The leadership void in Yorubaland, has either by design or otherwise, thrown up two names which today, people say, are working assiduously to occupy the coveted leadership position of the Yoruba nation.

Though neither of them has by words of mouth told anybody, that such an agenda is on their card, former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and incumbent Governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, are said to be in a serious tussle with each other over who emerges as the next leader of the Yoruba nation.

Tinubu is, as at March 2008, 56 while Daniel, this April, clocks 52. From 1992 when Tinubu first emerged as a senator, till when he left office on May 29, 2007 as a two time governor of Lagos state from 1999 on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and later Action Congress (AC), he has carved out a special niche for himself in the echelon of Yoruba politics in particular and Nigeria in general.

In 2003, Tinubu shocked even his most vicious critics who had to agree that he is a step ahead of his opponents. It is on record that he was the only AD governor that survived a political Tsunami masterminded by former President Olusegun Obasanjo against the South-west. Of the six AD governors, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which could not win five percent of the votes in any of the states four years earlier, suddenly scored 100 percent in all the states except Lagos. He repeated the same feat in 2007, even when he had to contend with internal squabbles in his AC.

A commentator once said “Bola Tinubu has been able to talk like Awolowo and organize like Bola Ige. He has matched PDP grit for grit and is the main financier of his AD in the South-west. His leadership has exhibited boldness in the mode of Awo and Ige, his organizational skills have revealed a hope for the Yoruba while his vision to gather quality lieutenants is growing”.
This unsigned commentary has been dismissed as one of those paid jobs by Tinubu to present himself as a possible next leader of the Yoruba race.

After the 1999 election, and as he made steady progress in Lagos as governor, bill boards comparing him with Obafemi Awolowo and Mahatma Gandhi of India sprout up and dotted strategic points in the state.
As for Daniel, he made waves with his Gateway Foundation and rode to power on the platform of the PDP in 2003. Ever since then, his utterances and every move have been very strategic.

At the Second Alaroye Lecture Series in Lagos in 2003, speaking on the theme: “How Can the Yoruba Race Benefit from this Political Dispensation?,” Daniel declared that: “the outcome of the 2003 general elections show us that those who have tried to lead our people by the nose, believing in the unassailability of their political platform, have often lived to regret it”.

According to him, the Yoruba nation would “continue to stand tall, overcoming lecherous outsiders and treacherous insiders in a continuing battle for relevance and space”. He insisted that the Yoruba would never allow themselves to be led by the nose any longer.
Increasingly, he has become the most visible PDP governor in the South-west and tongues are wagging on the systematic and steady steps being taken by him to emerge as the leader of the Yoruba race.

IN THE BEGINNING
When in 1987, Chief Obafemi Awolowo passed away, the Yoruba nation knew instantly that it had lost a foremost leader and that it was bound to create a big, palpable vacuum sooner or later. Twenty-one years after, the vacuum created by his demise has become a gaping hole that can no longer be ignored, and top Yoruba elite attest to it. This is, however, without prejudice to the presence of several top rated Yoruba leaders including the late Pa. Emmanuel Alayande, late Pa Adekunle Ajasin, Senator Abraham Adesanya, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, the late Chief Bola Ige and many others, who have made some remarkable marks in politics, business, legal practice, diplomacy, military and the civil service.

Indeed, the South-west, which is home to the Yoruba ethnic stock in the Nigeria federation, still miss the great Awo. He was a sage of immense repute. His firm discipline, political sagacity, tenacity; his awe inspiring thoughts, his far-sightedness, selfless dedication and with a consuming passion to the Yoruba race in, articulating, projecting and protecting their aspirations, are yet to be matched by any of the present Yoruba leaders.

Obafemi Awolowo was one leader the Yoruba, undoubtedly and willingly, accepted as their captain for the last 30 years of the 21st century and for a quarter century of his life while on earth. His words were laws, (not that he demanded obedience to his words, he just commanded that obedience from his kinsmen and women). His image bestrode every space in Yorubaland and even his jealous adversaries within the Yoruba nation acknowledged his uniqueness. This is why up till today, many, very many Yoruba leaders, politicians of whatever hue and shade, cling tenaciously to his name for political relevance.

Awo’s lieutenants

Adekunle Ajasin

Soon after Awolowo’s demise, one of his highly trusted lieutenants, the late Pa Michael Adekunle Ajasin, provided another leadership for the Yoruba, but his was slightly different, mainly because he took over at an advanced age and came during the days of military junta. He, too, enjoyed undiluted respect from all Yoruba leaders and people. Even the likes of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who many a Yoruba see as always wearing the garb of derision against Awolowo, respected him.

