Afegbua: Babachir Lawal Cannot Play God In Tinubu’s Presidential Aspiration

Prince Kassim Afegbua, a former Commissioner for Information in Edo state is a staunch supporter of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI, he speaks on why he believes the former Lagos state governor is the best among the presidential candidates aspiring to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023. Excerpts:

You seem to have been engrossed with campaigns to get Asiwaju Bola Tinubu elected as president. What is your assessment of his campaign so far?

Well, we thank God for His grace and protection. The APC candidate has been upbeat, criss-crossing the country in carrying out very strategic campaigns, the best I have seen in recent history. He’s applying techniques in his campaign to meet the real target audience. He met with crop growers and farmers in Minna, met with miners in Lafia, went to Gbaramatu Kingdom to meet with the Ijaws and Niger-Delta stakeholders, met with Kano stakeholders, and also met with Igbo business men, who donated N1b to him according to reports. He met with the organised private sector in Lagos, met with Arewa group in Kaduna. You saw the rally in Lagos, that was a boom. I have no doubt in my mind that Asiwaju Tinubu will carry the day.

Despite the boom according to you, some people are still raising dust over this single faith ticket. Babachir Lawal has reportedly dumped Asiwaju for Peter Obi. How do you react to that?

I have elected not to join issues with Babachir Lawal before now, but you have just lured me into an arena I know too well. You see, there are different types of friends in everything, and the first thing is where are your friends at your point of need. I find Babachir Lawal very distasteful on account of the several contradictions that he represents. Today, he’s supporting Atiku, tomorrow he’s opting for Peter Obi. Can’t you see the confusion of a man who calls himself leader of some people? When men are driven by what they would eat, some kind of stomach infrastructure you are bound to see them exhibiting funny traits that easily define their trajectory.
I am happy you mentioned the issue of single faith. Is that our problem as a country? Since the campaigns started, can’t you see how people have come to embrace Asiwaju Tinubu? Who is talking about single faith now? How much of effort has Babachir Lawal put in promoting Christian ideals and causes as a Christian? When James Faleke contested with Abubakar Audu and the latter died suddenly, did Babachir Lawal not frustrate a Christian candidate in James Faleke, for someone else? Or does he suddenly talk about single faith as a political convenience to whip up sentiments? Even the issue that sent him out of.office as SGF was based on mishandling of issues concerning Christian IDPs. So what is this fuss about Babachir Lawal that he won’t let us be? One thing I can tell you is that Babachir Lawal or whatever you call him, cannot play the role of God in the aspirations of Asiwaju Tinubu because Asiwaju has been his benefactor for a long time. All these fair weather friends are to be careful with.

Are.you saying we should forget about the single faith ticket?

See, that is not our problem as a country. We need leaders that can add value to our wellbeing as a country. Poverty does not know religion. Unemployment does not discriminate whether you are Christian or Muslim. We need capable hands like Tinubu and Shettima to pilot the affairs of this country and set up a robust team that would engage the main issues confronting us. Babachir Lawal wanted to be a Vice Presidential candidate, and if for obvious reasons he was not chosen, he should have braced up and moved on. This idea of his, trying to spoil the cook because of his own political interest cannot overturn the applecart. Let me ask you, who will have such an arrogant, proud and self-effacing man as a Vice President any way? How many votes does he represent? Why does he think he can play the role of God in the affairs of men? He has the right to support anybody, but he should lower his noise else he becomes public nuisance. Look at the lies he tried to pass across about the South East, what does he intend to convey? Such an old man behaving like a kid in the courtyard. Haba. Please tell Babachir Lawal to calm down. He’s not God, and cannot pretend to be God. By the special grace of God, Tinubu will succeed without him. There are still rooms for amends, if he’s ready to sheathe his sword. I hate to talk about elders who are behaving like children. We cannot continue to dwell on single faith ticket, when the candidate himself has reached out to the leadership of the Christian body and we are making progress. What does christianity teach us? That we should love our neighbours as thy self. It also says if any decides to slap us Seventy times Seventy times, we should turn the other cheek. Must you suddenly assume the role of a political foe to a man who has been there for you simply because he didn’t choose you as a VP candidate? If he’s truly a Christian, we would have seen his impact in christiandom.

Is your candidate not worried about the growing popularity of Peter Obi and the fact that Pa Adebanjo of the Afenifere group has also endorsed Obi?

Well, democracy is all about simple majority during elections. It also talks about inclusion and participation. So, everybody is free to participate. We are aware of Peter Obi’s aspiration but not to the extent that would make us lose sleep. The Labour Party is not strong on ground except the personality of their candidate. And that alone cannot be enough for a serious contender for the presidency. If a Labour Party was going to be serious, by now, we would have been seeing the signs. Asiwaju Tinubu is undoubtedly the man to beat; solid, strategic, suave, intelligent, experienced, and has the capacity to assemble a utility-driven team that can deliver on point. Asiwaju Tinubu has been around for sometime. He has paid his dues and he deserves some respect. When some people were romancing with the military, he fought them to birth this democracy. He was one of the strongest voices home and away. So, please give him credit as a deserving candidate that is worthy of this noble cause. Talking about Afenifere and the Pa Adebanjo group, for me, that is taking the hand shake beyond the elbow. At the critical junction, they will take a decision that will work in favour of Asiwaju. The meaning of that title ASIWAJU, is very instructive. Ask any yoruba speaking tongue, they would understand the tenor of what I am saying. At the appropriate time, water go find him level.

But there are also insinuations that the North will not support Asiwaju but one of their own. How do you react to that claim?

Please stop blackmailing the North. Instead of candidates to go out and woo the voters like Asiwaju Tinubu is doing, all you hear is the North this, the North that. Do you think the North are fools? Was it not the Northern Governors that made Asiwaju ticket possible, when they rose from a meeting and took a decision that presidency should be ceded to the South? Can you beat such altruistic move by those who should understand the delicate of the country? Those Governors are the heroes of this present dispensation. The only way to balance the algorithms of power is for you to understand the internal dynamics of a plural society that Nigeria is. Asiwaju for me, is a team player who has built political alliances across the country over time. Ignore him at your own peril. This is also the first time he’s contesting for president because he used previous years yo build a political structure that has become all-embracing. He has friends, associates and linkages here and there. He’s not just a bridge builder, he’s also a man that understands the peculiarities of the geopolitical zones, reason why he has structured his campaign to meet those geopolitical expectations and aspirations.