Tinubu not accidental leader, Presidency tackles Kukah
By Jeffrey Agbo
The Presidency has knocked Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, for including President Bola Tinubu as one of Nigeria’s unprepared leaders.
While delivering a keynote address at the inauguration of Start-Rite School’s new building and the 4th Amaka Ndoma-Egba Memorial Lecture in Abuja, Kukah said, “If we are to start from the beginning, you will find almost every leader that came to power in Nigeria was a result of one accident or the other. President Tinubu, who said he was prepared for it, is struggling. We are still trying to get off the ground. He took over from Buhari, who had already given up.”
The cleric traced the pattern of unprepared leadership through Nigeria’s history, noting, “Buhari took over from Jonathan, who thought if he finished as deputy governor, he would go somewhere else. But something happened. Jonathan took over from Yar’Adua, who had planned to teach at Ahmadu Bello University after his term as governor. He, in turn, took over from Obasanjo, who was imprisoned and never expected to emerge as a leader. Yet somehow, he found himself out of jail and into power.
“Obasanjo himself took over from Abdulsalami, who succeeded Abacha. Even though the five political parties said he would rule forever, unfortunately, nature took him.
“Abacha took over from Shonekan who was busy with UAC before he was told to come and be Head of State. We can go on and on with this.”
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Reacting to his statement, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, told Vanguard on Sunday night: “He (Tinubu) is not an accidental leader; he is doing his best to ensure that we have a turnaround in this country,”
He added, “Does he look like one at all? The man (Tinubu) is not an accidental leader; he was prepared for this office. He even said that he prepared for it and that he is doing his best to ensure that this country is lifted higher than he met it; he is doing his best.
“Because he prepared himself for the office, he is doing a lot of reform, touching every area and trying to make sure that this country is being turn-around.”
The Presidency argued that Tinubu had shown a reformer’s attitude and, saying “reforms are not done in quick fixes; it takes time for you to turn things around, and he is doing it.”
“He is doing reforms, and he is the first to acknowledge that people will be affected, and he is doing everything possible to ensure that those who are affected are also helped so that they will not be left behind.
“He is reforming a lot of things in Nigeria, you are talking about taxation, you are talking about the oil sector, so many reforms the man is carrying out,” Onanuga insisted.