By Adewunmi Adebambo
The pandemonium that ensued today, Tuesday May 15, 2018 at the Lagos APC Secretariat in ACME, Ikeja when the generalissimo of Lagos politics and national leader of the ruling party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu threatened the a three-man appeal committee sent from Abuja to resolve disputes arising from the acrimonious congresses held in the state was unbecoming of a leader saddled with onerous task of building cohesion, reconciling aggrieved members of the party.
Tinubu reportedly told the appeal committee members to leave the state and return to Abuja as they would have themselves to blame if they hesitate to leave his state.
Such brazen show of brute force should not be said of a man held in high esteem in the party.
First of all, the committee was on a legitimate mission in Lagos.
Perhaps, Tinubu as the APC National chief peace missioner wanted to create a false impression that all was well in his domain. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
There were acrimonious parallel ward and LG congresses in Lagos.
Guns boomed in Ifelodun LCDA as Ajifat Fatai Ajidagba faction battled the former deputy speaker in Lagos, Musibau Kolawole Taiwo faction over control of structures at the ward level.
Two promising party members were gunned down in their prime.
Last Saturday LG congress was not better than the ward congress held fortnight ago.
In Agege local government, Lagos west, one person was confirmed killed by goons of one the factions in tussle for supremacy.
The tragic tales are similar to reports from Alimosho, Mushin, Lagos Island, Somolu among others.
Therefore, it is in tandem with democratic tenets globally to create an avenue for aspirants, concerned party members who claimed they were shortchanged to vent their grievances.
That is the subset of Tinubu’s mandate of reconciling aggrieved members across board. Why then should he disband a committee which was making his assignment easier? That is a poser yet to be answered. Perhaps, Tinubu is not committed to the peace and confidence building task.
A man of Tinubu stature should not be a principal agent provocateur in a party he was touted to have contributed immensely. Today’s action of Tinubu further exposed him as a false democrat.
The era of arm-twisting, intimidating politics is gradually winding up. He should understand that the times have changed and the people are wiser.
The indications that there is a new political order especially in the south west region are clear even to the virtual impaired.
The lion in Tinubu was caged in Ondo in the build up to the power tussle between him and the new emerging political forces in south west.
He suffered similar defeat in Ekiti last weekend as his preferred candidate distantly trailed the winner of the APC governorship primaries.
History has confirmed time and again that no empire lasts forever. It is high time for Tinubu to thread softly as the game remains the same but the rules have changed.
Adebambo, a concerned Lagosian wrote from Lagos
