By Yahaya Idris, Lagos
The Director-General of the APC Youth Network West Africa, Hon. Olatunde Gideon Igbasan, has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s controversial “Emi l’okan” declaration, saying the phrase represented political ambition rather than a claim to a divine right to rule.
Igbasan was responding to comments by former Interior Minister and ADC National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who described the declaration as “despotism” and suggested it reflected an alleged belief in divine entitlement to political power.
‘The Context Cannot Be Ignored’
Igbasan said the statement was made in 2022 when Tinubu was campaigning to become the APC’s presidential candidate.
According to him, Tinubu was not a sitting president claiming absolute authority but a presidential aspirant seeking the support of party delegates.
“‘Emi l’okan’ was made in that political context,” he said.
He argued that removing the statement from that context could lead to a distorted interpretation of its meaning.
Tinubu Faced a Competitive Primary
Igbasan said Tinubu’s emergence as the APC presidential candidate was the product of a competitive primary.
He pointed out that several aspirants contested the nomination and that delegates were given the opportunity to choose their preferred candidate.
Tinubu secured 1,271 votes to win the primary.
According to Igbasan, that process was inconsistent with the idea that Tinubu had presented himself as someone with an unquestionable or divinely guaranteed right to political power.
“He contested. He campaigned. He faced other aspirants. He sought delegates’ votes. He won the primary,” Igbasan said.
‘That Sounds Like a Political Contest’
The APC youth leader said the primary process was evidence of political competition rather than a coronation.
“That sounds like a political contest — not a coronation,” he said.
Igbasan argued that political candidates frequently tell voters or party members that they deserve an opportunity to lead.
He said such statements are part of political persuasion and should not automatically be interpreted as authoritarian declarations.
Aregbesola Free to Criticise Tinubu
Igbasan acknowledged Aregbesola’s constitutional and democratic right to criticise Tinubu.
He said political disagreements were legitimate and that Aregbesola could offer Nigerians a different political alternative.
However, he insisted that political criticism should be accompanied by an accurate representation of historical events.
“Democracy does not only protect the freedom to speak. It also demands intellectual honesty about what was actually said, when it was said and in what context,” he said.
‘Emi L’okan’ Was Not a Coronation Oath
Igbasan said the statement should not be transformed into something it was not.
He noted that Tinubu’s subsequent political journey involved competition, voting and electoral processes.
He maintained that the delegates who participated in the APC primary had the power to reject Tinubu, while Nigerian voters later exercised their own choice at the general election.
“The ballot answered the slogan,” Igbasan said.
He added: “A request for a turn is not a claim to a throne. Ambition is not despotism. Confidence is not dictatorship.”