and so becomes elected. This majority choice will invariably be seen as the will and choice of God – “Vox populi, vox Dei”, which in Latin means “the voice of the people is voice of God”. 

The deciding factors of the majority voice of the people will be categorised into ; track record of achievements of the candidates and the will of God. The two categories are interwoven, in the sense that the ability to make the right choice of a candidate based on the track record of his  achievements depends on how well one aligns oneself with God’s purpose  by applying God given wisdom and intellect to make an informed and rational judgement.

Now some persons who have been disobeying God, by not supporting and praying for their current president, are using the same mouth with which they cursed and abused him to pray to God to give them a new and better president. Some who denounced their country, castigating and calling it a “zoo” country are now campaigning for their preferred candidate to become the president in a “zoo” country. 

In their toxic manner ,they go to the extent of personally and rudely attacking those whose choices are different from theirs. They erroneously talk about “Obidience” when they shun the real obedience to God on their previous leaders and actions. 

Some  wrongfully talk about “Atikulate” instead of rightfully being articulate to know that it will be inarticulate and disastrous to ask that the same PDP government that looted and impoverished our economy should come back to power. These same people, in disobedience to God’s commandments shun decency and civility to insult their elders, opposing their constitutional rights to seek to govern the country in total defiance of the following injunctions in the Bible for Christians; Leviticus 19:32 , 1Peter 5:5, Timothy 5:1-3 and  for Muslims, Al-lsra 17:70. 

Some, however, who are Nigerians in the real sense of the word fear and obey God by being patriotic in supporting the current president, praying for him to succeed, without cursing and abusing him. They also respect the elders as custodians of wisdom and experience, recognising the fact that the old as well as the young have a right to govern a nation . This group of persons also pray to God for a new leader, come 2023.

Granted that God is a merciful God who, despite our inadequacies, attends to us and answers our prayers. He is also a just and fair God, who in answer to our prayers with respect to the 2023 Presidential election, will not overlook His instructions to Christians in Hebrews 23:16 and to Muslims in Musnad Ahmad 7073 where He expressly made clear the danger of  not honouring our elders.

The United States of America, from where we copied our democracy, recognise the right of the young as well as the old, to seek elective positions and so, they do not insult or abuse the older people seeking to govern their country. Rights of every one is respected irrespective of age. They are more inclined to doing the will of God than defiantly going against Him in their actions in contrast to what some do in Nigeria.

They not only recognise the fact that God does not discriminate against the aged or the young when He wants to enthrone a leader,  they also recognise that wisdom and experience are endowed more with the aged than with the young. Hence you see them thriving in prosperity that till date, it is the most powerful and most developed country in the world, no wonder it is called ” God’s own country”.

They and the other advanced democracies of the world will be laughing at us making an issue with what is not. Yes, we make ourselves laughing stock when we place emphasis on age and religion, instead of competence, intelligence, experience and wisdom.

Talking about competence, experience , wisdom and intelligence, there is no one among all the presidential contestants that can match Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as can be attested to by his numerous achievements when he was the Governor of Lagos State. He laid the foundation for modern Lagos that till date, the state remains in reality, the centre of excellence.

The Economic Summit that is now a global tool for development was first started by Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He initiated the much talked about Treasury Single Account (TSA) in Lagos State, which was later adopted by the federal government. Tinubu was the first to start “Independent Power Project” to improve power supply.

Tinubu was the first to promote digitalisation of Lagos tax system to boost Internal revenue for state, which made the federal government to hire the then Chairman of Lagos state Internal Revenue Services, Babatunde Fowler. As governor, he created more local government councils from the existing ones to bring development to the grassroots, which many states have copied. 

Under his administration as Lagos State Governor, Tinubu motivated students and pupils to study harder and innovated the Idea of appointing pupils who excelled academically as “One Day Governor”. He brought telecommunications firm, Econet (now Airtel), to Nigeria in 2001. 

Tinubu esterblished the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) for the purpose of keeping Lagos clean as well as creating employment. He also esterblished the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), which other states have since copied to control traffic on their roads.

Tinubu initiated and came up with the blue print for the construction of the Eko Atlantic City, which when fully completed would become another wonder of the world. The Lekki free zone  which is now the cynosure of  industrial eyes which boasts of one the largest Refineries in the world was initiated by Tinubu.  All these and many more achievements not mentioned are in public domain and so you do not need to be asked to go verify as against what Peter Obi claims he did, which are not visibly seen but he has to resort to tasking people go verify.

To compare Obi and Atiku with Tinubu, let us apply the saying , “show me your friends and I will tell you who you are”. Tinubu had mentored countless number of great/quality men and woman transversing religious and ethnic boundaries. 

