*By Saifullahi Abubakar*
\nIt is normal for a public figure, a successful one for that matter, to
\nattract occasional sneer, derision or outright envy. But it is abnormal
\nwhen such a thing is turned into an organised mob of muckrakers with a
\nmandate to smear the target personality by every available spit they could
\nget. This is the case with an on-going mudslinging against Governor Aminu
\nWaziri Tambuwal, using the free passage of all garbage offered by the handy
\nsocial media.
\nA recent example of such trashy offerings; one that went viral on account
\nof the key words deliberately used to attract curious readers and to easily
\nsmear is titled \u201cTambuwal and the politics of Buhari\u2019s illness,\u201d penned
\nunder an obvious pseudonym of Mamman Abdullahi. The mudslingers got a lot
\nof people there: Tambuwal, politics and the ill health of President
\nMuhammadu Buhari. Ordinarily, people would want to find out what links a
\nrespected personality like Governor Tambuwal with the health condition of
\nthe president and, more still, the alleged politics of it.
\nHowever, from the very first sentence of the piece, the emotion of the
\nhatched men is laid bare. The intent, as the opening line crudely puts it,
\nis to paint Tambuwal\u2019s 30 years of public life as one characterised by
\n\u201cbetrayals and treachery\u201d. The rest of the malignant article rode along
\nthis line. Lies upon lies are lined up; spun from contemporaneous events
\nand purported historical antecedents of Tambuwal to paint him \u2013 as the
\nagenda setting first line puts it \u2013 a betrayer and treacherous person.<\/p>\n
The instinct initially was to laugh this off and move on, as one of those
\nthings politicians often encounter. However, on a second thought one is
\ntempted to put out a response because the professional liar who authored
\nthe faceless hogwash presented tissues of lies in a way that may look
\nfactual to unsuspecting public who knows not.
\nFirst, let me say that I am an innocent bystander in this issue. I am
\nintervening because I knowledgeable enough about most of the issues raised
\nin the initial article. I am not holding brief for Tambuwal, and the fact
\nthat he knows nothing about this work gives me the pleasure to state what I
\nknow without inhibitions or guidance from him. The said article stands on
\nno factual ground. It is sheer concoctions. At best, it is not more than a
\nspectacular fictional narrative skewed together by a fertile mind with
\nagenda for grave mischief. To accuse Tambuwal of selling himself to be
\nappointed as vice president \u2013 a vacancy that does not exist, is not only
\nfunny but a clear assault on truth, and on the man\u2019s personality and
\nintelligence. In truth, chasing shadows (which is what vying for a
\nnon-existent post is) is the least thing that can be inferred in Tambuwal\u2019s
\ndealings as a public servant.
\nAdditionally, from the searchlight some of us have kept on him over the
\nyears, Tambuwal is a man of faith with a strong sense of gratitude to the
\nalmighty who elevated him from being a legislative aide to first, Nigeria\u2019s
\nNumber Four position, and now the first citizen of his state. This has
\nnever been lost on the Tambuwal that I know. For him, and all people of
\nfaith, chasing after another thing when you are not half-way into what God
\nalmighty blessed you with is some mark of ingratitude. For emphasis,
\nTambuwal has never had divided attention since assuming the position of the
\nGovernor of Sokoto State. He has executed his mandate in such a way that
\ntoday, midway into his first term of four years, the consensus in Sokoto is
\nfor him to carry on for additional term.
\nIt should also be stated that as someone who has been actively involved in
\npolitics since the beginning of this dispensation, Tambuwal has developed
\nextensive network of friends, associates and admirers, so it is foolish and
\nmischievous for any of his engagements with such associates to be
\ninterpreted in any narrow manner. From his time in the National Assembly,
\nit is clearly evident that it is in his nature not to abandon his friends
\nbecause of the trappings of power.
\nWill Tambuwal work to undermine Buhari? Certainly not! Recently, a story of
\nTambuwal\u2019s 2012 visit to the then opposition leader, Buhari in Kaduna was
\nshared online. That year, Buhari had returned from a medical trip and
\nTambuwal, as Speaker, led some of his colleagues to Buhari\u2019s house for a
\nsympathy visit. Not a few in the Green Chamber, especially those of the
\nruling party, raised eyebrows at the visit. Their thinking was that as a
\nmember of the PDP, Tambuwal should not be seen publicly hobnobbing with
\nBuhari. But Tambuwal stood his ground and insisted that politics aside,
\nBuhari, being a former Head of State, deserved respect and recognition.
