Asiwaju Is It Payback Time ?

Bola Tinubu. 

Of course it is convenient to argue,as some did,that the take-all attitude of AD party controlled Lagos State Government left Dawodu's faction

,much favoured by the high command of Afenifere,with no other option than to seek strategic alliance with another party for the purpose of contesting election into the plum job of Lagos State,even if that violated the fundamental principle of a revered organisation like afenifere,as contained in its credo.The question to ask is,what was in the PAC manifesto that suggested a kind of alignment of programmes between PAC and Afenifere?Still more question,Given the national domination of political structure in Nigeria political party operation,especially in the area of structural management,from where Dawodu-led Lagos State government would be taking instruction?Would it have been from Afenifere or from PAC?I guess a ruptured would have emerged along the line and the kind of schism that happened between Afenifere and it's Governors in the South West would have happened,because it is almost probable that the national leadership of PAC would have attempted to exert some level of control,and the party would not have been seen as serious if it would shy away from taking advantage of its foothold on a political vibrant and economic virile state of Nigeria.unarguably the economic nerve centre,indeed,financial capital of the country.
How would a Dawodu be have reacted to such a subterranean attempt at a national control?Would he have risked another confrontation with a party that provided him and his faction of A.D the much needed platform when faced with the near annihilation by the Tinubu's take no prisoners attitude to power politics? Would the a claimed Ganiyu Olawale Dawodu a.k.a God of Lagos politics would  have succumbed to the lucre of power and ditched his tested comrades in the old guard of Afenifere, With whom he wage  many battles,many of wish landed them together in prison and various detention camp?And how would Adesanya led Afenifere backed by indomitable fighter like Ayo Adebanjo would  have reacted?Obviously the politics of Lagos State would have been so  interesting for student of power.Unfortunately,the political science is the loser for it. Alhaji Ganiyu Dawodu was one man I have a lot of respect for,for his principled and  Defence of loyalty to a cherished tradition,and respect for it leadership even if the tradition could do well with with some strategic rethink. He  was a Party man,loyal to leadership and a political culture built on respect for the elders of the clan,as it was demonstrated in his attitude during the Funsho William and Bola Tinubu rancour over the ticket of AD governorship candidate in 1988.
As the party chairman at that historic period,he had the responsibility to conduct election that were to determined the party candidates in to various offices.He did that,and in the case of its governorship candidates,Engineer Funsho William an urbane Lagosian was declared winner of it's primary election,but their was an outcry by the Tinubu camp which suspected that Wlliam was favoured because of the Old Boys relationships. Dawodu was an alumnus of the prestigious St Gregory's College Obalende,Lagos the catholics school attended by Funsho William also,Of course given the sentiments of the period,especially the respective roles by the Individual in the contestation,not many peoples wanted to believe that Funsho was deserved to be Governor.He was tagged an "Abacha Politician",having attempted to be Governor of Lagos State under the self transmitting agenda of the expired dictator under the United Nigeria Convention Party(UNCP),one of the government five sponsored political party described by Chief Ige as five fingers of leprous hand,all of which had dubiously adopted the dark goggle general the sitting head of state as their presidential candidates. Against an acknowledge NADECO fighter like Tinubu,reputed to be one of the strong financier of the survival of the organization in the United State,Dawodu definitely moved against the popular tide.The truth of the matter however lies elsewhere as different accounts have been given,and as someone involved with its resolution,its would be golden to silent on what transpire,except that the subsequent actions of the winners were definitely not envisaged,and the ripples effect of winner take all attitude of the party in Lagos In 1999-2003 is going to be with the peoples for sometime to come. What is important to know and to note in all of this is the role of Afenifere leadership,confronted with the salient fact and some popular sentiments,the party executive in Lagos state was advised or indeed,instructed to to do the expected,meaning that Ganiyu Dawodu should reverse himself and declared Bola Tinubu as the duly elected AD candidate for the state. Whether Dawodu was convinced that he had made an error of judgement or not,is not clear.What's   germane here is that he heeded the party directive as represented in the leadership and undid his own action. A fighter of many years and one time boss of Lagos town council,when the affair of what is today knows as Lagos metropolitan were dictated from inside the hallowed chamber of Lagos city hall on catholic mission street,Lagos, Dawodu could not be described as  chicken-hearted he was simply loyal to his fellow comrades of many years. To be sure,the old war horse could have dug in and steadied himself in the trenches,challenging his comrade in Afenifere to an epic battle of no mean proportion. Could he have won against the reigning sentiments?I have my doubts,the reality that the younger elements of my generation stood up for Tinubu would probably have tilted the scale against him and Williams. But would our sentiments have mattered in the face of legalism?
The scenario that would have emerged was somehow frightened because who would the Independent National Electoral  Commision(INEC) would have recognized?Knowing Tinubu despiration,he would have headed to the court to stop the INEC from recognizing the Funsho William as the party flag bearer. Meanwhile election campaign by other party candidates would go on,and preparation by INEC woud continued apace. And given the benefits of hindsight,as to what befell AD and Afenifere between 1999-2003,when the party was busy in the courts over which faction was the  authentic faction that INEC should recognized,the distegration would have occurred much earlier because INEC would have gone ahead with its programme and AD would have been excluded from the governorship election.I suspect Alhaji Dawodu was conscious of the implication of his action for group solidarity and survival,and he has my eternal respect for denying his individualistic instinct when the very soul was grasping for breath.May his gallant soul continue to rest in peace.(By Otunba Gbenga Daniel from his Memoir "Daniel in the Den Of Lion).