It is no longer news that the Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, emerged victorious and has been declared the winner of the 2023 Presidential election. This particular victory is spectacular in many respect because it is one of the closest, free, peaceful and transparent Presidential polls ever held in the electoral history of Nigeria.
This hard fought victory wouldn’t have been possible without the contributions of many stakeholders, grassroots supporters, party leaders and members who cannot be mentioned exhaustively here but what is true is that the role the played to make this victory possible cannot be over emphasized.
But today, one of the silent contributors to the Presidential success of Bola Tinubu/Kashim Shettima ticket is undeniably Prince Shuaib Abubakar Audu, the scion of the late Prince Abubakar Audu’s political dynasty.
Exuding infectious passion spiced with the abiding admiration of the person and politics of Bola Tinubu coupled with his leadership acumen, the young SHUAIB saw the Presidential quest of one of his late father’s political friend and mentor as an opportunity to invest in the leadership recruitment process of the country.
He saw the opportunity as one he has to seize with his two hands not because of what he would eventually get for self but in supporting a candidate he feels that represents the renewed hope he has always clamoured for and an opportunity to support both morally and financially a candidate that he feels have all what it takes to entrench in the country a new type of political dispensation where the people matters.
With the final victory of Bola Tinubu in the Presidential election, it is therefore correct for those who have noticed the role and contributions of this young man aspiring for the gubernatorial seat of Kogi state to beat their chest and applaud one of their very own who they feel now have the sense of entitlement for accomplishing a task.
Shuaib Audu blazed the trail in mobilising his people and supporting the candidature of Bola Tinubu with funds channelled toward making his campaign effectively executed.
Shuaib, an executive director with STANBIC IBTC is a young man that realizes so early that many achievers like Tinubu suffers worst privations but in putting up defenses in the scheming to beat the most resourceful but equally ambitious competition and in removing all the seeming surmountable hurdles in their way they need to be supported as this will end up generating a world of ideas and ingenuity that delectably take society to greater heights of achievements and that can be taken as the reason for his supports for the Presidential ambition of the Asiwaju.
Some may want to know which area of support Shuaib Abubakar Audu made in his little way to make this victory of Bola Tinubu possible.The following are some of his intervention that make true his desire to see to the victory of the APC Presidential candidate:
He accepted appointment into the Finance Committee of the APC PCC.
He donated N30 million naira cash to the crowd funding App through Hon. Wale Edun (Director of Finance, PCC).
He was the first person to donate 2 buses to the campaign even before the primaries valued at over N10million.
He donated relief materials to flood victims on behalf of Bola Tinubu valued at over N20million, all by himself.
Shuaib Audu mobilized thousands of Prince Abubakar Audu’s supporters/leaders as well as his own supporters for the Tinubu/Shettima rally in Kogi state on the 08 February 2023 and nationwide valued at over N20million.
He delivered his polling unit, ward, his LGA, his senatorial district, and the state for the Asiwaju.
Printed T-shirts and face caps throughout the campaign cause valued at over N5million.
He built boreholes, schools, provided vocational training and funding for market women etc which endeared Tinubu to the people that enable him effectively sell Tinubu to the electorates of Kogi state valued in excess of N30million.
We can say with all sense of responsibility that Shuaib has spent in excess of N150million supporting the Bola Tinubu/Kashim Shettima Presidential project to the glory of God.
Many may also want to ask why was he so passionate about the Asiwaju becoming the President of the country by being the leading light of contributors from Kogi state even though he is not occupying any political office at the moment?
The reasons are not far fetched or hard to decipher. Even though it is true that he is not occupying any political office at the moment, Shuaib has over the years learnt a lesson from his father that in politics he should put his hands where is hearts are and this has made him carved a niche for himself as one of the very few politician who voluntarily supports cause that are greater than them.
The Presidential project of the Asiwaju, to him, is worth propagating because of his transformative achievements over the years which he feels must be supported by public spirited individuals for the good of society.
Shuaib is not a man motivated to support the Presidential quest of Bola Tinubu so that he can glean any benefit in future because of his supports for him and not one to chicken out from supporting any new blessed causes when the ovation to deafening but he stood still like an Iroko that weathered the storm with the candidate and because of his belief in the Presidential project, the campaign metamorphosed into one of the most formidable and trail blazing campaign ever organised in the country.
Today, many are celebrating the victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu but we should also celebrate the heroes of this victory like Shuaib Abubakar Audu. His nerve and courage stands him out of the pact of supporters of the Asiwaju and because this are the trademarks of his character.
In many ways than one, this risk taking and goal getting politician and banker, philanthropy, and social crusader, epitomises the virtues and qualities that underscores the victory of Bola Tinubu. This is because he never hesitates to plunge when he sees a great potential and this made him to plunge into the Bola Tinubu venture for the good of for all and this made the collective victory possible.
Thanks for your support for Bola Tinubu, the President-elect of our country, Shuaib Abubakar Audu, as history will never forget you because you have come through and though young you already have left and indelible mark in the sands of time by your support for Bola Tinubu.
– Jamila Musa wrote from Abuja.
