High Chief Promise Lawuru (aka Ozigizaga) is the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Egbema Kingdom. In this interview with selected journalists, he speaks about the governorship ambition of (Chief) Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu
There are reports that Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu, is nursing an ambition to contest the governorship election in Lagos State in 2027. What is your take on this?
Talking about the ambition of Seyi Tinubu, Seyi Tinubu is a Nigerian, and there is nowhere in the constitution banning a sitting president’s son from contesting any election. It is within his constitutional right to contest any election.
Today, as an adult, if he deems it fit to contest to represent the people of Lagos State, it is within his right. There is no breach of the Constitution. You can recall that in our previous interview, we talked about pushing for youths to come out within the southern states to represent our people in different elective positions.
Today, Seyi Tinubu has answered the call to represent Lagos State, and he has the capacity to do so. It is just jealousy and hatred for politicians that make people see this as a big deal. In the olden days, even in your own homes, if your father was a farmer, you helped him in the farming business.
If he is a trader, there is nothing wrong with his son participating in that trading business. Now that his father is a politician, what is wrong with his son participating in politics? So if Seyi wants to represent Lagos State today, nobody should judge him because his father is the president.
Let’s look at him: what is the content of his character? What can he do? I know Seyi Tinubu as a friend; he can handle Lagos State perfectly well. So I’m in support of Seyi Tinubu becoming governor of Lagos State come 2027.
Will the people not say they have served the father, and now they want to serve the son?
Who is not serving the father? We are in the southern part of Nigeria, and the majority of us are Christians; we all serve the Father and serve the Son.
So what is the difference between serving the father and the son? You serve God, and you serve Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Are you not serving the Son and the Father? So, what is the difference between serving God, serving the Son, and serving the Father? It’s not a constitutional breach. That is just jealousy talking.
Now, let us look at the antecedents of Seyi Tinubu. As a friend of his, can you tell us a little about him?
What I know about Seyi Tinubu is that he is a very independent man. If you want to classify Seyi Tinubu, he is a very independent man. That is why I’m so convinced that if he wants to contest for governorship come 2027, he is eligible. Once a man becomes independent, it means he is ready for any task that comes ahead.
This man is not just a common youth; he is a barrister. He has studied the constitution. He knows his left from his right, wrong from right. So, what else do you want from an independent man? This is the first time we have seen a son of a president coming out and mingling with everybody.
We have had many presidents with children all over, but nobody has seen the son of a president before. Today, he brings himself down to the common people to make sure he meets with everybody. If you have a function and he is invited, he will attend. He associates with everybody. Those are the characters we need. Even without becoming governor, privately, he is developing Lagos State.
He is instrumental in one of the deep-sea ports coming to Lagos State. Those kinds of people are the people we want as governor, not handicapped people. Today, our problem in politics is that we have conventional politicians who have nothing to do with business. Their ideology is just to get into government to embezzle money.
But once you put a business-minded person in politics, they bring their business acumen to develop the political system, and you will see that the system will be developed. I know Seyi Tinubu will bring his business experience and educational experience into politics, and it will make a difference in Lagos State. That I believe.
So, what efforts or plans do you have to support him in his bid to become the governor of Lagos State?
As they say, Lagos is a no man’s land. Every Nigerian is a Lagosian. We have our people there with voting rights, and we have friends with voting rights in Lagos State. Our role is to mobilise those with voting rights to make sure they queue behind Seyi Tinubu to succeed. That I promise I will do
What are your words to Lagosians?
Yes, I urge all Lagosians to see Seyi Tinubu beyond being the son of the president. Once you do that, you will see the potential of Seyi Tinubu. Therefore, I want Lagosians to be patient, watch Seyi carefully, look at his antecedents, and know what exactly he represents. By so doing, they will know he is the man of the moment to govern Lagos State.
Moving away from Seyi Tinubu, can you give us an overall assessment of President Tinubu’s administration and his performance?
So far, if I want to credit the current administration, it is a distinction because Tinubu’s government has ruled well. You know, the first thing a president has to do in a country that is broke like Nigeria is to begin to repair. The repairs are in phases. You first have to repair policies.
Once you have fixed those policies that are ridiculing this country, then you come to the physical aspects of repair. In the area of repairs, the President is trying. You can see he is putting policies in place to make sure Nigeria works again. It is just that Nigerians have not been briefed properly.
I encourage the presidential media team and other media men within the presidency to do more. It is not just about coming on national TV stations to speak English; you have to take these things to the grassroots.
Those who speak Ijaw and other languages should speak in different dialects to tell the people what the President is doing. It is a lack of information that is disturbing the government and the people. For now, Mr President is doing well, and I know he will do better.
