How He Started Wearing It Over 30 Yrs Ago
Have you noticed that right now, thousands of APC members, friends and fans of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu now wear caps that have Tinubu’s trademark logo? It is because right now, the man of the moment that everyone is talking about is APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu. He has been in the news since he declared his interest in running for president in the forth coming 2023 elections. There is practically no time he wears native that you will not see him in traditional outfits with his Aso oke cap that has a logo on it. He is not one who has a lot of conflicting embroideries on his cap but he carries a very particular logo which he has been used to wearing and has worn it for over 25years, at least before he became the Lagos State governor many years back during his senator days. This logo has become the official uniform at many APC rallies. Infact many loyalist and members of the party have stopped the use of the APC inscription on their face caps at rallies, the logo has replaced it. Many people now use this logo on all their ensembles to signify the party they belong and also their loyalty to Asiwaju Tinubu.
There have been many images of him with this cap in many journals, publications and advertorials. Just recently, this signature logo of his cap took the centre stage at his 70th birthday soirée when it was picked as the main picture used for the launch of the book written about him, “The Last Man Standing” which was launched on his birthday. The picture just had the back of his head which shows glaringly the logo which looks like a broken chain.
Not many people know that the logo on his cap which looks like a broken chain has a meaning, many thought that it is just the way Asiwaju Tinubu designs his own cap.No, it has a meaning. And infact its meaning came from his love for his people whom he loves to serve.
The meaning of the broken chain logo on his cap is “To break the shackles of Poverty” which has been the theme of his campaign manifestos and what he loves to do, giving back, helping the less privileged since he was the Lagos Governor many years back till now. He is passionate about helping the poor, the needy and the less privileged. His large and kind heart has endeared him to the heart of many people.
Fast forward to the theme of his 2023 presidential campaign, The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also revealed this. He said the theme of his campaign is titled ‘Breaking the Shackles of poverty.’ He has explained this times without number when addressing the public ,like when he was addressing the women members of the All Progressives Congress sometime ago.
Tinubu said his government will break the shackles of poverty and ignorance.The former Lagos governor promised that his administration, if he eventually emerges president, would pay for students West African Examination Council Exams (WAEC). He said: “Your children’s West African Examination Council Exams fee is paid by us, so that no matter how poor, they are not left behind.
“The theme for my campaign is breaking shackles. We break the shackles of poverty, we break the shackles of ignorance.”We need stability in the country, we need peace. Peace and end to banditry is extremely important because women are the first victim, the most vulnerable victims of banditry, violence and instability.
“Without peace and stability, we can’t build the nation as rapidly as we want. “APC is progressing and that is where you should stay, that is where you should mobilize from. He also explained this when he spoke at the inauguration of the newly-constructed Itire-Ikate Local Government Secretariat in Surulere, Lagos.
“We must lift our people, lift them out of poverty, educate them to break the shackles of poverty and ignorance. We must free them from unemployment, provide them with basic amenities and give them hope for the future,”.
In one of his interview in 2019, he said the embroidered meaning of the symbol on his cap is a broken shackle depicting freedom;
“Philosophically, it is my belief and faith in education, freedom fighting. On my cap is a broken shackle. It is freedom. The shackle is broken and you cannot put us in bondage anymore. You have broken the shackle of poverty, ignorance, disease,” Tinubu said.
“You develop the capacity to improve the quality of the lives of the people. It has been my philosophy and it will remain my philosophy. My office’s symbol is Freedom House. Freedom means everything to me, the freedom of man. You can find me on the street fighting against injustice.”
To add to this, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Foundation (BAT), an organisation specifically founded to assist in human capacity building as well as giving back to the society is also part of fulfilling his heart desires by helping people and simply breaking the shackles of poverty to make sure everybody is privileged. The foundation by its organizational structure, BAT coordinates all philanthropic programmes of the former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. It is a philanthropic body designed to coordinate all philanthropic gestures of Tinubu.
The organizational theme of the Foundation is also, ‘Breaking the Shackles of Poverty.’ No doubt, there is poverty in the country and the former governor of Lagos State has always been on the forefront of dispensing humanitarian gestures. He did it as a politician, as a governor of Lagos and he has continued. But, he never put up an umbrella body that could warehouse his gestures hence the establishment of the foundation to project all he has done to enable him do more, while ensuring that the society is better for it.
The foundation’s mission statement says, we are out to empower and transform lives of Nigerians and to make our country a better society. Tinubu’s determination is to break the shackles of poverty by helping people attain good leadership culture, his foundation is not about giving material things alone, the foundation also helps develop human skills.
According to the BAT foundation DG, Ishola Omisore, he said “When you empower somebody, you are making the person a better and quality resource for the society. For instance, you can see how many leaders Tinubu has trained. And today, many of them are in leadership positions. They can point at Tinubu as their mentor. This is not limited to politics; he has trained and helped people in different endeavours. He has helped to establish weak people in many aspects so that they can achieve their optimum potentials. The foundation is all about humanity.
-TAYO OYEDIJI
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