When the President-elect celebrates a relatively unknown you on your birth anniversary and mourn your losses via a Presidential Press Release, then it’s something to cherish, it suggest how much your support is deeply appreciated, even though you may not have had a physical contact with the president. For me, unlike Buhari, Tinubu will not put his On and Off line supporters under the bus.
You may think it’s too early in the day to commend such gesture as being exhibited by a President yet to be sworn in, the Yorubas has a saying, ” bí àlé tímàri, àtàró làtíñmó” ( literally interpreted thus, ‘the morning often shows how the night will look.’)
It is cheering to know we may have a President who will not only recognise but honour those who support him on and off social media. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as it stands, is currently showing his numerous supporters how much he appreciates and values their support and will always share in their moment of joy and sorrow. At the last count, the President-elect has issued a few statements to celebrate and mourn his supporters, known and relatively unknown.
In 2015, when incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) a lot of social media supporters rolled out their arsenal in defence and to promote Buhari, they took bullet for him, and defended him with all the seriously it deserved.
However, the moment Buhari assumed office, he forgot them and began to patronise those who sought to pull him down and daily cast aspersion at his candidacy. His supporters became target of attack and mockery, while some of his traducers were made Ministers, Head of Agencies and appointed in Ambassadorial capacity, his supporters were left to wallow in utter dismayed.
Barrage of complaints greeted the attitude of Buhari towards his supporters who he wittingly threw under the bus, some were aghast that the President, the man they believed could turn around the fortune of Nigeria due to his anti corruption posture, left them in the cold hands of mockers, some left unceremoniously while other decided to trudge on barring all hitches. To them, supporting Buhari was not for personal gain or to get patronage but they saw in him an incorruptible leader that will help arrest the menace of corruption that has seized the soul of our dear nation.
But the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu appears to have learn a few misnormal as exhibited by Buhari towards his supporters, via his conduct so far. He seems more than ready not only to recognise his support base but felicitate and commiserate with them in their moment of joy and grief.
A few days ago when Mrs Adenike Adewunmi-Adebisi, a die hard supporter of the President-elect on social media died, Tinubu wasted no time in commiserating with the family. Adenike was a rugged supporter of the President who became so restless when the results of the presidential elections were trickling in, reaching out to people from different parts of the country to know what the situation was in their states
In a press release by the President-elect, through his office, Mr Tunde Rahman, his personal Media Aide on April 16th, issued a statement to condole the family of late Mrs Adenike Adewunmi-Adebisi
Part of the statement read, “President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has commiserated with the family and friends of the Late Mrs. Adenike Adewunmi-Adebisi and prayed that God grant her eternal rest.
He described Adewunmi-Adebisi, as a famous social media personality and fervent campaigner for Asíwájú Tinubu during the election campaigns.
Now read this line diligently and note how Tinubu will be a different leader
“In a condolence statement on Sunday by his office, the President-elect said: “The death of Mrs. Adenike Adewunmi-Adebisi is a very sad one. I learnt she was one of my fervent supporters and campaigners.”
This particular point, “learnt she was one of my fervent supporters and campaigners,” raised by the President-elect is alone to make anyone go all out for him. Though they never had a one on one contact, Tinubu onle learnt Adenike supported his quest to be Nigeria President on social media. She was not part of the APC Presidential Campaign Council but a mere social media supporter. And she got recognised, which is what a loving, appreciative President do in all circumstances.
Also, just yesterday, the President-elect, sent a special congratulatory message to one of his ardent supporters and loyalists, Mr. Ayo Oyalowo, on the occasion of his 50th birth anniversary. Oyalowo appeared virtually on all Television station, selling the candidacy of Tinubu, even when Arise News was blacklisted, Oyalowo took the gun let to appear on the TV and told Nigerians why Tinubu must be elected.
Many of you knew the role Mr Joe Igbokwe, Hon Clem Obum from cross River, Mr Ayo Ojeniyi, Aisha Alubankudi, Zara Oyinye, Sunday Wale Adeniran, Abdullahi Haruna among others played on social media for Buhari. Even the one I knew her name was shortlisted for appointment, Alubankudi was eventually denied.
Frank Kokori, the NUPENG man who was all out for Buhari, faced with the challenges of supporting his brother Goodluck Jonathan and Buhari but pitch his tent with the president was striped naked when he was appointed NSITF Board chairman, he was denied by a minister under President Muhammadu Buhari while the president look on. The man cried out to Buhari but was not heard.
Buhari might have been surrounded by unscrupulous element who sought to take advantage of his weakness, because no one is ‘ominiknowing’ he however did the unthinkable via a man who will always preferred to remain unmentioned for me and I remain indebted (You want to know? Read the Buhari in Us by Abdullahi Haruna). However, those who see Nigeria as a conquered fiefdom are always at their wit to perpetuate themselves.
Meanwhile, with ominous signs by the Preside-elect, there seems to be a silver lining for his numerous supporters. I have no shadow of a doubt that Tinubu will reengineer and reenergise his support base and give the needed muscle to go all out for him to figth his battle, he will give them the requisite teeth to bit and supporters can all say it’s uhuru!
