By Ali Abare
Both have made thier marks in the political history of their states and Nigeria at large. Both are former governors who played key role in the 2013 alliance that berthed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
While former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu is running to succeed incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, on the other hand, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-makura, immediate past governor of Nasarawa State, is seeking for a second tenure at the Upper Chanver of the National Assembly.
These two great politicians share certain similarities in their leadership disposition. They are progressives. Most significantly, they are talent hunters, who are imbued with uncanny abilities to identify, nurture and groom talents. At both state and national levels, the products of Tinubu and Al-makura’s tutelage and mentorship are visible to see.
Tinubu and Al-makura are leaders who believe in giving the other person chance to thrive and blossom. These are politicians who measure success with how much impact they brought in the lives of others. They are ditrabilized, open minded, focused and result driven.
A defining characteristics of both leaders is their meticulousness, their conscientious attachment to detail. This singular trait distinguished these two statesmen and sets them apart from many of their peers. Both Tinubu and Al-makura are sticklers to detail, having horned their instincts not to leave anything to chance.
While these leaders believe staunchly in building and nurturing a team, they however ensure that each member of the team keeps in line, mostly through strict and constant supervision and engagement.
It can be safely argued that these two political sages remain successful mostly as a result of their ability to effectively manage their teams. Indeed, effective team management, has been integral to the political successes of both Asiwaju and Senator Al-makura. Especially that, through a robust team management, individual members of the team align their personal goals with that of the leader.
This unique leadership quality is seen resonating in every activity or engagement undertaken by either Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu or Senator Umaru Tanko Al-makura. No wonder, Tinubu was able to transform Lagos State into what it is today, the most economically viable state in the country. It’s also not a fluke that Senator Al-makura is known as the Architect of Modern Nasarawa State.
It’s not by accident therefore that today, Asiwaju is seeking to occupy the number one position in the country while Al-makura is running for a second term at the Senate. Both leaders have paid their dues and are adequately prepared to discharge their separate responsibilities.
Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, in his manifesto, a 80-page document containing multi-sectoral policy options tagged “Renewed Hope 2023 – Action Plan for a Better Nigeria,” lucidly described his vision to replicate what he did in Lagos State across the length and breath of the country.
Tinubu’s action plan highlighted key areas including the provision of job opportunities for young people; giving manufacturing its rightful place; surplus balance of trade (i.e export more than import); strong policies to boost agriculture; modernizing public infrastructure; harnessing emerging economic sectors (entertainment, sports, arts, digital space etc); socio-economic inclusion for the most vulnerable people; electricity generation; affordable healthcare, education, and housing for all; and establishing adaptable national security policy.
Asiwaju’s manifesto aims at achieving a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of N780.9bn by 2027 from N440.8bn in 2021 at the rate of 10 per cent per annum, with the APC presidential candidate promising to restructure the country through a comprehensive constitutional review, equitable resource allocation, judicial independence and local government autonomy.
Tinubu’s 80-page Action Plan, highlighted key areas, including the provision of job opportunities for young people; giving manufacturing its rightful place; surplus balance of trade (i.e export more than import); strong policies to boost agriculture; modernizing public infrastructure; harnessing emerging economic sectors (entertainment, sports, arts, digital space etc); socio-economic inclusion for the most vulnerable people; electricity generation; affordable healthcare, education, and housing for all; and establishing adaptable national security policy. The APC’s candidate’s manifesto aims at achieving a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of N780.9bn by 2027 from N440.8bn in 2021 at the rate of 10 per cent per annum.
On the other hand, Atiku’s 5-point agenda envisions tackling the current lingering insecurity to guarantee the safety and security of lives and property, build a dynamic economy for prosperity, re-structure the polity to foster unity and stability, as well as provide qualitative education. Atiku has promised to restore Nigeria’s fractured unity, as well as rebuild the nation’s battered economy back to the pre-2015 level, where the country was the strongest economy in Africa, with a GDP of $546.7billion, as against the current GDP of $440billion.
The two candidates’ has promised to restructure but in different formats. Tinubu has promised a comprehensive constitutional review, equitable resource allocation, judicial independence, and local government autonomy, while Atiku wants to achieve more devolution of powers to the states and local governments.
