ALL THE BROUHAHA ABOUT THE “EMI-LOKAN” PHENOMENON By Dr. Ajibola A. Banire
By Trek Africa Newspaper
Presidential Candidate, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Do you know the feedback we get whenever we (Future36 Polls) ask, what do you think is Nigeria’s biggest problem? Yes, opinion polls upon opinion polls reveal that Leadership, Leadership, and Leadership is what you tell us is the biggest issue facing Nigeria today. Nine out of ten respondents say they want competent and visionary leaders. These Nigerians, including you and I, want capable and visionary leaders because we understand that everything rises and falls on leadership. Leadership is in everything and everywhere!
When asked what they expect from such leaders, that is, their expectations of such leaders and government, they said they desire adequate security. They want the opportunity to tuck their children in at night and sleep with their two eyes closed; they want the opportunity to travel from Lagos to Kano and Anambra to Katsina without the fear of bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists. They want to feel safe when in transit or on their farms. They want quality and affordable healthcare; uninterrupted power supply; good roads; potable water; and leaders that will allow them to live in decency and dignity. These and other concerns are some of the people’s expectations of their government and leaders.
In 43 days, Nigerians will troop out in their numbers to perform the ever-important civic duty of choosing the next president. They will go to their polling units to elect who will lead us for the next four years. They will decide who amongst the frontline candidates vying for the highest office of the land has the best leadership attributes to lead our country, Nigeria. As a leadership scholar, my role in this article is to shed some light on the “Emi Lokan” phenomenon and the candidate with the best leadership skills to lead Nigeria for the next four and, probably the next eight years.
Politics was never part of my plan upon the completion of my doctorate in the United States. I envisaged a life dedicated to research, teaching, and giving back to society some of the skills I have acquired and will continue to acquire because it becomes vanity when no one can benefit from all the experience and knowledge I have acquired. I quickly rose to become an adjunct professor of leadership and management after graduation but decided to relocate back to Nigeria a few weeks later. I had the option to stay back in the US but chose not to be part of the “brain-drain’ but, to be a “brain-gain” to my country, Nigeria, to borrow the words of my brother and friend, distinguished Professor Yemi Oke of the University of Lagos and member, policy, research & strategy, Presidential Campaign Council of APC. I chose to “Japa-da” instead of being part of the “Japa” phenomenon. 
I imagined that if I were to participate in politics at all, it would be as a technocrat—someone who objectively informed politicians about what worked and what does not. And, the majority of my writings and posts in the past are very apolitical. Talent acquisition and development, employee and organizational development, leadership, management, scenario planning, system thinking and design, predictive analytics, people and talent analytics, etc., make up the majority of the list. These articles and posts are not only apolitical; most of them are not even concerned with public policy. Instead, they represent efforts on how Nigeria and the world ought to function.
However, I have realized that everything in Nigeria is political hence my wanting to lend credence and validation to the intentional usage of the phrase “Emi Lokan” at the onset of the ongoing campaign season by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. As a leadership scholar, the phrase “Emi Lokan” is not out of place but a display of ignorance by the people making a mountain out of a molehill. It is something out of nothing!
There are five (5) key attributes (sense of calling/purpose, communication, creativity, generosity, and consistency) of a visionary leader. A candidate’s sense of calling/purpose is the most significant attribute of all the leadership attributes. Sense of calling/purpose is when a leader perceives a role/job as his purpose in life. A leader must have a shared sense of calling or purpose and the willingness to take a risk for the benefit of society. This attribute is how leaders discover their “true North.”
An objective analysis of three leading presidential candidates shows that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the first and only candidate that has so far displayed a strong sense of calling/purpose by offering his skills, talent, and competence to serve. He further displays this sense of purpose by saying, “Emi Lokan” meaning, here, I am offering myself for service to Nigeria and humanity. Leadership is Asiwaju’s vocation, and talent is his calling. *According to Samuel Johnson, “Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities he does not possess.”* This quote by Samuel Johnson summed up Peter Obi’s and Atiku Abubakar’s status in the presidential race. They neither possess the skills necessary to lead nor the vision to articulate.
Several opinion polls and comparative analyses of the three (3) frontline presidential candidates show that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu embodies the best leadership qualities our country has to offer at this time. He understands the ideal of service, community, and faith because those ideals define his life. With over four decades of service to this country, from his role during the NADECO years to his service as Governor of Lagos State, we have seen him make tough choices when easier ones are available.
Asiwaju possesses other key leadership attributes, such as ability, benevolence, and integrity, which are critical to be considered trustworthy. He possesses interpersonal and technical skills that make followers believe and depend on him because he treats them as “full human beings.” He has the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians at heart, even if our interest does not align with his. A supporting and caring attitude creates a greater emotional bond between Asiwaju and his followers. His words and actions are always consistently considered truthful and honest.
Asiwaju believes in a Nigeria where everyone will live in dignity. A Nigeria where no one goes to sleep hungry; where we can tuck our children in at night and sleep with our two eyes closed; One where fairness and justice reign; where Hausa, Yoruba, and Ibo see each other as brothers and sisters, not enemies. As a leadership scholar, I know a bad leader when I see one. I know bad leaders that occupy good positions in government, and I know good leaders that are not in any position at all. I know the qualities of an effective leader, and I know a visionary when I see one. That visionary leader is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Come the 25th of February, 2023 (43 days from today), let us all come out en masse to vote for the man who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. Let us vote for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
God bless you all!
Written by:
Dr. Ajibola A. Banire FIMC, CMC (USA)
(Scholar, Political Player, and Management Consultant)
Director, P2P Division of the Directorate of Mobilization
Lagos State APC Campaign Council