\nAs if sensing the little controversy the visit would elicit, Buhari asked
\nTambuwal why he wasn’t afraid to visit with a full compliments of
\nreporters. “We’re here to see how you are feeling and to pray to Allah for
\nbringing you back home safely,” the Speaker told him. At the end of the
\nvisit, Buhari thanked Tambuwal profusely; saying for identifying with him
\nwhen it was risky to do that, Tambuwal had shown genuine concern for his
\nwell-being. He also prayed for him as he departed.<\/p>\n
I brought this issue to show the bond, and respect between the two leaders.
\nWhile the writer and his sponsors ignorantly dropped the name of Abubakar
\nShehu Tambuwal in a bid to deceive the readers, we were all living
\nwitnesses to Shehu\u2019s directive to his supporters to support the candidature
\nof Tambuwal during the last electioneering campaigns in Sokoto even though
\nthey don\u2019t belong to the same parties. If Abubakar Shehu Tambuwal has
\nissues with Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, would he have supported him against his
\nparty in 2015?
\nTambuwal\u2019s brand of politics is one that embraces friends and foes alike.
\nIt is in public domain that the current Speaker of the House of
\nRepresentatives, Yakubu Dogara, was one of the staunchest opponents of
\nTambuwal when he aspired to lead the lower legislative House in the year
\n2011. But immediately he won the election, Tambuwal made Dogara the
\nchairman of the all-important House Services Committee. His opponent in
\nthat election, Mulikat Adeola-Akande, was made the Majority Leader, the
\nfirst time a Female would hold such an important position in the country.
\nDo I need to remind us of Tambuwal\u2019s relationship with former President
\nOlusegun Obasanjo? After kicking against against Tambuwal\u2019s emergence as
\nSpeaker, Obasanjo eventually became one of Tambuwal\u2019s mentors and he had
\nthis to say a few days ago in Abeokuta: \u201cMr Governor, I would apologize
\nthat I am going to embarrass you small. When you emerged as the Speaker (in
\n2011), you know I was not satisfied; because that was not the arrangement
\nof the then PDP. It was the former administration and the then leadership
\nthat did that and I expressed my view. When you came to me, I told you that
\nyou were not the problem, but the party then. I told you that I am pleased
\nby the reports I got of you as the speaker, and again I am still getting
\ngood report of you in your state. You are one of the examples of the youth
\nthat have been doing well in politics.\u201d
\nOne person who cherishes Tambuwal\u2019s political dexterity is the National
\nLeader of the APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu. Despite the seeming
\ndifferences of opinion following the election of principal officers of the
\nNational Assembly last year, Tinubu had this to say about Tambuwal when he
\nvisited Sokoto for an event at Usmanu Danfodio University: \u201cGovernor Aminu
\nTambuwal represents the new hope of a new progressive political era. The
\npeople of Sokoto made a good choice in electing him governor. A man of and
\nfor the people and a true patriot, his commitment to advance the welfare of
\nthe people is remarkable. We must support him in his mission to bring
\ngreater development and prosperity to Sokoto for the benefit of all of her
\npeople.\u201d
\nAdjudging Tambuwal as a betrayer because of changing political allegiances
\nis a mark of political ignorance and dishonesty on the part of the
\nmudslingers. Politics is opportunity and all politicians vie for
\nopportunity to serve and to work with like-minds. If a platform or
\npolitical alliance looses focus, is collapsing or no longer viable, it is
\nunwise to wait for the roof to collapse on one\u2019s head. President Muhammadu
\nBuhari, for example, moved from the ANPP when it was obvious he was being
\nfrustrated internally, to form the CPC. And when CPC proved impotent as a
\npolitical machinery to achieve his ambition for the nation, he collapsed
\ninto the alliance that formed the APC. There is nothing wrong with such
\nmoves.
\nAlso, such political steps are sometimes taken out of patriotism as
\nexemplified in the 2014 mass action against the unpatriotic PDP regime, in
\nwhich Tambuwal incidentally played a prominent role to the admiration of
\nvast majority of Nigerians.
\nOne is entitled to disagree or even hate Governor Tambuwal for whatever
\npersonal reason, but the allegations labeled against him is almost the
\nzenith such malicious undertaking could attain. It is not just because
\nTambuwal\u2019s name is smeared but also because of the dangerous namedropping
\nand dragging of the names of very important and responsible personalities
\njust to achieve the sinister aim of portraying Tambuwal \u2013 who from all
\nindications, is minding his business \u2013 in a very bad light.
\n**Saifullahi Abubakar, a Quantity Surveyor, wrote from Aso Drive, Abuja*<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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