On the aspect of the economy, Tinubu pledged to diversify the Nigerian economy and create wealth for the development of the nation. He said Nigeria is sitting on a gold mine with abundant natural resources, adding that with strategic investment in research and development and effective management the nation can explore these resources to the fullest.
“There is no local government in Nigeria that has no resource or endowment that can be harnessed for greater economic development.
“Our major economic challenges are underinvestment and effective management, and these are what I am bringing to the table. Our economic plan would utilize the vast natural resources we have, through strategic investment in infrastructure which will lead to the diversification of the economy and wealth creation across the entire country.
“We will pay attention to modern economic drivers such as the digital economy, creative industries, sports and entertainment sectors for the benefit of our young people.”
On the nation’s economy, a Tinubu administration will focus on the massive and unprecedented 4th industrial revolution, helping the youth to be transformed from job seekers to job providers.
Tinubu administration will strive to create one million new jobs in the ICT sector within its first 24 months in office, including interventions in the ICT Industry and other critical sectors of the Nigerian economy where the deployment of new technologies can fast-track business growth and diversification.
Tinubu assured Nigerians that his administration will focus on the massive and unprecedented 4th industrial revolution, helping the youth to be transformed from job seekers to job providers.
On security which he affirms to be the “bedrock of a prosperous and democratic society”, Tinubu said his administration will make it a fundamental responsibility to protect the lives and property of its citizens by mobilising the country’s national security, military and law enforcement assets to protect all Nigerians from danger and from the fear of danger.
“Our administration will be committed to permanently securing the safety, freedom and prosperity of all Nigerians,” Tinubu stated.
To achieve this, Tinubu promised to further equip the armed forces with more modern hardware and needed technological support, even as he also said police will be reformed to fully take responsibility for internal security.
“Police reform will be focused on positioning the institution to better deliver on its primary duties of community policing and maintaining law and order through crime fighting and prevention.
“Police personnel will be freed from extraneous duties such as VIP security and guard duties. VIP security and provision of security for government buildings, installations and other critical assets will be transferred to The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The NSCDC shall be evaluated and reformed to be better integrated with our internal security apparatus,” the APC presidential candidate stated.
The APC presidential candidate promised to bring reforms to Nigeria’s education sector from the basic to the tertiary level, adding that, his administration if elected, would review the education curriculum at all levels “to suit the emerging global best practices and current socio-economic realities.”
Tinubu said the curriculum will be reviewed to ensure that Nigerian graduates become conversant with global trends in different fields and sectors where they can contribute productively to the country’s economy.
“This will ensure, our graduates at tertiary level are not only trained for white-collar jobs, but they will be enterprising and innovative,” he said.
Tinubu said he will equip selected universities in each of the six geo-political zones to function as centres of excellence for students of humanities, fine arts, film, and culture. We will partner with investors and industry experts to create an animation hub to help young talent take advantage of such opportunities and indeed, to build their own brands. Such a space will allow animators to share costs create synergies and collaborate on ambitious projects.
For the healthcare sector, Tinubu considers this critical sector as a matter of right and urgency, with his healthcare reforms and policy agenda defined by the concept of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). By making universal coverage a primary objective, he proposes to create new jobs and bring greater economic and social development to Nigerians.
For the former governor of Nasarawa State, running for another term at the Senate is more out of the overwhelming desire to give back to the society. The platform will accord Senator Al-makura the opportunity to rise to the occassion and to be a strident voice in legislating for the country.
Unlike in previous dispensation, where the representation at the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly became mere bench warming, with Senator Al-makura, not only Nasarawa South and Nasarawa State but the country at large, stand to benefit from the knowledge abd experience of a politician that has already made his mark in the annals of the political history of Nigeria.
Thus, with only few days, to the presidential and national assembly election, both Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Senator Umaru Tanko Al-makura, share a date with destiny. Electing these two exceptional leaders on February 25, will not only portend good for the people but will further place Nasarawa State and Nigeria on a pedestal of genuine growth and development.
Abare is the Convener, APC Top to Bottom Independent Media Suppport Group.
