The Asiwaju of hearts
Yusuf Ali
Many have written about Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s political prowess and organizational astuteness. One is tempted to join this horde of commentators, but I will rather comment on the aspect of his life that fascinates me the most and which encapsulates his humanness, his being and his soft side. Asiwaju Tinubu has been described in so many ways, but his attributes that melts my heart the most is his unrivalled milk of human kindness.
It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu sees equality in all men; artisan, senator, governor, president or the less privileged. Tinubu treats them equally, not giving himself to mundane things as status.
I first met him one on one when Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim send me to deliver a message to him at his Abuja residence in Asokoro, sometimes in 2015 aftet APC has won the election and swept PDP out of power. I met him in the company of Chief Bisi Akande and Kashim Shettima. You see Shettima has been with Tinubu long ago.
Though out my stay, the house was busy like a mecca of sort with governors, former governors, Senators and House of Reps members and many chieftains of the APC trooping in and out. That day I personally watched Tinubu as he gives and gives to all and sundry.
As I was waiting to deliver the message, he (Tinubu) asked Sunday Dare, his then SA Media, who is now Honourable Minister of Youth and Support to attend to me. After I’m done with Dare, I then walked to Tinubu and asked ‘Your Excellency Sir, where is my packaged’. He said ‘Oyah go and contest for politics and come back I will give you all the support you need financially and whatever’ in the presence of Akande and Shettima its all laughter.
One thing that everybody knows about Tinubu is that, he doesn’t get tired in giving. He gives and gives, mentoring and building people without expecting anything in return. The manner and rate at which he gives and empowers people awes everyone, sometimes shocking beyond words. Someone said ‘2023 is a payback time for Tinubu’. I couldn’t agree with him more supporting Tinubu would be nice if not the best thing to do.
Many today, politicians the business class from all sections of the coutry are beneficiaries of his milk of human kindness. Many have tried to measure up in this regard, but the more they try, the more they realise that a man who would measure up to Asiwaju in Nigeria must belong to another generation and many have come to believe that his type is one per generation. Tinubu has been chosen as the one for our own generation.
Yusuf Ali
