How Tinubu And I Almost Died On 3rd Mainland Bridge
OpenLife News reports that top journalist and Senator who represented Ekiti Central in the National Assembly, Babafemi Ojudu, has revealed how he and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu narrowly escaped death on the Third Mainland Bridge a day to Tinubu’s election as Lagos governor.
Ojudu revealed the secret in an open letter to President Tinubu posted on his Facebook page on October 1, to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary.
In the letter, Ojudu reminded Tinubu of their long relationship dating back to the struggle against military rule and recounted a night before the 1999 governorship election.
According to him, he had taken Tinubu to the Ikoyi home of a senior security official, Mr. Ibrahim Solomon, over fears that the election might be rigged.
“A decent and patriotic public servant, he assured us that the security apparatus would ensure fairness, and he kept his word,” Ojudu wrote.
He said on their way back at about 1:30 a.m., Tinubu’s driver, the late Mustapha, fell asleep at the wheel on the Third Mainland Bridge and the car struck the railing.
“We were fortunate to escape with our lives. You asked me to drive us on to Alausa, although I had never driven a car with an automatic transmission. Somehow, I got us there,” Ojudu recalled.
Ojudu said he recalled the night to show the length and nature of their association and the role he played after Tinubu’s victory, including helping to manage the transition committees and inauguration.“When you asked what position I wanted in your government, I said I would return to journalism.
I believed you should have at least one person outside government who could come to you and speak honestly, without sycophancy or the pursuit of personal advantage,” he said.
The open letter, however, was mainly a critique of the current hardship in the country.
Ojudu, who said he did not work for Tinubu’s election nor vote for him in 2023 and had not seen him since 2022, said he was moved to write after listening to two recent sermons about hunger and poverty, including one by Bishop Felix Femi Ajakaiye of the Catholic Church during the funeral of Senator Tony Adeniyi.
“My dear brother, Welcome home… I write because I believe you need to hear, plainly and from someone who wishes you well, how difficult life has become for many Nigerians,” Ojudu wrote.
“People are struggling to afford food, medicine, rent, school fees and transport. Many have adjusted their lives as far as they can and still cannot make ends meet. For those who earn anything at all, their earnings buy less and less.”
He urged the President to review his policies with ordinary households in mind, address fuel prices, transport costs and food prices, and ensure interventions reach the people.
Ojudu also called on Tinubu to tackle insecurity, widen the circle of people he listens to, commission independent assessment of Nigerians’ living conditions, and ensure a credible election in 2027.
“As the election approaches, ensure that the institutions of government carry out their responsibilities freely and impartially…
“You are a candidate in that election, but you are also the President entrusted with protecting the process for everyone,” he said.
He reminded Tinubu of his days in detention at Alagbon police headquarters in Lagos alongside Senators Abu Ibrahim and Ahmed Ebute during the pro-democracy struggle.“Remember, dear brother, the days you spent beneath the stairs at Alagbon… Remember why you endured those indignities and what you hoped our country would become.
The freedom to choose our leaders was at the heart of that struggle. It must remain sacred today.”
Ojudu concluded by wishing Tinubu to “finish well” and urging him to listen to Nigerians and bring them relief.
“Happy Independence Anniversary,” he wrote.
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