Presidency 2023: Igbokwe, APC southwest de-marketing Tinubu

Loyalists of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in the southwest have been widely perceived to be adopting a presidential campaign approach that could be intimidating to stakeholders in other parts of the country in the preparations for the 2023 general elections.  Some have noted that particularly, an APC stakeholder and Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Drainage, Joe Igbokwe, other southwest APC loyalists of Tinubu, a presidential aspirant, may be de-marketing their principal with their hero campaign approach at the consultation stage of his presidential aspiration.

Joe Igbokwe was said to have been noticed in recent media interviews, to covertly or overtly intimidate Nigerians with his vaunt that Tinubu has ‘made’ many people, (changing their life fortunes into ostentatious living and political stardom); and in his thinking and belief, those that Tinubu changed their economic and political lives constitute good leadership quality and are germane or capable to making their principal the president of Nigeria.

Some stakeholders have argued that “it sounds parochial to assume that those political loyalists Tinubu transformed their vicissitude of life are capable of making their principal president.”

Many stakeholders noted that while the beneficiaries of the Tinubu political largesse cannot be discouraged from playing significant role in his presidential campaign, bringing their bloc existence, as a collectivity, in the vanguard of the campaign could be sending wrong signal of a regionally ‘organised cabal’ contending to take over the national leadership. The stakeholder added that their manifestation and ego campaign may constitute a serious threat to  national interest as much as they are concentrated and dominant within one region of the country. Some others have also argued that “the loud noise of such segmented beneficiaries from an established regional political dynasty could deepen distrust and mutual suspicion in other parts of the country or regions.” They pointed out that “the ego campaign may be advantageous or positive if the party, in this case the APC, is in the pocket of Tinubu, or he has overwhelming influence, otherwise, it will degenerate into a feeling of withdrawal by others.”

Moreover, the southwest APC loyalists of the former Lagos State governor were also perceived to further de-market Tinubu with the showmanship anthem of – “On your mandate we shall stand…” during Tinubu’s consultative meeting with prominent traditional rulers in southwest Nigeria last week, who include the Awujale of Ijebuland, Alake of Egbaland, etc. Certain stakeholders were of the view that a man seeking the mandate of a party ought not be celebrated with an existing mandate upon which a sectional political stakeholders stand, let alone having developed a peculiar lordship anthem. They noted that such hero campaign in a presidential race, especially, at the inchoate, stage could rather deepen mutual distrust and fear of domination in other stakeholders. Essentially, they were perceived to be sending a message of an existing aristocracy in a particular zone seeking control of the entire country’s democracy.  It was stated that “hero campaign anywhere in the world symbolizes subtle dictatorship. Those engaged in hero campaign and ego display only live to see the outcome at the end.”

Meanwhile, several stakeholders acknowledged Tinubu’s structure and it’s efficacy in the southwest, but counseled for wisdom in the usage of the structure in national politics.

The stakeholder summed up that the Tinubu campaign may consider adjustments in the hero campaign approach during their review of activities, particularly, at this stage that Tinubu is not a presidential candidate yet, but an aspirant.