You are a product of godfatherism, Bisi Akande tells El-Rufai in subtle defence of Tinubu

A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief Bisi Akande has weighed-in on the rift over comments of ‘godfatherism’ between the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor el-Rufai.

Akande while speaking with the Sun reminded El-Rufai that he is a product of what he is accusing Tinubu of, and also noted that godfatherism was essential for the growth of democracy in Nigeria.

According to Akande, he is not about defending Tinubu or responding to El-Rufai’s statement about defeating godfatherism, but all he is out to do is to defend common sense.

Akande said, “You are free not to join any political party. You are free to contest as an independent candidate. It is fraudulent, however, for you to join and win elections on the platform of a political party and subsequently form another group to override your political parties’ injunctions.

“Your legacy, by so doing, will belong to those of the selfish leadership. Like most learners serve article-ship before qualifying as Accountants; and like most lawyers serve tutelage before being professionally competent, so must a university lecturer seek mentor-ships before rising to professorship.

Read also: NGF: Tinubu expresses confidence in Fayemi

“In the same manner, the lower the hierarchy of a political party member, the more mentorships he required to rise from mere canvasser, to ward organizer, to party officer and to election candidature within his chosen political party.

“It is these political mentor-ships that are being presently euphemistically negated as ‘godfatherism’ by the neo-money politicians struggling to use money to hijack influence from political parties whose ideology they do not care to respect.

“And that was why the Sixth National Assembly ignorantly promulgated the nonsensical theories of ‘internal democracy’ into the Electoral Act of 2010 which now results in big-money politics to the present day Nigeria.

“It is not about defending Tinubu or responding to el-Rufai’s statement about defeating godfatherism, I am defending common sense.

“You just don’t wake up one day and say you want to become a politician; you would need people who are more experienced to mentor you.

“El-Rufai learnt from some mentors, if you want to grow, you must learn”, the APC leader added.

Recall two weeks ago that El-Rufai’s comment on how to end the menace of godfatherism in Lagos politics ruffled feathers and was met with a backlash but the governor insisted he has no apology over his comment that “godfather can be defeated” in Lagos State.

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