EVER since the ex-governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, publicly made his desire to contest in the 2023 Presidential election known to Nigerians, there have been numerous twists and turns from various political quarters. Although it is largely debated on who is a perfect fit for the position of president at such a difficult time for Nigeria, many members of the ruling APC have deferred to Tinubu –as they have done for ages.
So it was quite the surprise when a rumour hit Alimosho that the Local Council executives were told to avoid pitching their tent with either Bola Tinubu or any other aspirant within the APC. Last week Wednesday, the Alimosho Local Government chairman Honourable Jelili Sulaiman quickly released a public statement through his Chief Press Secretary to debunk such rumours. The statement, signed by CPS Babatunde Opeyemi, went further to state Jelili Sulaiman's loyalty to the APC National Leader.
Honourable Jelili Sulaiman sees these rumours as lies and deceit against his person. In a bid to defend the executive chairman, numerous instances are stated in the statement to prove that our chairman is always at the forefront of every pro-Tinubu campaign. The statement from the office of Honourable Jelili Sulaiman seems to set the record straight; Alimosho is owned by Tinubu. The APC has christened our local government area "Tinubu's country". When this pseudonym --Tinubu's country-- is heard, it does not really bode well for our local politics or our local government.
Yes, our politicians have not been shy to bow to Bola Tinubu in public all this while. The former governor of Lagos is deeply respected and even worshipped by many of our representatives in government who belong to the All Progressives Congress. A member of the State House of Assembly once said that they are proud to have Tinubu as a political godfather. So, it has never been a secret that politicians in the place of power within Lagos mostly bow to Tinubu and his wishes. That is why the Akowonjo Health Centre at Vulcanizer bus stop, Akowonjo, can be so easily renamed the "Bola Tinubu Health Center" as a "pro-Tinubu move". To our executives, "big projects require a big name" and the only big name in Alimosho is Bola Tinubu.
Bola Tinubu has done a lot for many political beneficiaries, apparently. However, political statements such as Mr Babatunde Opeyemi's are neither helpful nor needful for Alimosho. Alimosho local government area is nobody's country, many of its residents would gladly denounce the saying that their LGA is 'Tinubu's country'. It is always best to leave whole communities and constituencies out of the conversation when ascribing partisan influences such as Bola Tinubu's. His political children and followers may be sold to him, but the whole Alimosho need not be dragged into the sales it knows nothing of.