He bequeathed to Lagosians as his successors, such great and quality personalities in Babatunde Raji Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode and Babajide Sanwo-Olu who we all know were and are excellent performers in their own rights as Governors of Lagos State. He also bequeathed to Nigerians Professor Yomi Osinbajo an excellent gentle man who has been discharging his duties as Vice President meritoriously. No need to ask you to verify because the records are open and public knowledge

Peter Obi has no record of any, except the former Governor of Anambra state, Willy Obianor, whose performance was questionable and currently has questions to answer at Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Atiku on his part cannot boast of any except that he helped to fraudulently enrich his friends through the sale of Nigeria assets. This is also a public knowledge otherwise  I would have asked that you verify from Obasanjo.

 In the light of the above facts, let’s rephrase the saying quoted earlier  as ;  “Show me who you have mentored and I will tell you who you are” 

With these truths/facts, you can now easily tell who Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Peter Obi or Atiku Abubakar are in the political space. 

You are also well informed and can also easily tell who can best be entrusted with the management of Nigeria State come 2023. 

The beginning of the fall of a president is choosing the wrong team to work with. You and I know that in choosing the right team to work with, no one among the presidential candidates matches Bola Tinubu. 

This is a man who is gifted with the art of selecting the right people to work with , even if it means going outside the circle. He displayed this attribute by going outside Lagos State to select some of his carbinet members, which cut across ethnic and religious boundaries when he was the Governor of Lagos State. 

For 2023 Presidency, he has demonstrated this attribute by selecting as his running mate, a like minded man in the person of Kassim Shettima, who not only has track records of excellent performance as the former Governor of Borno State, but also bequeathed to Borno people, Prof Babagana Zulum who is unarguably the best performing Governor in this current dispensation.

Another aspect of Bola Tinubu that sets him apart from the other candidates, which endears him to many Nigerians is his large and generous heart. His spirit of generosity has no ethnic or religious boundaries. 

Hear this personal experience in my capacity as the former president of the Catholic Young Men Association now, Catholic Brothers United. Peter Obi is a Catholic and a patron of the above Association within Catholic Church that engages in charity works and evangelism. 

On one occasion, I was privileged to be invited to the presentation of his account of stewardship after the first term of his tenure as Anambra State Governor at Late Air Commodore Ndubuisi Kanu’s House in Victoria Island Lagos. After his presentation, we approached him to lend support to our Association’s charity works, being one of our patrons. 

His response was that he was sourcing for funds to develop Anambra State. We didn’t ask that he gives us Anambra State’s money, but a personal donation to aid our charity drive. We were very disappointed, wondering if giving us N200,000 or N100,000 for instance, would had stopped him from developing Anambra State? 

In another vein, during one of the Association’s annual lectures, one Hon Michael Ogunnusi who also is one of our patrons was invited. He came and not only announced his personal donation, he also announced a donation of N150,000 from Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is neither a Catholic nor a Christian. Tinubu is a Muslim but donated to a Christian course over twelve  years ago through Catholic Young Men Association, now Catholic Brothers United.

It is important I point this out because of those who heat the polity by kicking against the so-called Muslim – Muslim ticket. It is high time we jettisoned in this country, religious segregation and focus more on our conducts and personal relationship with others. 

God who created everyone, muslims and christians alike ( both  descendants of Father Abraham ) , sees the heart of everyone and will not overlook the generosity of anyone, irrespective of religious inclination. 

For those who say Bola Tinubu is corrupt even when they do not have any iota of proof, should read the following Bible quotations  ;  Hebrews 13:16, Proverbs 11:25 with particular reference to 1Peter 4:8 where it is said that charity covers multitudes of sins. So even if you say Tinubu is corrupt , by his generosity and charity works, would his sins not be covered ?

The good news is that what will eventually play out in 2023 presidential election is that those who flagrantly disobeyed God in their insults and castigation of past leaders as well as place emphasis on age and religion, will utterly be disappointed to see that track records of excellent achievement of candidates which the word “verify” will not be necessary because they are visibly known and which encapsulate competence, intelligence, experience and wisdom will ultimately determine who wins the the 2023 Presidential election.

 Yes, the pendulum will swing in favour of the candidate whose supporters do not go about abusing their past leaders, but supporting and praying for them, as well as praying to God for a new leader whose known past records of achievements are greater than the persons whose track records of achievement are only on their lips but not seen which on verification are found to be false.

Track records of performance of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kassim Shettima speak volumes and are far more than those of Obi and Atiku. Again, supporters of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kassim Shettima are more cool headed, more understanding, more Nigerian and more inclined to being obedient to God than those  of Obi and Atiku who are respectively inclined to being more “Obidient” to man than Obedient to God and more “Atikulate” than being articulate.

By individual conducts and human relations, the will of God will prevail in favour of Bola Ahmed Tinubu/Kassim Shettima in 2023 presidential election.

Vincent G. Uba

National Co-ordinator

No Alternative To Tinubu 2023 (NATT 2023 )