5 LAWS OF POWER THAT THE INCUMBENT GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE (AKINWUNMI AMBODE) FAILED TO USE AS A GOVERNOR by OKESOLA OLUWASEGUN TIWALADE:

INTRODUCTION:

I am a voracious reader and researcher. I was a unionist as an undergraduate and I'm definitely learning the ropes in Politics now and I'm always willing to learn everyday from my leaders and followers. My desire to always read brought me across the book "48 LAWS OF POWER" which I wish I had read when I was an undergraduate at my alma mater-TASUED.

I will use just 5 out of the 48 Laws of Power to exemplify the mistakes made by the incumbent governor of Lagos State-Akinwunmi Ambode and they are highlighted and explained below:

(1)LAW 1- NEVER OUTSHINE THE MASTER
Always make those above you (leaders) feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please or impress them, do not go too far in displaying your full talents or you might accomplish the opposite. Make your masters appear more brilliant than you are and you will attain the height of power.

Illustration:
When I was an undergraduate at TASUED, I had a leader who is still my leader (STAINLESS). People talk about him in good and bad ways but you will never see me condemn my leader in public, rather I'll face him physically in a polite way to tell him he was right or wrong in a way that won't be offensive. This is not because I fear him but I respect him and I will always do. If Ambode had respected Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the mandate group and other party leaders enough, he won't be facing what he is facing today. Never outshine your master.


(2)LAW 7- GET OTHERS TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU BUT ALWAYS TAKE THE CREDIT:
Use the wisdom, knowledge and legwork of other people to further your cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a good like aura of efficiency and speed. In the end, your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered.

Illustration:
Ambode shouldn't have scrapped LAWMA which is a body in charge of waste management in Lagos by replacing them with Visionscape (a foreign company I guess). Lawma was a government agency in Lagos that employed over 60,000 Lagosians and Nigerians and they were made unemployed by Ambode. The women I've seen who worked with Lawma in my area are always causing him that he took food from their mouth that God will take food from his mouth. Really sad! Today, Lagos is dirtier under Ambode's administration than under the administration of his predecessor (Fashola). If Lagos is clean today, nobody will remember the Lawma officials but they will remember Ambode. Get others to do the work for you but always take the credit.

(3)LAW 19- KNOW WHO YOU ARE DEALING WITH AND DON'T OFFEND THE WRONG PERSON:
There are many different kinds of people in the world and you can never assume that everyone will react to your strategies in the same way. Deceive or outmaneuver some people and they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. They are wolves in lamb's clothing. Choose your victims and opponents carefully-never offend or deceive the wrong person.

Illustration:
Ambode didn't know who (Tinubu, mandate group and party leaders) he was dealing with very well. If not, he wouldn't have offended them. Godfatherism can never end in Nigeria politics and there are some people who are leading leaders. If you respect them, you will progress but if you don't you will retrogress. Ambode has offended the wrong people and he is facing the consequences of his mistakes. People hurl insults on Tinubu today and I laugh because this same man was the man who appointed Ambode as the Chief Accountant General or so in Lagos state in his regime and also stood by him when others didn't want him as a governor then, even Babatunde Fashola wanted Femi Hazat as the governor but Jagaban stood by him. Ambode has offended the wrong people and I hope they forgive him. Tinubu's write up few days ago showed that Ambode deviated from the original blueprint of governance in Lagos state as a Progressive which he followed and his successor and Ambode's predecessor (Babatunde Raji Fashola) followed. Know who you're dealing with and don't offend the wrong people.


(4)LAW 24- PLAY THE PERFECT COURTIER:
The perfect courtier thrives in a world where everything revolves around power and political dexterity. Master the art of indirection, flattering and yield to superior and assert power over others in the most graceful manner. Learn to apply the law of courtier-ship and there will be no limit to how far you can rise in the court.

Illustration:
Ambode didn't have a good rapport with his party leaders, central executive council, and even lawmakers in his party (APC) in almost 4 years of his administration and that is very bad from a sitting governor. If he had, I believe some party leaders would have been pleading on his behalf. This law made me remember a lecturer in my department as an undergraduate at Tasued- Mr SOLUADE Z.O. This man is the Jagaban of my department-Social Studies unit of Sociological Studies Department but we were not always on good terms and he once promised me in the class in front of all my departmental mates to fix a class for all levels (100-400L) in my department on the day of my election as SUG PRESIDENT of TASUED so they won't vote for me then but I didn't take that comment serious until the day of my election when I observed that a lot of students from my department (SOS 100-400L) didn't come out to vote for me, maybe because of what he has said and I lost that election, coming 2nd out of 8 aspirants but believe me if Mr SOLUADE had supported me fully in that election, I might win that election and my opponent who came first wouldn't have even defeated me in my college with 2 votes. I didn't play a perfect courtier then. Ambode didn't do the same too now as a governor that wants to return. Play a perfect courtier.

(5)LAW- WORK ON THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF OTHERS:
Coercion creates a reaction that will eventually work against you. You must seduce others into wanting to move in your direction. A person you have seduced becomes your loyal pawn and the way to seduce others is to operate on their individual psychologies and weaknesses. Ignore the hearts and minds of others and they will grow to hate you.

Illustration:
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode failed to work on the hearts and minds of the party leaders, the mandate group and Jagaban Asiwasju Bola Ahmed Tinubu just like I failed to work on the heart and mind of my lecturer who was the Jagaban of my department when I was contesting as the SUG PRESIDENT in my alma mater-TASUED then. Before you condemn Tinubu, ask yourselves this question: Which of his contemporary is still relevant or has built a loyal dynasty of loyalists since the 90's till date? None! He has worked over the years to build a formidable loyalists and they will dance to his tune when he needs them. If he says it's BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU, nothing will change that from coming to reality except GOD intervenes and touch the hearts of the party leaders, mandate group and Tinubu himself. Ambode should learn to work on the hearts and minds of others just like any politician should learn.

CONCLUSION:
I wish Governor AKINWUNMI AMBODE the very best in the APC Gubernatorial Primary Election today and I hope he comes out victorious despite the odds against him. I wish and pray the party leaders would forgive him and give him a chance to correct his mistakes because he has achieved a lot too despite his flaws which are not much but dangerous. Omode o kin no eko je koma ra lowo (a child doesn't know how to eat corn meal without staining his hands). I also want to use this medium to implore those who want to venture into politics to read the book "48 LAWS OF POWER" because that book says a lot about the needed veritable tools to conquer in the political sphere.

Reference:
48 Laws of Power by Professor Robert Greene

Written by:
OKESOLA OLUWASEGUN TIWALADE
(SETIOK)
Mobile Contact: 08100704016 or 09080267844
E-mail: Okesolaoluwasegun3@gmail.com
A POSITIVE MINDED AND PROGRESSIVE YOUTH

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