Hon Olawale Sobur popularly known as Omititi is a member of the Lagos House of Assembly. In this interview, he revealed why his principal, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu went for the Muslim-Muslim ticket option, enjoy.
What would you advise, sir, as Asiwaju is set to pick his real running mate? Some Christians are clamouring for a Christian vice president while political pundits are saying a Muslim-Muslim ticket is his best option?
Personally, I will advise that he goes for a Muslim-Muslim ticket. Why I say this is because everyone knows politics is a game of numbers and there is no gainsaying the fact that the northern Muslims have the numbers. Whoever truly loves Asiwaju will never advise him to pick a northern Christian and the reason is that out of 19 governors that we have in the north, we have only about three or four that are Christians. Out of about 19 states that we have there, about 17 states are predominantly Muslim states. And history has taught us that if you want to win an election in the north, just go with a religion-based ticket. An average Hausa believes he should root for his Muslim brother. So, we should not toy with the idea of a Muslim-Muslim ticket. My advice to CAN is that if they truly love Asiwaju, they should support him and rally around him. Incidentally, Asiwaju himself is a detribalised person who embraces all religions. He is not a religious bigot. Remember he had lots of Christians in his cabinet when he was governor of Lagos. He doesn’t discriminate, he will never deny the Christians whatever is due to them. Remember, his wife is a Christian.
What’s your take on the Peter Obi support, do you think Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in for a tough contest come 2023?
Peter Obi will not have one hundred percent southern support. He cannot win all the southern states, we will share them with him. And forget about all these noises on social media, Politics is not played online. When it is time to play real politics, all these social media enthusiasts will fizzle out. But for Atiku, that’s the more reason why we should choose a Muslim-Muslim ticket because we are going to make incursions into the south-south where Atiku picked his vice from and we are going to share it. Though Atiku has been in the race for a long time now, and he is very experienced. But PDP’s time has gone. The antecedents of their candidate will come to play. People are wiser now. They will play the religion card but I assure you that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will emerge the winner.
Finally, sir, the last couple of questions are directed at you. You impressed a lot of people with the way you took the outcome of your own primary election. There was no acrimony, you didn’t threaten to take anybody to the tribunal to contest the result, you took it in good faith. Looking back, sir, immediately the results came out, what were the things running through your mind?
Well, left for me, it has happened and I have moved on but that is not to say one cannot look back at what transpired especially before the election day. What really happened was political manoeuvring. The issue of delegates which we never knew would be the determinant factor was what caused the problem. If it were to be mainly about the executives as we were meant to believe would be the case, only God knows what would’ve happened. Eventually, when it was decided it would be delegates, I tried my best. I went all out to show my contenders that I was more superior than them. They were surprised that I that had only 3 delegates was able to get 11 delegates out of the 29 that were accredited. The day before the primary, I saw it coming but as a Muslim, I had to take it like that. When I came into the Assembly, I said Almighty Allah, you are the one that put me here, the day I will go, only you know. Though I had it in mind to use 3 terms, but God knows best. It was a collaboration of many forces against just one single person, but I proved to them that I am much stronger than they know politically. It’s not as if the people of Mushin don’t like OMITITI, the people love me and appreciate me. They know as a legislator, I have gone out of my way to satisfy them. Immediately it happened, I congratulated the winner. People were shocked when I was posting the results, they were asking why and I said I needed to lay a good example to our younger ones. I didn’t see any point in fighting anyone, who will I fight? But I think I sent strong signals to them out there that you can’t rubbish me. I even poached delegates from their side! So, what’s the point fighting over anything, do I know the plans Almighty Allah has for me? I have put everything behind me. I thank you, the media and my teeming supporters, a lot of them were dejected but I have told them we have to move on.
It’s been several weeks since the primary held, how have you been able to galvanize your people and assure them that nothing has changed, that you will still be there for them as you finish your tenure?
No doubt about that, they know I am always there for them, and that I will never forsake them. Every week, we still hold our meetings. I will never forget my committed party members who stood by me. I have assured them repeatedly that I will never abandon them. Thank God I have another office, if I retire from here today, I have a place where I will go. It’s not as if politics is the only thing that I do. Life goes on.
A lot of people who know you very well and who appreciate your worth as a politician and in terms of what you have brought to the table as the Lawmaker representing Mushin constituency II will definitely still want to see you holding your own within the political space even after your tenure is over. How will you assure your people that despite that you’re going back fully to face your businesses, you will still remain an integral figure of Mushin politics?
Like I have been telling my legion of supporters, I am only going on a brief holiday, I will definitely come back. Almighty Allah will give me another opportunity. The way, the how and the manner it will come, I do not know yet, but I know I still have a lot to offer the people. I have committed everything to God, wherever he takes me, I will go. But I will not walk away from politics, I will be back by God’s special grace.
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