From Banana Island to Aso Rock: The facts, The Expectations

With the knowing smile of a school boy getting it right, and the wizmind of a law professor, it is easy for the vice president of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, to wow the staunchest of critics.

Banana Island is a small patch of sand-filled banana shaped artificial island along the waterside of Ikoyi, 8.6km east of Tafawa Balewa square , Lagos state. Home to the super rich like Mike Adenuga of Glo mobile, our findings revealed that apartments on this island are as beautiful and pricey as it comes, as expensive as N 38m for a 3 bedroom luxury apartment.

Very-very few churches could afford to preach the gospel on this sacred island, among them is province 48, olive tree parish of the Redeem Christian Church of God. Pastor Yemi Osibanjo, Nigeria’s current vice president served as the senior pastor of this parish until May 29th 2015 when he received the baton to serve his country.

Popularly referred as ‘Prof’ by close associates and protégés, Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo , a professor of law and a senior pastor of the Redeem Christian Church of God, Nigeria’s largest religious denomination, was relatively unknown in his country’s national politics before his election as the no 2 man of the world most powerful black nation.

Not the everyday type politician, Osinbajo’s emergence as Muhamadu Buhari ‘s  running mate in the march 28 general election, was in itself a major political upset scored against well entrenched figures of the All progressive Congress Party. Consequently, a wide section of the Nigerian public believed that the vice- president emerged through the scheming influence of his political godfather, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the national leader of the All Progressive Congress.

Insiders at the Party headquarter in Ogba hinted that the choice of Osibanjo was a bitter pill to swallow for some bigwigs in the party, but personal ambition was buried to ensure the big picture is sustained. Among the APC party elites, it was common consonance that the clergyman turned politician came to the bargaining table with much more than the eyes can ignore, assets which the APC leadership could have disregarded to their own peril.

A STOOGE OR THE RIGHT TOOL?
Regarded among the most brilliant minds in the legal profession, professor Osibanjo, a political strategist per excellence, public law specialists and a senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN, is a man you don’t want to play against on the brain-board game.

Contrary to widely held speculations that the Prof jumped on the APC moving train that was almost at its destination, Yemi Osinbajo have always been there behind the scene, from the conception of ‘APC’ to the delivery. At the consummation of the union that gave birth to the party in 2013, Osibanjo was tasked by the APC leadership, alongside other egg-heads, to design the popular ‘Change Manifesto’ which form the bedrock of the party’s endearing success at the presidential campaign. Being a practical welfarist with decades of interaction with the plight of the common man both as a clergy and as a former commissioner for justice in Nigeria’s most populous city, it was easy for Osinbajo and his team to articulate and concretize the need of the Nigerian people.

It is therefore true that very few persons could have done more justice to the implementation of APC’s change agenda, better than a man who was at the table when it was conceived.
To the critics who never could understand why a man of God of his repute will choose to abandon the pulpit to serve his country as the vice president; Osinbajo replied that one of the most important contributions that any person can make to a society is public service. He said that taking the decision to accept the offer didn’t require much reflection because he had always believed the most effective way of making maximum impact on the wellbeing of the society is through public service.

According to close associates of the clergyman who spoke to Lekki People magazine, Prof is the kind of man you have as a deputy and you are sure he’s got your back. Humble and down to earth, yet stoic in pursuit of set objectives.

Nonetheless, one thing is certain from the masses of Nigeria. They expect to see and to feel the impact of the CHANGE as promised by the All Progressive Congress and anything short will reflect on a carefully packaged resume of the much-loved Professor.