There is no taking away the essential Awo quality from Pa. Ajasin. He was ever firm (some even called him rigid). Pa Ajasin belonged to the good old school with rigid adherence to all principles of straight-forwardness and truth. He gave these in good quantity even though at advanced age and in the face of rude military insubordination during his leadership time. As governor of old Ondo State, he was reputed to have gone to Government House with two cars and returned with one in bad shape. He did not ouch his security votes either. Late Pa Ajasin got total support from all. He was supported by the late Chief Bola Ige and others like Pa. Adesanya.

Abraham Adesanya
The Yoruba leader after Pa Ajasin is Pa Abraham Adesanya, who also exhibited the highest level of maturity or boldness and leadership, particularly, when the military junta led by the late maximum dictator, Gen Sani Abacha was after the souls of many Nigerians. Pa. Adesanya is another of the old Awo School who instilled a lot of confidence in the Yoruba. He emerged as the undisputed Yoruba leader and has been ill-disposed for sometime now. This has been said to be part of the reason for the near state of ‘things fall apart’ in the house of Afenifere. But the group reputed to be the unseen hand controlling the socio-political destiny of the Yoruba nation, may not be totally to be blamed for the situation it has found itself today.

Leadership vacuum
It is said that a combination of omissions or commissions are responsible for the leadership vacuum that now operates in the South-west. In the last three years or so, there has been an absence of one Yoruba voice on national affairs and in the management of Yoruba internal affairs. There is no longer a figure on the horizon that is looked up to for direction and action. Chief Fasoranti and others have been unable to nip the discord in the house of Oduduwa in the bud. In those days of Pa Awolowo, Yoruba's voice was one. And in the days of Ajasin, despite his very old age, maintained one voice. Pa Adesanya was able to hold his own up till a point. The question is: why the void?

Afenifere Secretary General, Senator Femi Okurounmu offered an explanation. He told Sunday Sun in a telephone interview that it is circumstances that throw up leaders. He returned a damning verdict on almost all the people parading themselves or pretending to want to lead the Yoruba nation as at now. Hear him: “Just now, the circumstances on ground do not favour the emergence of decent people as leaders of the Yoruba nation. And the Yoruba will not just accept anybody as their leader because he has money, political clout or any of those considerations”.
Whatever the case is in Afenifere, it remains the indisputable Pan-Yoruba group and despite the break-up into two, it is still the mainstream of Yoruba representation and the only credible Yoruba organization.

Road to divided house
The late Bola Ige has been variously mentioned as the main cause for the loss of the hitherto single voice with which the Yoruba handled all national issues up till the formation of Alliance For Democracy(AD). This was traced to the emergence of Chief Olu Falae as the presidential candidate of AD in 1999 while Ige thought that he should have automatically prevailed in the minds of his colleagues from the School of Awolowo.

He was said to have argued that if Awoism were to be followed, there was no way Falae, who was regarded as not only new but was untested in real times could have prevailed over him who had made his name not only as an Awoist but also as a progressive politician and an orator of repute.
He was an arrow-head in all formations of political parties in 1999 after retired General Abubakar blew the whistle for the commencement of politicking and was given credits for quick action which led to the birth of AD.

But then, Yoruba lost the single voice which made them the envy of other nationalities with the formation of a counter Pan- Yoruba organization - The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE). The formation was easily traced to the late Ige and Thompson-Adewale and the success of this new group was measured in its ability to break the monopoly of Afenifere in Yoruba politics. This marked the beginning of discordant voices of the Yoruba in the national politics and the latter day break-up of AD.

Scope of tussle
Between Tinubu and Daniel, there seems to be an unwritten determination in their approach to the issue in almost all fronts to outdo each other.
The duo have traditional titles which they have both appropriated like priests. While Tinubu goes by the very symbolic and honorific Asiwaju, literally meaning the ‘leader’; Daniel goes by the title of Otunba, that is, the king’s right hand man. These titles both conjure the image of leadership at very high levels.
At the Ganiyu Dawodu Memorial Lecture not long ago, which was delivered by Daniel, an occasion observers said he used to maximum advantage to project the idea of being a possible Yoruba leader, Tinubu was visibly absent. The former Lagos governor told a national newspaper recently that he did not attend because: “it was not a means to promote leadership qualities, and any attempt to do that will be doing a great injustice to the culture of our people. Yes, it was a political lecture, as far as I am concerned, and we don't share that in common. It was not an Afenifere lecture. You can camouflage it in any form that you want. It was purely organised by the DPA (Democratic Peoples Alliance) and if the DPA says it is in alliance with a PDP governor, good luck; so be it”.

