By Ayuba Tanimu, Abuja

The Director-General of the APC Youth Network West Africa, Hon. Olatunde Gideon Igbasan, has faulted Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s description of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “Emi l’okan” declaration as “despotism.”

Aregbesola, a former Minister of Interior and National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had interpreted the 2022 declaration as suggesting a belief in a “divine right” to political power.

But Igbasan said the interpretation ignored the political circumstances surrounding the statement.

https://voxnews.com.ng/betta-edu-hails-oluremi-tinubus-women-empowerment-drive-says-tinubu-will-win-in-2027/

Igbasan: Tinubu Was a Presidential Aspirant

According to Igbasan, Tinubu made the declaration while seeking the support of APC delegates during the party’s presidential primary process in 2022.

He stressed that Tinubu was not president at the time and was not issuing a command to Nigerians.

“He was a presidential aspirant standing before APC delegates in Abeokuta, making his political case and asking for the opportunity to lead,” Igbasan said.

He argued that the subsequent electoral process demonstrated that Tinubu’s statement did not eliminate democratic choice.

Tinubu faced several other aspirants during the APC presidential primary and emerged as the party’s flag bearer after securing 1,271 votes.

‘Where Was the Divine Right?’

Igbasan challenged Aregbesola to explain how a declaration of supposed divine political authority could coexist with a competitive party primary.

“If ‘Emi l’okan’ was a declaration of divine authority, why did Tinubu have to go before delegates and ask them to choose him?” he asked.

He also questioned why delegates had the option to vote for other aspirants and why Tinubu had to secure a majority of the votes to obtain the party’s ticket.

For Igbasan, those facts point to political competition rather than political absolutism.

Political Ambition Does Not Equal Despotism

The APC youth leader said the phrase “Emi l’okan,” which translates roughly to “It is my turn,” should be understood as a statement of political ambition.

He said Tinubu was essentially making the case that after years of political service and contributions to the party, he believed it was his turn to seek the presidency.

Igbasan said such expressions were common in democratic politics.

“Every aspirant who says ‘Give me the opportunity to serve’ is expressing ambition. Every candidate who says ‘It is my turn’ is expressing confidence. Neither statement automatically becomes despotism,” he said.

Igbasan Calls for Context

Igbasan acknowledged Aregbesola’s right to criticise Tinubu and his administration, describing such criticism as part of democratic politics.

However, he urged politicians to ensure that historical statements were interpreted within their original context.

He recalled that Tinubu’s campaign organisation had previously argued that the 2022 Abeokuta remarks were being interpreted without sufficient context.

Igbasan said Tinubu had also explained that he was recounting the history of the party while responding to attacks against him.

https://guardian.ng/opinion/editorial/affordable-transportation-time-for-govt-to-get-serious/

‘The Ballot Answered the Slogan’

According to Igbasan, Tinubu’s political journey from APC presidential aspirant to presidential candidate and eventually President of Nigeria passed through competitive political and electoral processes.

He said the existence of those processes made it difficult to sustain the argument that “Emi l’okan” was a declaration of political dictatorship.

“‘Emi l’okan’ was political ambition. It was not a coronation oath,” he said.

Igbasan concluded that political ambition should not be confused with a desire to establish political absolutism.

“A request for a turn is not a claim to a throne,” he added.