Tinubu: Buhari’s Passage and Politics of 2027
Elempe Dele, Edo
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s handling and how he played key role in former President Muhammadu Buhari’s passage and burial is a convinient example, but a subjective one, which provided me a study model of how never to take for granted any situation or development and never underestimate your political opposition.
Yet again, in my estimation, Tinubu proved his credentials as one of the shrewdest political figures in Nigeria today.
His instinctive recourse to handling the affairs of Buhari’s passage was seen as a way that was meant to liquidate the plans of the fattening opposition now known as the Coalition.
His actions throughout was seen by keen political watchers as the emasculation of the opposition.
Some claimed it was an elimination of all the possible political rituals that the opposition would have gone to gain from Buhari’s popularity in the North, while others felt it was dictatorial political action which took political arms off the armoury of the gathering opposition.
It was a subtle and invisible contest based on the primacy of competitive thinking, in my speculation.
As soon as it was officially announced that Buhari had passed in London, Tinubu called his widow, Aisha Buhari to offer his condolences.
Thereafter, he dispatched Vice President Kashim Shettima to proceed to accompany the remains back to the country.
This was a legitimate action to thwart the opposition from taking any unexpected advantage.
Tinubu knew that as soon as the remains gets to Nigeria, the affair will strictly be within the confines of the government.
In politics, everything is designated as politics, hyperbolically speaking.
On Tuesday, Tinubu received the flag-draped remains of Buhari at the Umaru Musa Yar’adua International Airport in Katsina.
Awaiting Tinubu’s arrival were Gov. Dikko Radda, Yemi Osinbajo, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Godwill Akpabio, Hon.Jibrin Barau, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, President Umaru Sissoci Embalo of Guinea-Bissau, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Niger, Ali Zeine, and former President of Niger, Issoufou Mahamadu.
There were also members of the Katsina State Executive Council and several representatives Federal Executive Council.
A joint team of military ball bearers laid the casket on a trolley. While it was being wheeled in a slow march, President Tinubu and others walked behind in a solemn and emotional procession.
The remains was put in a military hearse where it journeyed to Daura for the funeral prayers and burial ceremony as the president drove behind the hearse in the one hour journey.
In spite of galaxy of elites and political figures present at the grave side inside the late former president’s modest house in Daura, President Tinubu did not leave even at 5:50pm when the remains were lowered into the grave amidst tears and prayers by his immediate family members and mourners. Like a religious ritual, Tinubu organized, showed empathy, emotions, respect and loyalty to his political ally which enjoyed the respect from both friends and some foes.
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday led the tributes during a special Federal Executive Council Meeting held in honour of the late former president at the State House in Abuja.
The special FEC meeting was attended by the leadership of the National Assembly, members of the Federal Executive Council, the leadership of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and Buhari’s children, among other government officials.
While Tinubu thanked the family for the support they gave the leader during his years of service, accompanied with his siblings, Yusuf Buhari, fighting back tears, thanked President Tinubu for honouring his father with a full state burial. Where hearts of the average northern voter touched? This is unarguably a 2027 question.
Although the main opposition, the African Democratic Congress, ADC condemned the Tinubu-led administration for allegedly using the death as a political publicity stunt, it seemed Tinubu played the script perfectly well. Who would not?
Politics and ‘everything’ are intermeshed. There was no way Tinubu would have left the inseparability of the 2027 politics from the state management the burial of Buhari, who was a towering political figure in the North.
Political manoeuvering is about going to people’s sense of emotions, the will to dominate political-associated developments, taking control of situations, impulse to persuade with certain emotions and to restore parity where government policies has downgraded popularity.
Politics is the thrill of power, it is about contextual legal circumscription of the opposition, and it is the effective use of share in the menu of power.
Yes, politics reminds us the Sisyphean burden that structured manifestation of power places on our shoulder.
Politics, as Tinubu played it out during this burial, remind political watchers never to take for granted any political occasion nor underestimate the potential strategy of the opposition.
