Without Tinubu, APC will lose glamour, By Kunle Awosiyan.

The man that is still giving the All Progressives Congress the needed glamour now is its national leader and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.He is a big factor either as the loved one or the hated one.

Let us imagine that Tinubu is not aspiring to be president, those contesting against him would have been visiting his Lagos home, Bourdillon, Ikoyi to lobby him for their ambition.

He will still remain a good man to them and possibly the new bride in town but now that he is eyeing the highest seat in the land, some of those that praised him a few months ago are criticising him. Why? they also covet the seat.

And now that he is contesting, the idea of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anointing oil has become a big topic. The only thing that can break Tinubu’s charming yoke is Buhari’s anointing oil.

Perhaps Tinubu knows, after a close study of Mr. President that he might not be the anointed one, he has since doubled his efficiency in convincing the APC delegates why he is the most qualified.

Having monitored his tour of states and that of a few other aspirants, one could see a big gap between Tinubu’s personae and those of his opponents. He holds no public office, yet he commands the respect even more than those in the office.

The descriptions of him by Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and Emir of Ilorin, Zulu Gambari as against that of his opponents summarised the whole story. His words were short but heavy. His tract records made them to believe him that he is a man that keeps his promises.

Tinubu radiates personality, colour, charm and confidence as he concentrates more on the business of wooing the delegates. He does not allow anything to distract him . He does not pretend. He does not change his dressing from a typical southwestern style to northern style unlike Rotimi Amaechi who now wears turban.

He does not visit market place to price vegetable and pepper like Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Tinubu does not visit the tomb of Tafawa Balewa to seek sympathy, he has been going to emirs’ palaces and government houses to sell himself. He does not visit Amala and Gbegjri joint to fraternise with street boys. He has always been with them.

He cannot speak Hausa language and he is not pretending. He speaks English Language and says his mind. On his health condition, he describes his critics as bunch of deadheads, who are not his doctor but act as one.

His frankness has not reduced him, it has only improved his acceptability. He brings glamour and joy of democracy to us without smearing the images of his opponents. What a democrat.

He has changed the dynamics of things in APC and without him, the party will begin to crumble because many of his supporters will move wherever he moves to.

Of course APC may decide to play against Tinubu in the coming presidential primaries, the consequence is that the party’s formation will be drastically distorted just as it happened to the Peoples Democratic Party in 2014.

In 2014, those who were the fulcrum of PDP defected to APC to defeat the government of President Goodluck Jonathan. For me, President Muhammadu Buhari does not have the political aura to protect APC. He cannot do it beyond 2023.

In fact, I am yet to see any of the present crop of politicians in APC that has got the charisma or brain to strengthen the party beyond 2023 except Tinubu. These politicians, including President Buhari cannot fund APC beyond 2023 in the event that the party loses to PDP.

Many of them will rather defect to PDP than spending their “monies” to rebuild a “defeated”APC but there is no doubt that Tinubu remains the strongest that can fortify and stabilise the party.

This is not about speculation but facts, based on BAT political antecedents over the years. He remains one of the few politicians that will create a new party instead of jumping around like the former vice president Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.

This goes beyond my personal love for BAT but the truth judging by the behaviours of the species of politicians in Nigeria today. They are what Yoruba will call, “Igida Eiye Fo”.