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By Jack Okude,
At a time when sons of presidential hopefuls are ditching the political platforms of their fathers and by implication dissociating from their ambitions, it stands as a sign of good upbringing that all President Bola Tinubu’s children are with him in his quest to continue as president of Nigeria.
This is a sign of upbringing which emphasises the faith and belief the children Presiden Tinubu have in their father to rescue Nigeria from years of desuetude.
The omoluabi ethos in them is one that demands respect to elders, courtesy to society and patriotism to one’s country.
Two good examples would suffice. Throughout the period Chief Obafemi Awolowo was campaigning to be president of Nigeria, his family was the strongest pillar he has relied on for support.
The role his wife played was so exemplary that the sage paid her a special tribute by describing her as a jewel of inestimable value.
For the children, Segun, his first son, supported him in his legal practice and was being groomed for active political role before his the car crash that took his life.
Another was the late champion of Middle Belt politics, Joseph Tarka, who groomed his son to join him in the political field and supported him to win elections to the House of Representatives at the age of 25.
When Chief MKO Abiola was running for the presidency, his son, Kola, was always by his side.
One can therefore not fathom why a man who had invested so much years and resources to be Nigeria’s president would not be able to convince members of his own family that he is the right man for the job.
Few days ago, one of the sons of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, arguably the politician who has invested more in the project to rule Nigeria, left the political platform his father and others are putting together to join the APC which obviously is going to field incumbent president, Bola Tinubu as its candidate in the next general elections.
The development is a big blow to the ambition of Atiku as it suggests a lack of trust and confidence by those closer to him.
In life, no one gets closer to an individual like a child. Nature has designed growing up in such a way that it places the suckling, infant, teenager and young adult under the nurture, tutelage and guidance of the parents.
In the course of growing up, the child is able to observe closely his father’s areas of strength and weakness and asses the father’s temperament right from when he is entirely dependent on him to when he becomes a man.
But in between, the child never removes his focus on the father because it serves as guide and inspiration. When a child fails to see good qualities in his father, he painfully begins to look elsewhere.
This is what has happened to the Atiku Abubakar political family when Abba took the decision to dump his political party to join the APC.
The reaction from the Atiku to dismiss it as inconsequential on the claim that the man is old enough to make choices for himself and that it goes to indicate that the former vice president does not impose his will on others side steps the issue.
People are well aware that Abba is an adult, enunciating the point does not mitigate the implications neither does the explanation that Atiku does not impose his will on others lighten the consequences.
Before becoming an adult, Abba had the privilege of being exposed to the parentage and leadership style of mainly his father and after becoming an adult , he is placed in a better position to judge based on the first hand experience.
For him to have moved away from a camp which victory would have been personal to him says a lot about why other Nigeriana should not buy into the Atiku project.
Abba, from all indications is well educated and composed young man. No one has ever accused him of not being rational.
So for him to decide given his analytical mind that supporting the father to become the president of Nigeria would not be the best for him speaks volumes about what he is trying to save the country from.
It is a clear indication that he has observed and made up his mind that father does not possess the quality to lead Nigeria.
Place that side by side with Seyi Tinubu who has been up and doing in projecting the ideals his father stands for and even selling him as the best thing to have happened to the country.
During the last Ramadan, Seyi travelled round the country to break fast with the people and to assure them of the good intentions of his father.
This is because he has observed the father from a close proximity and has come to the conclusion that having played his role at the home front well, succeeded in business and in politics, none could do better than him.
He has taken it upon himself to be the chief marketer of his father because he can testify of the capacity of his father.
Charity, as they say, begins at home, so if those close to Atiku are beginning to run away from him, then who are we to insist?
This is why Tinubu must be supported in 2027 as he ticks all the boxes.