by Moses Oludele Idowu
Most people won’t remember what I am about to say and they can be forgiven for it. Many old people would have forgotten this story because this event occured late in the Second Republic, more than 43 years ago; and the youths won’t even know it because they have not been born. It is what I called the Jakande Test.
What was the Jakande Test?
In the heat of the campaign towards the gubernatorial elections of 1983 in Lagos State the State Governor, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande who was also gunning for re-election threw a challenge to his challenger, the Opposition candidate – a challenge that he could not accept. Jakande was running on the flag of the very progressive, Awo’- led Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and the Opposition candidate Shikiru Shitta- Bey ( not too sure of this name or spelling) was running on the ticket of the conservative, the very retrogressive National Party of Nigeria (NPN). The capital of Nigeria at this time was still in Lagos.
Here was the challenge that Jakande threw to his opponent: He would leave his security details behind and all his aides, his opponent should do likewise and the two of them should take a walk through the streets of Lagos unescorted and then watch who the people would hail and who they would boo or stone.
Did you get that? Can you fathom the implications of that challenge?
A sitting governor was daring his own challenger, meeting him on his own terms and ground, that he was ready to come down to his level. He was ready to deprive himself of the security that the Constitution and the State afforded him and take a walk through the streets of Lagos, a city known for its combustiveness and spontaneity with his challenger among the people that both of them aspired to lead. Then he asked his challenger to watch who the people would hail and who they would boo and stone.
That was the challenge, what I called the Jakande Test. The Opposition candidate of the NPN could not accept the challenge and it was called off. He dared not for his own good.
That to me is the glory of Jakande and of his unblemished service and even of the party he represented. It is equally significant that the military government despite all their investigations after takeover had nothing against him and was forced to free him at last. I still remember Tai Solarin’s blistering attack against the military in an article titled – ‘LKJ and the Mosquitoes’ – urging the military to free him and the very reason he was arrested and detained by that Buhari junta for months.
Today, no Nigerian politician can take that test or throw that challenge. None of the pretenders who have sat on Jakande’s seat or throne since 1999 can take the test – from the godfather himself in Bourdillon to his successive sons. The man in Bourdillon cannot take even a walk from Milverton street to Bourdillon – a short distance – unescorted and even now cannot walk on the street of Lugbe or Jabi Park or even the elite- dominated streets of Maitama or Asokoro in Abuja without escorts or soldiers.
The present occupants of Jakande’s seat in Lagos also called themselves “progressives” but none of them can take the Jakande Test. Neither Raji Fashola, nor Akinwumi Ambode – that cocky, arrogant fellow whose brashness offended even his colleagues – nor the present pretender to progressivism, Babajide Sanwo-Olu can take a walk on the streets of Amuwo- Odofin today unescorted.
Something is not right when a man cannot walk freely among the people he claims to serve. If you have really served you won’t need to worry about security; the people themselves will be your security. Because no one harms the person serving him, no one harms a good servant, he protects him. And Jakande knew he had served his people and the people knew he served them. It was the challenger who should be afraid not him. And he was. The challenge was called off because the Opposition candidate feared for his life.
This was the multi-ethnic Lagos of the 1980’s that was also the capital city and where the Opposition party was the ruling government at the federal level.
This brings me to the next point in this essay: the meaning of real blessing and power or prosperity. Oftentimes what we called power is not real power. What we ascribe as prosperity or blessing are not so. It is unfortunate that even the votaries of religion have misled the people along this line.
What is power, real power? It is influence unsolicited, security that you did not pay for ensured by the people themselves BECAUSE OF WHO YOU ARE.
It is generating influence and support without payment or force or coercion. It is receiving favour, assistance and support from people you cannot bribe or pay. It is love and admiration from people who love you because of who you are and what you stand for rather than what you have or position you occupy. Power, real power is not so much a function of office but an extension of a person – his character, values, culture of honour and integrity etc. If your power is attached to an office and not internal or based on personal qualities and values then the day the office ends you will be in trouble.
This is the snare our politicians are in today. They cannot envision a life without power because all their means of sustenance and hope of survival depends on power. Life without power is just inconceivable. It is why they have no integrity and would rather compromise and remain in political power than stand on their legs and lose all. That is why after two tenures as governor they want to go to Senate to join others to frighten EFCC from looking into their affairs. The Senate is now the recuperating and retiring home of former governors. It is easier to put pressure on EFCC in the Senate than outside after all the Senate still maintains oversight function. That is why they all love to go to Senate after “service”. Even Okowa who was accused of mismanaging trillions of Delta fund has been cleared and he is going there. Yahaya Bello who is standing trial for 80 billion naira of Kogi State fund has been cleared to contest for the same Senate. Hope Uzodinma – the number 4 who somersaulted to number 1 courtesy of Supreme Court – who is been accused of mismanaging APC Presidential fund is also going to Senate; so is Dapo Abiodun, the non- performing, uninspiring figure marking time in Ogun State. They have all been cleared by the same party that told us in 2014 they were coming to change Nigeria and fight corruption. These are the type of people that will populate Nigerian Senate from next year – all things been equal.
