Aarebirin Hon. (Dr) Folashade Grace Aisha Olabanji-Oba: A Major Backbone Behind President Tinubu’s Victory

The road to success is one that isn’t lonely, there is no one who succeeds in life at anything they do without the support of people. In life, the amount of support you have determines when you will attain success.

This is a general rule of life and no matter how powerful anyone is, it’s not possible to attain success alone, someone has to support you. This is a rule that applies in every field in life.

The road to the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria which Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu won was glaringly not a walk in the park; it was an election that mirrored the rule of life about the road to success which was quoted earlier. The winner of the election happens to be the most-supported candidate among others and this showed in the manner of his victory.

President Tinubu, though known as a master strategist, quintessential politician, and lifter of men yet he rallied around for every support he could get in order to win the election. It was a tough journey for him as he was faced with betrayal from people he trusted but even at that, people still stood firm by ensuring victory was attained.

Among those who stood strong for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the campaign period down to the presidential election was Aarebirin Hon. (Dr) Folashade Grace Aisha Olabanji-Oba, the vice-chairman of Ikorodu Local Government.

Princess, as she is fondly called, is a grassroots politician who has built her reputation around loyalty, respect, strength, wisdom, reliability, and many more. Though she plays politics majorly in Ikorodu, Lagos state where she is the LG’s vice-chairman, Her political strength has spread around the country and this earned her the position of National chairman of the association of local government vice chairman in Nigeria.

Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba has met with the most important people in Nigerian politics and even beyond politics, her sagacity has earned her seat in high places, meetings with the most important personalities in the country but one distinct thing about her is that she carries the symbol of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu everywhere she goes.

Well, it’s not a surprise that she goes everywhere with Tinubu’s symbol, She has admitted severally in different interviews that the quintessential politician is the reason she returned to the country to render her services to the nation through politics. Princess was rasied abroad where she had a flouring real estate business but by divine orchestration, returned to Nigeria some years back solely to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu whom she has described severally as her mentor not just in politics but in every aspect of life.

At the time she returned to the country, Asiwaju had not mentioned it that he would one day contest for the presidential seat but Princess, probably through a divine instruction, started clamouring For a Tinubu presidency on her entrance into the country. She joined the Asiwaju since the days of Alliance For Democracy (AD), Action Congress Of Nigeria (ACN) to All Progressive Congress (APC). For 20 years, she has been getting involved in everything has to do with Tinubu, she supported everyone Tinubu recommended for political elections, she went everywhere Tinubu had a public engagement, she spent her personal finances and even sponsored people to support part of Tinubu’s programmes. She took anything that had to do with him personal.

Fast-forward to 2019, Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba organized different support groups to push for Tinubu’s presidential bid even when the politician had not said anything regarding it. She sponsored press conferences, press releases, charity programmes, competitions, women empowerment, student scholarships, and many more to further sensitize Nigerian citizens on why they need people like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in power.

In 2020 when Covid-19 crippled the country and hunger was seriously in the land, Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba personally packaged palliatives for Nigerians in different states and local governments in Tinubu’s name. Through the personally funded palliatives, She passed a message that Tinubu cares for the people of Nigeria beyond their imaginations. The people got a message that Tinubu will always be with them through thick and thin. She passed a factual narrative that Tinubu knows where the shoe pinches Nigerians and He will deliver them from the woes they have experienced, experiencing and will experience.

Prominent among the support groups owned by Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba was Asiwaju Distinguished Ambassadors Movement (ADAM) which she created shortly before President Tinubu declared his intention to contest for the highly competitive president seat of Nigeria. It was an amalgamation of the different support groups she had created in the past to support Tinubu’s ambition.

Several support groups was created by other APC chieftains after the former national leader of the APC declared his ambition to run but Princess’ ADAM stood out because of her visionary leadership. One of the most talked-about programme by this support group was a three-day event that held in 2022 with over 5,000 participants. The event tagged ‘My Asiwaju Story’ was to sensitize the people more about why they should vote en masse for the APC presidential candidate. Without getting any support, Princess ensured every participant was fed and went home with souvenirs carrying pictures of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. She also organized Jigi Bola; a special outreach for people with sight issues, sponsored support groups, youth and women empowerment, Emilokanology, leadership series across the country raising more likeminds to mobilize towards polling units across local governments in the country.

Some of the positions she has held since she joined the party include Global Director General, Asiwaju Distinguished Ambassadors Movement (ADAM), PCC (Deputy Coordinator, Directorate of Local Government), PCC,Member Contacts and Mobilisation committee, PCC ( Southwest Coordinator)Parliamentarian Committee, PCC Member Northwest, Deputy Director of Strategy and Planning ( Tinubu’/ Shettima/Sanwoolu Independent Campaign), APC East senatorial Deputy Director of Ethnics( Lagos State ), National Director of Women ( Project 774 Tinubu’ Shettima), National Director, Contacts and Mobilisation ( APC Professional Council), National Organizing Secretary ( Cogsabat) National PRO SWAGA ( women), National Matron( Tinubu’ Media Team), National Matron( Tinubu National Think Tank)

Just as becoming a president has been Tinubu’s life-long ambition, it has been the prayers and wishes of Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba for him to become the president of Nigeria because she strongly believes in his leadership.

Though it is not yet known if she will be given any federal appointment under President Tinubu’s administration, her support for His Excellency when the going was tough has placed her in a position where she deserves to be duly appreciated for all her efforts. She has travelled round the country to support and raise more foot Soldiers for the renewed hope agenda for a greater Nigeria rising.

Tinubu’s emergence as the President Of Nigeria was a collective effort of politicians and undoubtedly, Aarebirin Honourable Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba ranks among the most hardworking of them all. There was several supports for the President but among them all, She remains a major backbone behind Tinubu’s presidential victory.