Dele Alake, a former commissioner in Lagos state and current director of strategic communications in the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council over the weekend authoritatively declared that those criticising Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s godfather status in Lagos are envious of his good deeds.

Tinubu, the foremost presidential candidate in the country and national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) was governor of Lagos state from 1999 to 2007.

However, Tinubu has ever since spread his political tentacles and gained tremendous influence in national politics through his groomed allies and political sagacity.

Speaking on a Channels Television programme, Politics Today, monitored by theliberationnews on Friday, Alake said that despite the fact that the notion of godfatherism has been given a negative connotation in Nigeria, there is nothing wrong with the concept if used to promote the public good.

He said those who criticise the former governor for being a godfather lack the mental and financial capability to attain his hegemonic status.

“The notion of godfatherism has been given a negative connotation in the political lexicon of Nigeria and by those who are unnecessary envious of others, not because they do not wish to be godfathers if they could work for it and if they could attain the requisite mental and financial wherewithal to become a godfather,” he said.

“There is nothing absolutely wrong with godfatherism if that godfatherism is public-spirited.

“Awolowo, our revered sage, was a godfather because he produced many other leaders, and Ahmadu Bello was a godfather because he produced many leaders.

“Nnamdi Azikwe was a godfather because he also sired leaders politically, so therefore why should Tinubu’s own be given a negative connotation simply because people who are indolent, lazy, suffuse with inertia and lethargy, cannot work assiduously and cannot attain the political height through which they could also develop other leaders and become positive godfathers.

“So, there is nothing essentially, inherently wrong with having a godfather as long as it is public-spirited.”