Why do Nigerian politicians love power so much? Because they cannot envisage life without power. A life without power would involve real discomfort which they are not ready for. They do not know real power and do not have it, so they need political power to survive. It is a culture and spirit. Life without power and the paraphernalia of power is simply unthinkable. How will they survive living among the same people they had alienated, ruined and misruled for years – all without aides and security?
This spirit has also permeated the academic institution now especially the universities. In those days even Vice Chancellors would go to class to still teach. He would be glad to attend academic conferences and make contributions. He did not see himself as different from his colleagues in the professoriate or even the department from where he left.
Today the story is becoming different. A new spirit has entered into the office of Vice Chancellorsship that in many places they too behave like politicians who appointed them. The office is becoming more and more like a political office and less and less than an academic leadership. (In one university I am told of a Vice Chancellor who drives through campus with sirens.) In many cases the corruption of power or the power of corruption has bred a virus in the office that the occupant finds it difficult to integrate with his academic colleagues after expiration of tenure. He has so alienated many people that going back to class seems like hell because he has imbibed the spirit and learning of the politicians. This is why today it is rare for a Vice Chancellor returning to classes to teach after tenure; he sees such as beneath his dignity and a form of humiliation. He must scout for other official appointments or political positions to fill rather than returning to academic. He has so much alienated his colleagues and even the junior staff that returning to the same department becomes a source of anxiety and worry for personal safety. In point of fact, it is now a correct assumption to say that if anyone is appointed a Vice Chancellor he or she is already lost to the academy and scholarship. As an army general once told me recently in a long- drawn phone conversation “the Nigerian ruling class does not recruit anyone they cannot corrupt except in rare cases.”
But there are exceptions. Our friend, the very distinguished and cerebral scholar, Professor Olusola Oyewole returned to teaching in his Department after an unblemished and meritorious service as Vice Chancellor in the same university without any fear because he had done nothing to warrant fear. He had no reason to fear his colleagues or staff of the University – the same university he led because he had governed well and with honour. That is power.
I now come to the last part of the essay.
Power is not often what we call it, I repeat. Prosperity is not often what we think it is. It is when you can call for assistance and support from people you cannot reward or bribe because of who you are. It is when people give you help without asking for it, it is when people honour you because of who you are rather than the office you occupy. That was why Jakande was ready to divest himself of the paraphernalia of office and walk the street unescorted as a Lagosian and he dared the Opposition candidate to follow him. To test your power you must allow people to see you as you are and relate to you without compulsion and consequences. There must be no coercion and it must come from freewill and without inducement. That is where all the present pretenders in all states and across parties fail woefully.
I needed something at the University of Lagos some years ago for my daughter and two professors and another lecturer were on hand to help me. They left their offices and work just to ensure it was done. Just because it is Moses Oludele Idowu – MOI.
Same at University of Ibadan.
Recently I was at Ife, the Obafemi Awolowo University for some research. A dean of a faculty left his work to conduct me round and take me to the library to get what I wanted. He would not leave me till I finished and would not let me pay for the photocopying. He paid on my behalf.
Last year I was at University of Ilorin and a Professor was on hand to take me round driving me round the University – the same university where I was an undergraduate 40 years ago and giving me updates.
How much could I have paid these people even if I had money? Just because it is me – MOI.
I was returning from Kaduna after a conference about a year ago and when I got to the airport I discovered all the formalities have been cleared and the very first seat of the small plane had been reserved for me when they saw my name. How about that?
The other day I was at the Stock Brokers office in Lagos Island to sell all my shares and when they recognized my name – Moses Oludele Idowu the Director, an Igbo man, ordered that they should waive all the charges but to pay everything to my account. Because they have all been reading me and they know what I stand for.
[ Nigerians are not fools and they are not stupid. They know who their true friends are and their real enemies.]
That is power. That is real blessing and prosperity. Favour from people unsolicited, love and support from people you cannot reward or punish out of their own freewill and without coercion because of who you are. Not looting people’s resources to keep for yourself and your children; not amassing ill- gotten wealth that you cannot tell us the source or how you came about it or buying property that you need a batallion of police or soldiers to guard you from the same people you claim to rule.
Prosperity is not when you can’t walk free among people without fear. It is not finding it difficult to move among crowd of people because you were in office for a few years. That is not blessing, that is a curse. The blessing of the Lord makes rich, it does not add sorrow. The children of a certain governor in a certain state that I won’t embarrass by mentioning went for a social event, a Christmas Event for children organised by the same television station in the state. Children were called to introduce themselves. When it was the turn of this governor’s children they could not mention their father’s name on camera. How about that? They were ashamed.
That is not blessing; that is sorrow or curse. The blessing of the Lord makes rich it does not add sorrow.
Live well. Govern with the fear of God and the fear of tomorrow and with Honour.
Soon everyone will face the Jakande Test, one way or the other.
Have a wonderful day.
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May 21, 2026
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