Who is this Comrade Abdulhakeem Adegoke Alawuje?

By: Olugbenga Tolulope Ogunsanya.

I see him as someone who was prepared for a political battle, a dogged fighter who is ready to defend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with his blood and life anytime.

I knew him sometimes in Year 2010 when he was running Hamdala Communication, Distributor of Telecoms Recharge Cards, Phones and Accessories  in Kaduna. During that time he led the MTN Sub-Trade Partners Association for about two years during which prices of GSM Recharge Cards were relatively stable. In 2019, he invited me together with others to a meeting at NAF Club, Kaduna during which a decision was reached that in Year 2023, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) should be encouraged  and promoted to vie for the Office of the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It was in that meeting, that the decision of forming Disciples of Jagaban ( DOJ) to promote the candidature of Tinubu was made.  He was unanimously elected the National Coordinator of DOJ being the founder of the group with unequalled passion, commitment and loyalty. He formed other groups like Progressive Minds for Good Governance and Yoruba Welfare Group to complement the activities of DOJ towards achieving the enthronement of Tinubu as President of Njgeria in Year 2023. He led all these Groups without compromising his loyalty and commitment for the No. 1 purpose of Tinubu's ascension and making Nigeria great. I asked him, why he believed so much in Tinubu and he enumerated all the good things Tinubu did when he was the Governor of Lagos State in 1999 and the development he brought to Nigeria after he left office as Governor and became the most formidable politician in Nigeria. Alawuje enjoys the followership and respect from all the members of the Groups nationwide. He never wasted time in putting actions to decisions of the Groups. He led members of DOJ in 2019 to call on   Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare his interest that he would be contesting for the Office of the President of Nigeria in Year 2023 Presidential Election and threatened to sue him to court if he refused to offer himself for the Presidential Seat.

Other notable Nigerians and millions of Nigeria reasoned and supported this genuine call to emancipate Nigerians and make the nation a country that we can all be proud of. Today, Alawuje has been  vindicated and applauded as the No. 1 Disciple of Jagaban who God used to navigate the country out of malgovernance. We are however all witnesses to the heated battles, fought and won, for Tinubu to be President of Nigeria today.

My initial belief about Alawuje was that he was being bankrolled underground to be disturbing the media space.  

Alawuje is not an ordinary person. He is an uncommon specie, incurable optimist and ardent follower and loyalist who never looked back or contemplated danger in advancing the course of Tinubu's Presidency and Good Governance in Nigeria. He is ready to defend him with his blood and life. Perhaps his military background prepared him for these roles he is playing for the well-being of Nigerians. His Love for security, development, peace, property and development of Nigeria is legendary. That is what drives him for looking for Tinubu to use his God's given talents, resources and networks to save the country from disintegration, agony and poverty.

At one of the  meetings I attended with him in Lagos, someone approached him and said they needed some financial support towards what they were doing for Tinubu's Support Group in Lagos.  I looked at that person and asked myself If it was possible for Alawuje  to be spending his personal resources to be propagating someone we were not even sure he is coming out as presidential candidate. I made my research and discovered that Alawuje is not being sponsored by any politician or getting money from Tinubu for what he is doing. His belief in Tinubu is the driving force that has been sustaining all the organizations he founded for Tinubu's enthronement.

Alawuje led Yoruba Welfare Group (YWG) to dissociate Yorubas in Northern Nigeria at a Press Conference  from call of Chief Sunday Igboho for dismemberment of Yoruba from Nigeria. I was  part of the historic press conference held at National Union of Journalists Office, Kaduna.

 He confronted and condemned the hijackers of Endsars Protest that resulted to loss of lives and properties especially in Lagos, Oyo, Osun and Ogun States.  

Alawuje criticised Pa Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Bode George for not supporting Tinubu and I was not comfortable with his approach because Pa Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Bode George aretop-notch Yoruba leaders that are worthy of respect and honour  in Yorubaland.  I admonished him not to abuse Baba Adebanjo, Chief Bode George and any of our Elders publicly and he said whoever that declared war against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared war against him, the entire Yoruba race and Nigeria at large.

 He told me emphatically that Tinubu had made use of his office as governor of Lagos state to rebuild the lives of so many people across the country. He said if such a person should be president of this nation, he believed what he did in Lagos would be  reciprocated across the length and breadth of Nigeria. 

When the issues of Fulani herdsmen and Chief Sunday Igboho started rearing its ugly head in Igangan area of Oyo state,  I called him to know his feelings about the matter. He kept mute to my astonishment. The following day he decided to pay a visit to Iganga himself with his team to find out what was happening. He met Adigangan the Oba of Iganga, and  sued for peaceful cohabitation among the different residents in the area. He told me that all the attacks were political ploys to disconnect the Hausa/ Fulani people from Tinubu 2023 Presidential ambition, isolate the Yoruba people and create a gulf between them and the Hausa/ Fulani people. Some months later another crisis ensued between Hausa/ Fulani and the Yoruba community in Shasa, Ibadan, Oyo state. In a jiffy,  he immediately returned to Ibadan  from Kaduna and asked whoever was interested to join him in his quest to restore a lasting peace.  I was opportuned to be part of the team that visited the Elders, the scene of the crisis and the people of the community. We went there and realized that  what transpired then was not enough reason to call for separation of the Yoruba race from Nigeria.

There was a time, towards the 2023 general election after the APC Presidential primaries.. Alawuje convened DOJ National Executives Meeting in Abuja.  Some members have accused him of collecting the sum of twenty five million naira from Tinubu without the knowledge of his team. No sooner had he wanted to respond to the spurious allegation than one of his close allies,  Professor Fatai Aboaba stood up and relayed to uninformed members how Comrade Abdulhakeem Adegoke Alawuje has been selling his own properties in an alarming rate to run the various Groups. He said even one of their freinds who is Ibadan- based had passionatetly pleaded with him to stop selling his properties. Every entreaties to prevail on him fell on deaf ears as Alawuje wouldn't  even listen. To Alawuje's chagrin, he was not aware that   the professor had the knowledge of all the incidents. Alawuje   busted into tears in the meeting. The brief scene was highly emotional.  That was how many of the members got to know how he ran the movements.

During the presidential campaign, to my amazement, the man was like a moving battalion. He stood like a rock of gibraltar behind Tinubu. He was part of the campaign train across the nation throughout. At a point, the stress took a great toll on his health, but he wouldn't bulge. I have never seen such a committed and  unrelenting political juggernaut in my entire life. 

The public should help us find out who is this Alawuje.