It began in Kaduna State, then moved to Minna, then to Kano, then to Adamawa, and finally to Yobe. The Jagaban fever was palpable as the APC held presidential rallies in several Northern states.
One undeniable fact about all of these rallies is the massive turnout of residents in these places; their numbers were not only astonishing but terrifying; it was as if the entire population of these states came out to see Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Coming across a thread on popular social media site Opera, a user made this wonderful comment on Tinubu’s popularity that has us wondering how Tinubu is so popular in the north that they show him such love.
First and foremost, among all of today’s political titans who are still very relevant in the grand scheme of things, Tinubu remains the most sociable and friendly to the northern bloc; he has built bridges and made friends across the Niger.
When some people were busy accusing Tinubu of being an appendage of the Hausa Fulani oligarchy, which they claim holds the country hostage, they had no idea they were promoting his candidature in the North.
These people did their best to tarnish the image of the former Lagos State Governor, but they had no idea that instilling hatred in a multi-ethnic society could benefit the person they were attempting to victimize.
If you recall, the North has been involved in a number of sad natural disasters over the years, including flooding, bandit attacks, and other tragedies that resulted in the loss of lives and property. Tinubu was in the forefront of helping these people in their hour of need.
He not only paid them solidarity visits, but also generously donated to help alleviate their pain and misery. These people were well aware of Tinubu’s generosity, despite the barrage of insults hurled at him as a result of the love and care he showed for Northerners.
The North has established a reputation for upholding the loyalty and trust of its allies who have supported them in their time of need. During the APC presidential primaries, they demonstrated this. When he was the governor of Lagos State, Tinubu is reputed to have appointed a number of individuals, including those from the North, as his commissioners, special advisors, and other political appointees.
Tinubu has paid his dues when it comes to establishing relationships with other players in the Nigeria project. To effectively manage a multi-cultural country, you must include every single ethnic group. To the admiration of all, he has demonstrated incredible relationships with Northerners and even Easterners.
Today, Tinubu is reaping the benefits of his years of dedication to the One Nigeria project, which the North adores, because it is payback time, and every good deed deserves good rewards in return.
Osigwe Omo-Ikirodah is the Chairman and CEO of Bush Radio Academy.