The national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has since last week visited traders of the Katsina Market fire outbreak where he donated N50 million been under caustic attack by several stakeholders in the southwest. The former Governor of Lagos State has since the N50 million donation come under the microscope of stakeholders from his political base who have been screening Tinubu’s status of a statesman or a political trader.
There was high outcry from the southwest that Tinubu placed minimal value or political premium on his own people in the southwest while increasing what they considered more political investment for the 2023 presidential race in the north. The stakeholders, therefore, listed certain incidents of fire outbreak or violence, which did not attract Tinubu’s attention or were deliberately ignored by the APC national leader, a perceived aspirant for the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the APC.
Invariably, the stakeholders did not consider Tinubu’s N50 million donation to traders of the Katsina market fire outbreak as an act of charity or genuine solidarity to the traders but an ambitious promotion of his presidential project in 2023.
“Bola Tinubu, who did not visit or donate even one kobo to victims of the Sasa Market crisis, Ibadan, Oyo State, or to victims of the Ijesha Market fire in Lagos (though his own daughter is the Iyaloja, i.e., head of market traders in Lagos), has today visited victims of the Katsina Market fire and donated N50 million to them.
“Obviously, Tinubu’s charity begins far from home. And the Chicago degree holder and his ilk are disrespecting Sunday Igboho, a wealthy man, who is willing to fight for the ordinary man, even at the risk of his wealth and health.
“Tinubu is a dealer. He is never a leader,” a stakeholder had declared.
Another stakeholder was of the view that the APC national leader has developed the skill of abandoning his people for the political target of pretending to be a good man in making a donation to the north in a beguiling solidarity.
“This man called Tinubu is completely weasel and maladroit to Lagosians and Yoruba.
“A man who never visit nor donate N1 to victims of the Balogun Market that was burnt, destroying about 7 houses in January last year; who never visit nor donate 1 kobo to the victims of the Ijesha Marker fire in Lagos that burnt 28 houses, and affected 62 traders; who never visit nor donate N5 to the victims of Sasa Market crisis in Ibadan, has today visited victims of the Katsina Market and donated a sum of N50 million to the victims. “While exhaustively spontaneity his own people, but still persevere his allegiance to Hausa/Fulani monocracy. I thought, there is a saying that charity begins at home,” a stakeholder from the southwest lamented.
He subsequently declared: “A sword that neglects or destroys its shield, will have to do without covering.”
Another stakeholder did not see Tinubu as promoting the interest of the Yoruba or the southwest and deliberately ambitious for power. According to this stakeholder: “Tinubu is not for Yoruba; so, he cannot support Yoruba… all because of 2023.
“He has forgotten that all power belongs to Almighty God.”
However, some other stakeholders expressed support for Tinubu in his visit and donation to traders of the Katrina market fire outbreak whose shops were burnt, and goods consumed in the inferno.
A stakeholder, accordingly, declared: “whatever name you like, call Tinubu, Lagosians are not complaining.”