By AWA Bamiji

My Leader, like every Birthday Celebration of yours, I am always proud of you listening to various Radio and Television Stations across the States of the Federation celebrating you annually.

I was in my Car this morning, Wednesday, 13th July, 2022, and I realised that Space FM, 90.1, Liberty Road, Ibadan, Oyo State, Odidiomo’s Programme was dedicated to your Birthday Celebration. At the end of it, they started another Programme which they crowned up with a beautiful and ever green music of the Juju Meastro, World Class Musician, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, which goes thus, “Happy Birthday to you o o o…”. I asked myself, how many People in this Country of over 250 million Population will get this kind of regular honour and annual Celebration of Birthday without paying a dime to anyone? You are nothing but an Idol to millions of People across the Globe.

When I was confronting a teeth problem in my geniune efforts towards self actualisation in the field of activism, I was introduced to you by One of my highly respected Leaders and close Sympatizers, who happens to be your reliable follower, trusted Lieutenant and former Minister of Power and Steel Development, Dr Olu Agunloye, and your uncommon leadership role in facilitating my historic meeting with Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as Governor of Lagos State, twice, in 2005 at Oval Building, Governor’s Office, Alausa, Ikeja, and 2006 at Marina Government House, at instance of the latter was not only most timely, but highly strategic in the way you stylishly crushed all human made barriers that existed between both of us.

You took us away from our formal relationship to the next level of informal association, as Mentor, Leader, Talent Hunter; and foot Soldier, Progressive Youth Leader, Rights’ Activist and mass Communicator of all seasons.

We had crossed many Rivers and Valleys and Today, AWA Bamiji, has become a household name in the Nigeria Democracy Struggles. To God be the glory!

Without your timely leadership intervention, I wouldn’t had crossed brain tasking hurdles that were brought my way by my Senior Comrades, Elder Brothers and closet Political associates in the Nigeria Democratic Struggles.

After that fateful Sunday’s night, 23rd December, 2001 gruesome murder of your bosom friend, former Governor of old Oyo State, Ex Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Federation, Chief Ajibola James Idowu Ige, SAN, you took over my mentorship and up till Today, 20 years after Cicero of Esa – Oke demise, you never waver. Eni ti o s’oju, ko da bi Eni se’yin. You identify with him, even in death. This is the epitome of Omoluabi in Yorubaland.

Inadvertently, you had since laid a solid foundation or formidable Youth Structure for the Asiwaju Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation that is now doing wonders Today, because we had since collapsed the Nigeria Youth Structure built over three decades into it while the Wailers are always attacking every move of our Principal and All Progressives’ Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on social media to our advantage.

With Osun, Ekiti 2022, we are just testing our ever dependable Political microphone while warming up big time for the epic battle of 2023 Presidential election.

As we look forward to Presidential electoral victory of our Principal, Philanthropist, Political Strategist, Chartered Accountant and your close friend in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in 2023, we couldn’t do otherwise than to roll out the drums, blow the trumpets to celebrate our triumph over the forces of tyranny and oppression under your leadership. I humbly say many Happy Returns, My Leader, Mentor, Poet, Philosopher, Playwright and father in a million.

Comrade Awa Bamiji is the Publicity and Media Adviser to the Director – General (and former Minister of Communications Barrister Adebayo Shittu) to the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation