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A Cap, a Keke, and a President: Decoding the GBG-Asiwaju Connection

 


Once, I hopped into a tricycle, or Keke as it's referred to in Nigeria. During our ride, the driver remarked, Oga, so you're one of us?. Taken aback, I queried, One of you?, to which he pointed to my cap, leading me to examine it again. Still puzzled, he explained, Jagaban Forever - Asiwaju.


The first thought that sprung to mind was that my pre-election Google Trends analysis had seemingly returned to haunt me. I questioned, Wasn't my analysis objective? After all, I employed similar techniques for the UK Prime Minister's election, Kenya's, and several others that proved accurate or very close to the actual outcomes. For Nigeria, my prediction did not envisage a landslide victory for any candidates, and the analysis before the general elections eventually pointed towards Asiwaju's potential victory - a prediction soon to be validated, considering his imminent swearing-in. So, it left me puzzled - what had I overlooked that caused my innocuous GBG cap to spark a connection to Jagaban?


Eventually, he said `I am happy you are together with us, if no be so!`, they he paused, immediately I had to swing the conversation with words like, `do you know the literal meaning of the word `Asiwaju` in Yoruba, means `He Leads` or `The Front Runner`, then he was now more excited, saying `This will be his new phrase for traction`. Laughingly, I swore off wearing my GBG cap again to avoid such confounding encounters.


Today, May 27, 2023, with the upcoming presidential inauguration in two days, seems like an ideal moment to share this. I can always point out that this post predates the swearing-in, aimed at verifying if the newly-elected President was inspired by the old GBG logo. It's not a significant issue considering the GBG Community's motto is CONNECT . INFORM . INSPIRE, and there's no harm in drawing inspiration.


Next, I sought Bard for clarity and validation, as shown in the attached screenshot of our conversation:


Question 1:

Do you know about the Google Business Group Community or GBG Community?


Answer 1 by Bard:


Sure, the Google Business Group Community or GBG Community is a non-profit community of business professionals worldwide who share knowledge about web technologies for business success.


The complete response can be seen in the attached screenshot.


Further, I queried about the founding dates of all Google Communities, Google Developers, and the precedence of GBG Community over Google Developers Community. Bard's responses clarified the order and timing of these communities' inception, with GBG Community predating the Google Developers Community.


I also asked Bard about the signature cap design of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu that resembles a tilted number 8. Bard confirmed its familiarity, explaining its popularity among Tinubu's supporters and the symbolic meanings it might carry.


When I pointed out any resemblance between Tinubu's cap design and the old GBG Community logo, Bard acknowledged the similarities, suggesting that the likeness might not be coincidental. However, it also admitted the possibility of both designs independently evolving.


Rest assured, we won't revisit this topic for the next 8 years unless access or authorization becomes necessary. This anecdote might serve as an amusing ice-breaker to engage the Nigerian President. We could casually mention the old GBG Community logo resembling the number eight. Lol.


I trust you found this enlightening.


Regards,


Aderogba Otunla


CONNECT . INFORM . INSPIRE


#Asiwaju #Jagaban #BolaAhmedTinubu #GoogleBusinessGroupCommunity #GBGCommunity #GBG #SignatureCapDesign









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