A GIFT OF THE GODS

 A GIFT OF THE GODS:

WHY TINUBU’S CHARISMA IS EXTRAORDINARY, MYSTICAL

By Ajiroba Yemi Kotun 

LONG POST ALERT

“The reason we are successful, darling? My overall charisma, of course.” – Freddie Mercury

CHARISMA’s untouchability draws people to a man’s camp, to his influence, to his leadership. Charisma is a precious energy, an unseen drive through evident outcomes. It is seduction on a bulk level, the power to sway without reason. American author Roger Dawson, 83, portrayed this fact aptly in his 2008 book, “Secrets of Power: Persuasion for Salespeople…”, page 219, that “Charisma is the intangible that makes people want to follow you, to be around you, to be influenced by you.” A Charismatic of no mean height, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, 71, GCFR, the 16th President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is extraordinarily exciting droves of our believing people to gladly fall in love with him, nail their colors to his mast, and submit to their being led by him competently. In his 1923 book, “Essays In Sociology”, 514 pages, as edited by German sociologist Hans Gerth (1908-1979) and American sociologist C. Wright Mills (1916-1962), Max Weber (1864-1920), a German sociologist and political economist, contributed fittingly that, “Charisma shall be understood to refer to an extraordinary quality of a person, regardless of whether this quality is actual, alleged, or presumed. ‘Charismatic authority’, hence shall refer to a rule over men, whether predominantly external or predominantly internal, to which the governed submit because of their belief in the extraordinary quality of the specific person.” For the charming Jagaban Borgu, who is no doubt enriched with a great personality and must “believe in divine guidance, divine power, and divine prophecy” to be able to accurately prophesy his own emergence as the country’s next president even before becoming his party's candidate in 2022, insisting clearly and persuasively: “Ẹ gbé kiní yìí wá, Èmi-ló-kàn” [Bring the presidency, it is my turn] in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the progression of attracting the people’s love is guileless, even artless. The audience applauded thunderously then. A charmer in the magical sense of the word, City Boy simply got what he craved with that extraordinary masterstroke. Backing this up, French philosopher Albert Camus (1913-1960), who received the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at 44 to become its second-youngest recipient ever, marked pertinently “You know what charm is: a way of getting the answer ‘Yes’ without having asked any clear question.” Also, French sociologist Gustave Tarde (1834-1904), the author L’Opinion et la Foule (French Edition), 224 pages, is quoted in the 1981 harcover, “The Age of the Crowd: A Historical Treatise On Mass Psychology”, 415 pages, by French social psychologist Serge Moscovici (1925-2014) as saying, “A speech that carries its audience along with it and is applauded is often less suggestive simply because it is clear that it sets out to be persuasive.” As well, American political scientist Eugene Victor Wolfenstein (1940-2010) appropriately quoted Malcom X (1925-1965), an American Muslim minister, human rights activist and, until 1964, a spokesman for the “Nation of Islam”, in his 1981 paperback, “The Victims of Democracy: Malcom X and the Black Revolution”, 422 pages, as saying “I do not pretend to be a divine man, but I do believe in divine guidance, divine power, and divine prophecy.” A lovable showman, Tinubu’s progression trails a route akin to that of a personalized seduction. Truly, a great politician revels in great charisma, great showmanship. As such, Lukas Foss (1922-2009), a German-American composer, pianist, and conductor who always upheld the essentiality of personality in his books as something extant “in every work of art”, also once illuminated that “When someone walks on stage for a performance and has charisma, everyone is convinced that he has personality. I find that charisma is merely a form of showmanship. Movie stars usually have it. A politician has to have it.” Tinubu does, and largely too. Like other Charismatics found elsewhere such as Maximillien Robespierre (1758-1794), Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924), Mao Zedong (1893-1976) aka “Chairman Mao”, and even Obafemi Awolowo (1909-1987), here at home, etc., City Boy, with a gifted magnetic personality, undoubtedly possesses positive merits or potentials that are strongly appealing enough to make him likable, stand out, and endure. This is owed to his self-believe, his composure, his boldness, while never forgetting to keep the foundation of these abilities mysterious. Remember, the world loves a mystery (Read “The Bounce Expression: How Tinubu Absorbed All the Shocks” of 13/03/2023 by this writer). At the same time, he maintains sealed lips about where his poise or ease springs from, yet everyone can feel it because it exudes visibly, lacking the look of mindful exertion. American writer Cormac McCarthy, 89, wrote aptly in one of his twelve novels, “Your heart’s desire is to be told some mystery. The mystery is that there is no mystery.”

