The BAT-Ideological Group was established to raise men and women who embody the political spirit of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Many ask: What does this group truly mean by the “Spirit of Asiwaju”?

The spirit of Asiwaju is fundamentally one of resilience and courage, the very essence of the spirit that stopped the ocean. It recalls the political spirit that prevented the raging Atlantic waters from submerging Victoria Island and Eti-Osa; the spirit that birthed Banana Island out of the blues, created the Lekki Peninsula, and established the 37 LCDAs. This visionary leadership brought government closer to the people and helped make Lagos the most developed state in Nigeria. It is the spirit that found clever ways to fund all Lagos State projects, driving monthly internally generated revenue from N600 million to about ₦92 billion then and currently ₦1.17 trillion.

This ideology also reflects the courage to implement tough reforms. It mirrors the spirit used to remove fuel subsidies on day one, recognizing that subsidy had been squandering Nigeria’s wealth while preventing any true national progress. For decades, the Nigerian government could barely fund developmental projects or even pay salaries, with former finance ministers Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala warning that borrowing simply to pay salaries or fund consumption was unsustainable. The spirit of Asiwaju means having the boldness to innovate such as introducing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) to help working-class and poor families elevate themselves from the lower class to the middle and upper classes, alongside re-introducing tax reforms to strengthen national development, the tax system which has hit standstill since 1993.

Moreover, it is the spirit that endured political persecution from left and right in the days of NADCO from the withholding of state government funds in Lagos to constant court battles forcing him to stand alone and ultimately take the federal government to court twice and win. The spirit that implemented the FG ASUU decade old agreement. It is a spirit that refused to give up when all might was arrayed against it, navigating Nigeria’s economy away from the brink of collapse and earning renewed international respect from various international bodies like; International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and major credit rating agencies including S&P, Moody’s, and Fitch, including strengthening crucial partnerships with nations like the United States In military collaboration. The UK royal visit was also a prime example of what the spirit is capable of.

The spirit of forgiveness that turned bittered foes to nation building partners, the spirit that turned deaf ears to the critique of the opposition. The spirit Visionary state-building transforming a gloomy era of severe infrastructure deficits and poor financial returns into a model megacity. The spirit of absolute democracy willing to share power for the purpose of development.

The spirit that got local government financial autonomy and regional development commission for all regions. The spirit that executes the promises of Federal government post-civil war 1970 to the south east region. The spirit that is of backing up talks with execution. The Tinubu spirit that follows his manifesto from line to line, paragraph to paragraph, page by page, policy by policy and from top to bottom for execution.

The spirit of mentorship and legacy complete the cycle of what BAT-IG stands for. Transferring this indomitable spirit across generations ensures that governance thrives through a multitude of capable leaders much like Elisha doubling the works of Elijah securing a prosperous future for generations to come.

Our goal is to instill this visionary, courageous, and deeply patriotic spirit across all 8,809 political wards in Nigeria, ensuring that at least 100 dedicated individuals in each ward become standard-bearers of this philosophy. By fostering this mindset of absolute democracy, forgiveness, flexibility, and unwavering service, we ensure that every generation is blessed with leaders who refuse to bow to the failures.

Bamidele Atoyebi is the Convener of BAT Ideological Group, National Coordinator of Accountability and Policy Monitoring and a publisher at Unfiltered and Mining Reporting and political social worker