Tinubu’s politics ensured survival of opposition voices  — Olanipekun

By Rotimi Ojomoyela

ADO-EKITI — FORMER Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, yesterday, said the roles played by President Bola Tinubu ensured the survival of opposition voices as Governor and later as President.

Chief Olanipekun, who was the Guest Lecturer at the 13th Convocation of the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, noted that “had President Bola Tinubu, whether as Governor Tinubu or thereafter as ‘Citizen Tinubu’ succumbed to the harassment and intimidation of the then Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Nigeria would have become a one-party state as far back as 2023 or immediately thereafter.

Speaking on the topic ‘Nigeria-Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Imperative of a sober and infinitive recalibration’, the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, lauded the consistency of Tinubu for ensuring that Nigeria’s democracy still has room for opposition.

“Tinubu not only withstood and survived the PDP Tsunami, he also encouraged opposition figures to come together, ultimately birthing the APC in 2013.

“It is also common knowledge that, as an opposition figure and leader, he supported, empathized and sympathized with members of the ruling party who were facing ‘ persecution ’ under the big umbrella. But for him, some of the present opposition leaders would have been emasculated or annihilated by their political parties.

“A case in point was the impeachment of Governor Rasheed Ladoja which was orchestrated by his own political party and leadership; where he (Tinubu) quickly rose to his rescue, gave him the necessary encouragement, support and morale including assemblage of a formidable Legal Team, which eventually led to the setting aside of the impeachment by the Supreme Court; a decision that has over the years served as reprieve for Governors who were/are ordinarily susceptible to legislative and political harassment.

“Even when he was arraigned before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on some criminal charges, he did not blink or panic, rather, he instructed his Legal Team, led by my humble self to apply for service of the Charge on his behalf, before he was formally served, since the news had already filtered to the press and public. Until he was discharged and acquitted, he was physically present at all the proceedings of the Tribunal.

“Unknown to the public and initially unbeknownst to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, but for his intervention in briefing counsel to go and contest the suit sponsored by the PDP challenging the eligibility of Buhari to participate in the 2015 Presidential election, President Muhammadu Buhari might have been disqualified.”

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