Real quality is hardly ever found in good arguments and an implying look. But, Asiwaju’s look is typically vibrant, bursting with drive, aspiration, vigilance – the mien of a trailblazer, and to be exact – an immediately likeable one, even if nebulously physical. He knows people thankfully follow such a leader because they like to be led, like stars happily agreeing to the moon’s leadership. They want to be steered mostly by someone who promises adventure or prosperity as encapsulated in his “Renewed Hope” manifesto. They opportunely lose themselves in the cause, and come to be passionately committed to him, feel a lot more animated by trusting in him, trust that lacks reservation – they simply fall in love with the Lion leading them – After all, “all progress is just an illusion”. Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the founder of psychanalysis whom Adolf Hitler’s 1938 invasion of Austria forced to seek asylum in London where he died the following year, provided aptly in the posthumous 1953 book, “The Standard Edition of the Completed Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud Volume 18: Beyond the Pleasure Principle-Group & Other Works”, 295 pages, that “[The masses] have never thirsted after the truth. They demand illusions, and cannot do without them”. President Tinubu appreciates this fact, and even that charisma flourishes on bottled-up physicality, producing an inspiring responsibility. Nonetheless, he discerns that the roots of the term are not found in physicality but in conviction, belief, faith, or even religion, which continues to be intensely entrenched in contemporary charisma, and which one of his rivals, who did more swaggering and less genuine charisma, used cunningly to mislead the people, especially, young Nigerians, and fouling his own nest by transforming the churches into much needed “political structures” (like he did to become Anambra State governor) to salvage his ambition to rule Nigeria. Thus, he baffled, misled, and surprised even his contenders, cornering some of their expected votes, but to no avail eventually.

