Not everything about Tinubu is money, By Kunle Awosiyan

If you think Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s emergence as the presidential standard bearer of the APC has come with money, you are very far from the truth.

Of course, money is a critical factor on this journey, BAT is living more on his goodwill than throwing money around as some of his haters are alleging.

I once visited an office at Ikeja GRA in Lagos where a “BAT” supporting group was anxiously waiting for Tinubu to declare his presidential ambition. This was last year.

The group had been campaigning underground for Tinubu but could not escalate the idea because BAT himself had not given his nod. He was waiting for the right time, which eventually came in January this year.

Then, the chairman of the group said that BAT was not comfortable with the body language of President Muhammadu Buhari and would have to do massive consultation before throwing his hat in the ring.

“After that, we will intensify our campaign for this great benefactor of ours” the chairman of that group told me. He said that it was Tinubu himself that was slowing many of his support groups down.

“We won’t ask for his money, we are ready to bankroll this campaign for Asiwaju” he reiterated.

I also had the privilege of attending a programme by a youth group who called itself, “Diaspora BAT Support Group” at the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, CBD, Alausa. The group was to sensitise five million youths on PVC registration and why Tinubu should win 2023 presidential election.

Some prominent members of the group opened up to me that they were once Tinubu’s beneficiaries and would be ready to spend their monies on BAT presidential ambition. They stay abroad.

There are hundreds of Tinubu support groups across the country many that are not even known to BAT himself. This is bigger than money, it is goodwill. It will be difficult for any other candidate or party to buy these voluntary groups. They are not ready to take money from anybody but to give out funds and provide logitics as their own contribution to Tinubu’s ambition.

I could only smile at some public comments that crowd that welcomed Tinubu back to Lagos were rented area boys. They were not rented, according to a source, Tinubu did not pay for it and he did not hate the idea anyway. Those who love him came out and also sponsored friends to the venue.

Some public commentators hardly do any research. They depend so much on social media platforms for information, thus disrupting facts.

And it is very sad that a popular television programme has joined in this unprofessional conduct, using blogger’s visuals to transmit fake news to the public just to sell bad image of a presidential candidate.

One thing is sacred about crowd gathering in Lagos, it is the “Street Language”. I have witnessed a scene where area boys refused to collect money from a politician because he could not speak their language. The language comes before the cash. Street boys hardly take bait.

The political elite in Lagos do not just spend money, they fraternise with the streets despite their high level of education. This is why it is going to be difficult for any political party with “Alakada” candidate to win in Lagos.

On Sunday, the guys banged on Tinubu’s convoy to bring him out of the window and made him to shake the broom and speak the language they understand. It wasn’t about money but “Ohun”, which made them feel at home. “Ohun yen ni Ohun yen”.

Tinubu is streetwise, he understands the angry and the hungry. He knows how to make them happy and he did just that on Sunday by bringing himself down to that class where language speaks louder than money.

This is what makes him popular not only his money, the ability to identify and mingle with ordinary people, an idea that is alien to many of his current opponents.

He hardly lives outside Bourdillon unlike some of his present opponents who prefer staying abroad to living in Nigeria. What we saw in Lagos on Sunday is a measure of BAT’s closeness to his people and a sign of victory for APC in 2023 election.