By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Presidency on Sunday said President Bola Tinubu should not be lumped together in the same category with Nigerian leaders who assumed the highest office by stroke of accident noting that Tinubu was duly prepared for the task.
“He (Tinubu) is not an accidental leader; he is doing his best to ensure that we have a turnaround in this country,” Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, stated in a phone interview with Vanguard Sunday night.
Onanuga was responding to comments by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Kukah, who said many of Nigeria’s leaders, including Tinubu, are accidental leaders.
Kukah spoke on Sunday while delivering his keynote address during the unveiling of the new Start-Rite School building and the 4th Amaka Ndoma-Egba Memorial Lecture in Abuja.
He said, “If we look at Nigeria’s leadership journey, you will find that almost every leader who came to power did so by accident. President Tinubu, despite claiming to be prepared for the role, is clearly struggling. We are still trying to find our footing. He took over from Buhari, who had already disengaged from governance.
“Buhari succeeded Jonathan, a man who never envisioned himself as president but was thrust into leadership due to circumstances. Jonathan took over from Yar’Adua, who planned to return to teaching after his governorship.
“Yar’Adua succeeded Obasanjo, who was unexpectedly released from prison to become president. Before that, Obasanjo replaced Abacha, poised to rule indefinitely until nature intervened. Abacha followed Shonekan, a business executive abruptly drafted to lead the country. The cycle is evident, and the missing link in all of this is knowledge and preparation.”
In response, Onanuga said, “Does he look like one at all? The man is not an accidental leader; he was prepared for this office. He even said that he prepared for it and that he is doing his best to ensure that this country is lifted higher than he met it; he is doing his best.
“Because he prepared himself for the office, he is doing a lot of reform, touching every area and trying to make sure that this country is being turn-around.”
The presidential spokesman argued that Tinubu has shown a reformer’s attitude, saying “Reforms are not done in quick fixes; it takes time for you to turn things around, and he is doing it.
“He is doing reforms, and he is the first to acknowledge that people will be affected, and he is doing everything possible to ensure that those who are affected are also helped so that they will not be left behind.
“He is reforming a lot of things in Nigeria, you are talking about taxation, you are talking about the oil sector, so many reforms the man is carrying out.”