Both have also made their birthdays an occasion to project their images.
Three years ago when Daniel turned 50, April 6, rather than turning the occasion to just feasting and partying, he started the day with a prayer service jointly conducted by Enoch Adeboye, Wilson Badejo, Tunde Bakare and William Kumuyi, leaders of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Foursquare Gospel Church, Latter Rain Assembly and Deeper Life Bible Church respectively. They prayed for the governor, his state and Nigeria as a whole.

Thereafter, it was time for the birthday lecture titled “Leadership, Vision and the Search for National Redemption”. The choice of Yakubu Gowon, former military head of state, was apt. Gowon said, “Over the years, political and social observers and critics have attributed the legion of political, social and economic problems plaguing our society and country to lack of not just leadership per se, but good leadership.” He concluded by recommending transformational leadership. By this, he meant a leader who would be able to discharge his duties effectively, has social contract with his people and displays ability to serve them well.

That same day, as part of the birthday celebration, Daniel was installed as Aare Ajibosin of Owu kingdom by Adegboyega Dosunmu, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom. His wife too, Olufunke, was installed as Yeye Aare Ajibosin of Owu Kingdom. The ceremony, which held at the Olowu’s palace in Abeokuta, was witnessed by President Olusegun Obasanjo, several governors, diplomats and captains of industry, among others.

Two days later, the Ogun State governor had another feather in his chieftaincy cap as he was installed as Arole of Remoland by Michael Sonariwo, the Akarigbo and paramount ruler of Remo.
Last weekend, it was another super display by the man fondly called OGD by his admirers as he marked his 52. A critic of his birthday bashes was particularly disturbed when in 2006, Daniel caused the celebration of his birthday to fall on the same day the National Sports Festival opened in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Some commentators later lambasted the governor for not seeing beyond his games and propaganda to give honor to the future of Nigeria as represented by the youths.

The Diaspora Angle
In addition, there is a reaching out to the Yoruba in Diaspora in a manner never done before by any Yoruba leader. In March, Daniel hosted over 12 Yoruba traditional rulers from Benin Republic in a move aimed at promoting trans-border cultural ties in the ECOWAS sub-region. The ceremony held at Government House, Abeokuta, was like a home-coming as the visiting royal fathers were dressed in colourful Yoruba attire.

The royals also asked that Daniel’s welfare package for Ogun traditional rulers be extended to them. Speaking at the grand reception for the visitors, Daniel remarked that the Yoruba people were one of Africa‘s most vibrant populations.
He said that the ancestral homeland and historic community of the Yoruba extended beyond the borders of modern Nigeria.
“Though concentrated in the south-western Nigerian states of Ogun, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara and Kogi, the point about today’s historic event is that the ancestral homeland and historic community of the Yoruba extends beyond the borders of modern Nigeria,” he said.

Tinubu’s Strategic approach
Since he left office, Tinubu has shifted his attention to the South-west, trying to position himself as the leader of the geo-political zone. He makes high profile appearances at very strategic events in the southwest and makes sensitive statements that seem to make him the mouthpiece of the Yoruba nation. In one of such events in Ibadan, he called on President Umaru Yar’Adua to unravel the mystery behind the December 23, 2002 killing of the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Bola Ige, SAN.

It was at the 77th commemorative birthday lecture of Ige held at the Banquet Hall, Premier Hotel, Ibadan. He called on President Umaru Yar’Adua to further express his commitment to the rule of law by assembling a fresh team of investigators to unravel the mystery behind the murder of Chief Bola Ige.
His words: “the Yoruba people cannot accept that the murderers of the Chief Law Officer, Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation cannot be found. This case cannot be closed. We believe that the new administration of President Yar’Adua, in further demonstration of its commitment to the rule of law, will make the Yoruba and all lovers of justice proud by assembling a fresh team of investigators to unravel this prefabricated mystery. The walls of lies and falsehood must be broken down. Truth shall prevail”.

He was not yet done. He added: “the fact of our gathering is a loud denunciation of the wish of his assailants, the monsters who could not bear the sharpness of his tongue, the Lilliputians who could not live with the colossal stature of the foremost propagandist of the Yoruba cause. They wished him dead. They carried out their wicked plot. But today, we have demonstrated no one can kill the symbol of the aspirations and ambitions of a people. No one can kill Cicero because he lives in us."
The Former Lagos Governor also lamented that Obasanjo betrayed the Yoruba nation. According to him, “Obasanjo deliberately aborted the probe, and this has continued to remain a shame on Nigeria in the eyes of the civilized world”.