Belief is a prudent risk that helps keep your dream alive. Turn it to a bottomless conviction and watch possibilities take over. The former Governor of Lagos State (1999-2007) recognizes that people believed in gods and spirits in centuries past. And that, only a small number of such people could even claim that they had seen or beheld a miracle, a physical parade of godlike clout, in their lifetime. Conversely, he probably finds it interesting that a cleric, pastor, or prophet (of course, not these mercenaries, masquerading as 'men of God' and littering the whole land with fake prophecies everyday), who may have grown importantly powerful over the rest or the others, appearing influenced by a godly chi of blissful euphoria or paroxysms of delight, the face of powerful revelations, “demonstrated with healing, speaking in tongues and other signs and wonders” (as American novelist Dan Wakefield, 91, author of the 1970 book, “Going All the Way”, 308 pages, put it), would be so prominent like somebody whom the gods had chosen. He knows this is similar to what made the Israelites believe in Moses [Musa], follow him out of the land of the river Nile, Egypt, and became enduringly faithful to him notwithstanding their unending “wandering in the desert” <Refers to Exodus 14-27, Old Testament>. Thereby, Asiwaju may have correctly calculated that the things that provided Moses the presence of being openly connected to God were his eye-expression, his stirred and stirring arguments, his mythically shining face, as he descended from the Mount Sinai – his authority must have derived from these. He gracefully adopted them, too, as witnessed when he alighted, each time, from his aircraft on returning to the country. They were what the Greek intended as “charisma”, speaking of prophets and of Christ, himself. Initially, believers of the Christian faith saw charisma as a gift or capacity bestowed by the grace of God that reveals His presence. According to Marianne Williamson, 70, an American author, lecturer, and a progressive Democrat seeking to challenge the incumbent President Joe Biden as a candidate at the Democratic Party convention for the 2024 presidential election, Williamson, with six “New York Times” bestsellers to her credit, discussed letting go, religious love, etc, in her 1992 book, “A Woman’s Worth”, 160 pages, talking forcefully and convincingly “to a generation in need of healing, and in search of harmony”, like Nigeria right now, saying “Charisma was originally a religious term, meaning “of the spirit” or “inspired”. It’s about letting God’s light shine through us. It’s about a sparkle in people that money can’t buy. It’s an invisible energy with visible effects.” American strategy author Robert Greene, 63, also noted suitably on page 91 of his 2001 book, “The Art of Seduction”, 468 pages, that “Most of the great religious prophets were founded by a Charismatic, a person who physically displayed the signs of God’s favor” – A Charismatic like President Bola Tinubu, who co-founded his winning party, the APC, and seems to be completely soaked in His favor presently without making any such claim, himself. But, for getting involved, this revelation is persistently lost on many who claim that they serve Him, and will, perhaps, remain so until they finally come to terms with themselves and decide what they truly are – patriots or mercenaries <Refers to a quotation from the “Yes, Daddy” leaked audio tape – “If this thing works, you people will never regret it”. Also denotes to an excerpt on page 99 of the 1973 novel, though originally published in 1959, “The Salamander”, by Australian writer Morris West (1916-1999)>. Lo and behold, God's "My ways are not your ways" had definitely sounded Greek to them.

Balance doesn’t come overnight. It takes a while to get there. With time, the world has since turned out to be more lucid and balanced. Now, people gain power for the reason that they have proved their competence, have formed the right alliances, and have won votes across boards, or were victorious at elections, “not by divine right” anymore, as of old. It’s called “Democracy”, and no campaigns are allowed after an election. Our ‘god of men’, who are misrepresenting the true God unrelentingly and heating up the polity without a care, should stop and have a rethink. Those who think they are younger, more patriotic, and are better qualified to govern the country should halt their charades because all have not only come short before Him, but that the majesty of the people’s will has been expressed for President Tinubu and has been respected with his inauguration on Monday, May 29, thus bringing down the curtain on the Muhammadu Buhari presidency (2015-2023). English Catholic historian and politician John Emerich Dalberg-Acton (1834-1902), well-known as Lord Acton and frequently called a historian of liberty, once wrote that “the danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern.” In “Power Tends to Corrupt: Lord Acton’s Study of Liberty”, 304 pages, Professor Christopher Lazarski even quoted the 1st Baron Acton in the 2012 publication as saying, “Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority”. So, where are the saints? Where are the truthers? Where are the pretenders? Where are the doubters? Renowned as one of the fathers of sociology, alongside Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Emile Durkheim (1815-1917), Weber rather observed that even with the world’s assumed growth or progress, Charismatics, like the preferred Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly overflowed. As he put it, the look of an extraordinary worth in their character, an indication or insignia comparable to God’s favor, was what actually branded a contemporary Charismatic. Otherwise, how else does one begin to describe the power of a Jagaban Borgu, whose attentive emotions are very charismatic and whose prophetic tag [Emi-lo-kan] gave people his attention, or a Robespierre, who had to take the reins and fix his emotions to lead people with charm (well, until his fatal end, losing his head to the bin), or a Lenin, who constantly variegated a bit of mystery with everything to stimulate admiration? Greene interjected aptly, ibid, “More than anything it was the force of their magnetic personalities that made these men stand out and was the source of their power. They did not speak of God but of a great cause, visions of a future society.” Concerning character, men, and attention, American author Rich Wilkerson Jr., 39, the founder of Peacemakers and Senior Pastor of Trinity Church in Miami, Florida, also affirmed the preceding in his 2019 paperback, “I Choose Honor: The Key to Relationships, Faith, and Life”, 224 pages, that “Charisma gets the attention of man and character gets the attention of God.” It can only be Him at work. Like these other Charismatics, Asiwaju, more particularly like American philosopher, author and freelance writer Robert Breault, 74, a contributor of over fifty years to many American magazines and newspapers, understands charisma as getting others to like themselves in his presence and not necessarily getting them to like him. As such, the first Nigerian president to have been a Senator and Governor promotes charm’s most important quality which is being able to connect with his audiences. His appeal is responsive, emotive, supportive; he seems obsessed, making them to respond as joyfully and victoriously toward him as audiences before now had to a prophet or diviner anywhere. Truly, life finds empathy in obsession. Little wonder, this is just like the obsession formed around Awolowo’s reminiscence when he died on May 9, 1987, similar to the fad that had earlier molded round Napoleon’s recall at his passing on May 5, 1821, had surrounded Lenin’s recollection at his death on January 21, 1924, had circled Gandhi’s memory at his expiry on January 30, 1948, and had crowded around Chairman Mao’s remembrance when he turned up his toes on September 9, 1976, etc., promptly launching each and every one of these leaders to idols. American author Seth Godin’s corroboration of these visible launchings is unmistakable. The 62 years old author of 20 international bestsellers wrote, “Being a leader gives you charisma. If you look and study the leaders who have succeeded, that’s where charisma comes from, from the leading.”

