Ex-Gov Receives Knocks For Comparing Tinubu With Azikiwe, Awolowo

Former Governor Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa state has compared Bola Ahmed Tinubu with Nigeria’s founding fathers such as the late Sage and former Premier of defunct Western Region, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, and Nnamdi Azikiwe.

Azikiwe was Nigeria’s first president and commander-in-chief, while Bello was the premier of the Northern Republic during the First Republic.

After their death, the three leaders are still admired across the country due to the impacts they made on their people and polity.

Many national monuments have also been named after them to appreciate their contributions to the nation’s development.

Present Nigerian leaders are struggling to earn respect from their people due to their selfishness and inability to lead from the front, many say.

Tinubu who is aspiring to become president next year has received knocks from not a few who accused him of corruption.

His health status has also come under close scrutiny from other people who insist that the former Lagos Governor is not fit enough to run for the highest office in the country.

Speaking on Tinubu, Senator Al-Makura said the APC presidential hopeful is in the same category with the three statesmen.

Speaking with NAN on Monday, Al-Makura said none of the presidential candidates can match the competence and achievements of the APC standard bearer for the 2023 election.

He said Tinubu is the most qualified among those running for president in 2023, adding that he has a strong record of performance while he was Lagos State governor.

Referring to other presidential candidates, Al-Makura said Tinubu and his running mate, Kassim Shettima cannot be compared to them: “Take them one by one and compare with any of the two pairs in other parties, you won’t go far before you realise that it is not a contest,” he said.

“Take Tinubu and what he has done in Lagos state and the country physically, politically, socially, culturally and economically, I do not see any presidential candidate that can match his competence, achievements, and vision.

“In the course of trying to defend Nigeria’s democracy, Tinubu had to flee the country. Tinubu and others stood their guns to ensure that democracy was rooted in the country.

“How many brave Nigerians could do what Tinubu has done to this country way back in 1993? He sacrificed his time and comfort for the sake of democracy.

“For that alone, he has no equal among the presidential candidates. Take infrastructural development and transformation of Lagos,” the senator said.

Meanwhile, close watchers of politics in the country said Tinubu is not on the same pedestal as the former leaders, who they insist have a good record of integrity and love for their people.

For instance, they point to Azikiwe who spent his entire life promoting national unity; Ahmadu Bello fought for his people to ensure that they were not relegated by other nationalities, while Awolowo promoted free education at all levels during his tenure as the leader of the Western Region, a feat that remained unbeaten by past and present governments in the region.