His words: "The same police that uncovered the killers of Apalara in the colonial period, the same police that tracked down Ejigbadero during the military era was hindered and hampered from performing their civic obligation to the Nigerian people. Instead, the whole nation was put on a wild goose chase, running after charades and shadows, while the culprits are serenaded from the long arms of the law".
Tinubu then stirred Yoruba leaders to rise up to the challenges of how to ensure that the dreams of Ige are realized by reviving and consolidating the legacy of welfarism, which is the main focus of the Awoist movement.

The former Lagos governor is also said to be in the thick of the effort to reclaim the electoral mandates allegedly given the AC in some states like Ekiti and Osun. A source claimed he assisted in sourcing for the forensic expert that has been called in those states.
It will not be out of place to infer that he is already strategizing to emerge the leader of the Yoruba nation. A source said he has in fact been eyeing the position while he was in office. The source claimed ‘‘this was one of his grouse with Gbenga Daniel of Ogun state who is also believed to be eyeing the same position.” He has speared no moment to lambast either Daniel or Obasanjo, who is equally believed to be in contention for the vacant post.

At an event in Lagos, he aimed spikes at the former President’s eight years regime saying the Ota farmer did nothing. He spoke at the fourth edition of the annual Timeless Lecture in Lagos, tagged “Nigeria, what next”. Tinubu, who was represented by his former Commissioner for Land, Mr. Fola Arthur Worrey, said that whereas 50 per cent of about $223bn earned as oil revenue between 1999 and 2003 went to the Federal Government, there was really nothing serious to show that the money was spent in the country.

Denials
Notwithstanding, Tinubu denied harbouring such an idea or being in a race with Daniel for the top position. But he was quick to add that should the Yoruba people call on him, he would be more than ready to lead them.
“I am not at any race or contest for Yoruba leadership with Otunba Gbenga Daniel. No. The people will choose their leaders. I am an AC leader, he is a PDP governor; we are in no contest of any kind. If the Yoruba need a leader, we have some older people who are credible and capable, who can lead us. And if they say, yes, it is Bola Tinubu, I will take the challenge. But I am not thinking of campaigning to be leader of any ethnic group or spokesperson of the group or being in contest in a partisan situation.”

He equally denied playing any untoward role in the weakening of Afenifere. “I am proud that they see me as influential, and powerful to influence our people; enough to weaken retrogressive ideas, to weaken ideas that are not consistent with the yearnings of our people for change and the development of our people, to wipe out poverty; to start to care for the sick and the infants, to start to put our educational standard in a better perspective. Not to deceive the public, but to perform to the admiration of the public. If the public now respects and believes in me, I have no apology for that because they see me as sincere and committed”, he told a national newspaper recently in an elaborate interview.

Daniel is also not left out of the denial game. Times without number, he would say amid his trademark smile that he was not scheming to be Yoruba leader and that the people would choose their leaders. Yorubas, he claimed, cannot be taken for a ride and cannot be led by the nose. Those who tried to fool them in the past using the name of Awo, he insisted, have since realized that the people are politically conscious, and could be seen in the pattern of the elections in the region in recent time. He is also apt to add that he is no less an Afenifere than those in AD or AC because he belongs to PDP.

Verdict
The verdict according to some Yoruba elite on the alleged tussle for the leadership of the Yoruba nation by these two obviously high flying politicians is to the effect that neither of them qualifies for the position as of today.

Chief Ayo Adebanjo
Afenifere and NADECO chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, who clocked 80 on Thursday, told Sunday Sun that they are too young and inexperienced.
“For now that is impossible. Both of them are too young and inexperience. They have the right to aspire. But mind you, from what we knew of the leadership of the Yoruba people by Awolowo, these two individuals are too far away from it and they have a lot more to learn. It is not by being in government, distributing largesse and even shouting Halleluiah because you are in office. Talking of leadership in Yoruba land, you will realise that the Yoruba are the most difficult people to lead because they are too intelligent, and too civilised.

Yoruba will ask you why and what qualifies you to be my leader? If you say your education, he will tell you that X Y and Z have PhD in so and so fields too. So, apart from being sound intellectually, your integrity must be without question. Your achievement in public and your character must be above board. So, both Tinubu and Daniel have not got all it takes to be the leader of the Yoruba. They are still acquiring the qualities. How many years have they spent in government? I do not disqualify them. They have the rights. When I read in the papers that someone is like Awolowo, I say no. They can try and be. May be they can go into it. They cannot be. If they have it in mind to do like him, they will try but none can claim to be Awo’s incarnate. That is impossible for them to be”.