A true friend brings support when others deny you same. In his submission, Greene wrote in support of Foss, ibid, that, “Today, anyone who has presence, who attracts attention when he or she enters a room, is said to possess charisma. But, even these less-exalted types reveal a trace of the quality suggested by the word’s original meaning.” Like these ones, supportively, this is why President Tinubu’s charisma is extraordinary, mystical, profound, and by no means clear. He enjoys an uncommon confidence, “an ability which makes one the object of intense attention and unreflective imitation by others” – in the words of Liah Greenfield, 69, an Israeli-American-Jewish scholar and author of the 1992 book, “Nationalism: Five Roads to Modernity”, 596 pages. City Boy glows with an inner excellence that has a stability or thorough advantage to it. His eyes sparks with a prophet’s passion. His charisma looks natural, and may have originated from something mysteriously outside his switch, like “a gift of the gods”, like craving a religious experience. The Lion of Bur Dillon, who did not forget the religious source of winning power when trying to pick his running mate, then Senator Kashim shettima, a fellow Muslim, is blessed with an unequalled gift – boldness, courage, nerve, which stands him out from the crowd. The ‘007’ of Nigerian politics [as his inauguration on May 29, 2023 marked the 7th consecutive democratic transfer of power since the country returned to civil rule in 1999], he articulates an idea, a vision, a prophecy. Many, who chose not to fathom it earlier, are now appreciating the attendance of a kind of religious experience, for and against, in the 2023 presidential election. Not for anything else, but to secure victory against all odds – an effect of his charisma, which till now seems extraordinary and mystical. He declared in his inaugural speech that, “My victory does not elevate me above the Nigerian people nor does it diminish the patriotism of my opponents.” What could be more seductive than offering people something to trust in and follow? This is why he has dropped whatever he was doing to take charge, lead with charisma, and direct his emotions to propel the country to greatness once again! And, according to American strategist and Forbes contributor Terina Allen, 45, author of “Turning Strategic Intentions into Reality” and “What Leadership Needs Is to Know About Followership”, “Happiness is what occurs when you take charge…” in times of crisis! Closing, the new president told his fellow country men and women bigheartedly, “…don’t pity me. I asked for the job. I campaigned for it. No excuses. I will live up to expectation, I promise you.” Wow, I happily congratulate you both, Your Excellencies! Our Excellencies!!

End!