Gov. Olagunsoye Oyinlola
Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who is serving his second term in office as Governor of Osun State on the platform of the PDP, put so much emphasis on the character of the individual, who he is, where he is coming from and easy with which he could be identified. He concluded that only time will tell if the Yoruba nation would be blessed with another Awolowo.

“Yoruba people have very high standard with which they measure who their leader would be. Anyone who will lead the Yoruba must tower above everybody in honesty, industry and integrity. Anyone who wants to be Yoruba leader must be beyond suspicion. His roots, education and his work history must be known. The Yoruba must know where he is coming from. Those who spearheaded the emergence of Awo as Yoruba leader were not even from his political camp. It is works, personality and integrity that threw him up. Time will tell if another Awolowo will emerge”.

Senator Femi Okurounmu
Apart from saying that the circumstances on ground cannot produce decent leaders for now in Yorubaland, Okurounmu listed what anybody who aspires to lead should be able to explain to the people.
“The people would ask you to explain your background, what is your upbringing like, your level of morality, your commitment to Yoruba cause, what services have you rendered to people. It goes beyond being a politician”, he stated.

Okurounmu denied knowledge of any tussle between the two personalities and concluded that it was too premature to try to rate who of the two best qualifies for the position.

Chief Olu Falae
As for former presidential candidate and DPA chieftain, Chief Olu Falae, he maintained that Yoruba leaders emerge naturally and that what qualifies one is not money, or the political office that one has held. He harped on “maturity, consistency in projecting and protecting the Yoruba cause”.
He agreed that there is leadership crisis not only in Yorubaland but the entire nation. “There is a failure of leadership in the country. Not that there are no purposeful, far-sighted people who cannot be tele-guided, but they are not allowed to get to the position of leadership of the country”.
He added that “as for the Yoruba question, none of the two personalities being linked with the position qualifies as at this time for that post”.

Afenifere
Afenifere National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said the shoes of the late Awo are too big for either Tinubu or Daniel. He said that Adesanya’s illness has been a challenge to the Yoruba race and there is no denying the fact that the Yoruba nation is today facing the challenge of leadership. But he said the position of the leadership of Yoruba is not a thing to be fought for by two contesting individuals. “It is gratuitous insult to the Yoruba who are over 40 million, enlightened, sophisticated and educated to be boxed into a position of having to choose between two people. There are hundreds of Yoruba achievers all over the world who can provide leadership without tussle or printing of posters”, he said on phone.

Dele Alake
Former commissioner for Information and Strategy in the administration of Tinubu, Dele Alake, gave it to Tinubu as the man who is to be preferred between the two. But he was in fact, very quick to add that the Yoruba people are different from any other ethnic group and that he was sure Tinubu was not in any tussle with anybody over who leads the people of the South-west.
Be that as it may, he said whatever parameters used by anybody to determine who best qualifies out of the two, Tinubu will always be on top.

“Whatever parameter you use, Tinubu is far above Daniel. I don’t want to dignify him with a comparison with Asiwaju. What are his democratic credentials? What has he suffered for the Yoruba people? What cause has he championed for the Yoruba. Anybody who says Daniel towers above Asiwaju is speaking from a very partisan perspective and not being objective at all. Yorubas will not look at your money, appearance or whatever. They simply want to know whether you have paid your dues, and what you have suffered for them”, he insisted

Hon. Yemi Arokodare
But a former federal lawmaker from Ekiti State, gave it to Daniel. He argued that the cap fits Daniel even as he maintained that Yoruba leaders usually evolve.
“Daniel is a celebrated achiever and leader, Tinubu does not have half of Daniels clout. Tinubu may be marketing himself but the truth is that some people are born great; others achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust on them. Yoruba leaders evolve, agreed, but Daniel has been a rallying point, a bridge builder and has performed very well.

He is acceptable even outside Yorubaland. I am an Ekiti man but speaking for an Ogun man. The cap fits Daniel. My advice to Afenifere is that like mother hen, she should gather all her chicks together irrespective of party affiliation”, he stated.
There is no doubt that the Yoruba nation of today is in search of a leader, a visionary, selfless and purposeful one at that, who would show direction like it used to be in the days of Awo. But with the verdict on two people seen as front runners, who steps out and fill the gap? Time, certainly, will tell.