The Insight
By Lateef Adewole
Email: lateefadewole23@gmail.com
Whatsapp: +2348179512401
This week has been interesting with the flurry of activities, with the torrent with which presidential aspirants are now trooping out to declare. Some, from previously anticipated or suspected quarters but some from completely unexpected places. And I am really not talking about aspirants on many unpopular parties but the major parties, APC and PDP. When I saw all of these, I simply asked myself: “Lateef, why don’t you just declare your own intention to run for the presidency of Nigeria as well? Afterall, you are a Nigerian and it is within your constitutional right to do so. Also, you’re qualified beyond the minimum requirements for that office and you truly love the people and your country, Nigeria”.
Sincerely, I know many readers will say “why not?”. Despite the seeming joke that it looks like, I wish this is something that can happen “magically”. May be, similar thoughts are in the minds of many aspirants who have declared so far or still have the intention of doing so. The truth of the matter is, Nigerian presidency is what Yorubas called “atari ajanaku, ki s’eru omode”. It takes more than wishful thinking to become the president of Nigeria.
Although, some may argue, and correctly so, that people who became the president of Nigeria never really fought for it, from 1960 to date but got there by happenstance. However, there usually still some elements of work or positioning. So, when I hear of declarations left, right and center, I wondered how many of them actually hoped to get there. I am not saying that they are not qualified, what I am only saying is that, there are too much intricacies involved, which are not in favour of many of them. That said.
There is one issue that I have been harangued about. Some readers asked why I have focused more on the ruling party APC and government of President Buhari, in the past few years and even now, that their aspirants are the focus of my scrutiny, while I left out other parties, especially the main opposition party PDP. They are in two categories. There are those who “assumed” that I belong to the opposition or is “sponsored” by them. These are mainly from the ruling party and Buhari’s supporters.
The other are actually from the oppositions, who accused me of relegating them to background by the same focus on the ruling party alone. Either way, I owe nobody any explanation, in the real sense of it. However, for the records, my position has always been liken to a football match where there are players playing, any commentator will only be focused on the game and players on the field, not spectators or substitutes. Understandably that the crowd has some influence on the game by whether they cheer or boo them. However, the ultimate performance which people are focused on, rests on the players.
Since 2015, President Buhari of APC has been at the helm of affairs of the country. Good or bad, the attention should be on him and his party. And that was precisely what I have done. Sadly too, the opposition has not being worthy of their salt. PDP is the main opposition party, with substantial political coverage. Since 2019, before recent defections, they had 17 governors, 44 senators and 111 House of Representatives members, against APC’s 19 governors, 67 senators and 211 house members. This is a sizable force as an opposition party, but to what use did they put it?
Sincerely, with all due respect to many important people who are members of the party, PDP has not been a worthy opposition. That is why many Nigerians have never forgiven them of their past sins or considered them as a possible replacement for the present administration of the ruling party, under whose management Nigeria has gone into ruins. The mess that we are today is more than enough for any aspirant to be ashamed to contest on the platform but here we are.
In many of my interactions, I see a people who are anguished, frustrated and tired of the ruling party, desperately yawning for fresh air, and looking for credible alternative but PDP was not giving such. PDP has continously dropped the ball since they lost the presidential election in 2015. It exemplified a party in shock that never prepared to lose an election or be in opposition. Most people, the bigwigs there were never in any opposition before then. That explained the sudden jumping of ship by many of the members, including founding members, people who were elected on the platform, whether in the 16 years as ruling party or even after 2015 loss.
As at the time that the Tinubu’s ACN caucus of the APC were in opposition, they had only five states, which evolved from just one state, Lagos, that remained standing after the Obasanjo’s 2003 political tsunami against the six AD states in the South-West region. Only Tinubu survived, reason everyone agrees he is the master of the game. It was from that relics that he transmuted to AC and later ACN, with what he regained five additional states.
These few states, with virility of the leadership, gave the ruling PDP hell. It was still to the credit if Tinubu’s dexterity and political sagacity, that gave birth to today’s ruling party APC, through the merger of all other smaller opposition parties; CPC, ANPP and splinter group from PAGA, with Tinubu’s ACN. That was the beginning of the end of the ruling of Nigeria by PDP. The APC leadership, who are deft in the act of political propaganda and experienced opposition, deployed their all against Jonathan and PDP, even when the situation then was not as terrible as we have now, particularly with regards to the economy and insecurities.
By this time in 2014, the whirlwind of APC was already sweeping across the country. The ruling party and the government of Jonathan were already almost “demolished”. They were like plague to many Nigerians and no one was ready to give them any chance of explanation. The rest they say is history.
Let me now come to their efforts at regaining power. What has PDP done since 2015 differently? After few years, those who defected from PDP to APC, just before 2015 general elections called nPDP, which caused the division in the party and eventual loss of the power, later returned after they did not get what they expected. This gave life to the party as they went into 2019, with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as their presidential candidate in an election he lost under serious controversies. He polled over 11 million votes. That wasn’t a bad outing actually, for the “damaged” PDP.
But after then, they returned to their “sleeping” mode, despite their increased numbers in political positions. Nothing like serious opposition to a government causing decimation of the country by all kinds of criminal elements; bandits (terrorists), kidnappers, ritualists, Boko Haram, ISWAP and the rest, under its watch. Nigerians were being killed, in their droves. Kidnapping of school children in tens and hundreds became regular and norm. Everyone became vulnerable, including those who usually felt safe before now, by virtue of their “bigmanism”, conferred on them by their political offices or standing in our society. Yet, PDP was lost in the crowd. No one to speak strongly for the citizens in distress.
As we approach 2023 general elections, just like APC, many aspirants have thrown their hats in the ring under PDP. The biggest among them is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar again. Others, include Chief Dele Momodu, Governors Nyesom Wike, Bala Muhammed and Aminu Tambuwa, Senators Anyim Pius Anyim, Bukola Saraki, former governor Peter Obi and few others.
However, the party was “confused” as to where to zone the presidency for months until it eventually threw it open. I have stated that I expect the power to shift to the south, based on equity and fairness. How can the North or any northerner expect to continue holding the presidency after the 8 years of Buhari? To me, it is not acceptable. So, most times, I never bothered to look in the direction of any aspirant from the north.
Apart from that, politically speaking, the most resilient and capable aspirant that can have any chance of winning the election for PDP against any APC candidate is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. He is the only one with the reach, network, resources, experience and sagacity to achieve such feat.
For me, who have always canvassed for younger competent person to be my president, the best aspirant is Peter Obi. But, is he ready? Was he prepared for it? Was he working for and towards it? These and many more questions are begging for answers. Personally, my answer to them are in the negative. Why? Because, as the most “suitable”, from a region that has been crying about marginalisation and demanding that the presidency be “given” to them, Peter Obi has not shown the desired seriousness of a person aspiring to such office. Many people are of the opinion that he might have settled for the Vice President position in his heart. He was very lackluster in his approach.
Now that five persons have come out from the South-West region for same post. Four from APC and one from PDP. What exactly is going on? The case with Tinubu and Osinbajo is understandable. They are the leading horses in the race. While many Tinubu’s supporters are still rueing the declaration of Osinbajo and yet to recover from the shock, Amosun’s and Dimeji Bankole’s Thursday declaration came from the blues. The shock is not for only Tinubu’s camp this time around but Osinbajo’s camp as well.
Isn’t this the handiwork of people who are trying to jeopardise the chances of South-West from producing the next president in 2023 by using divide and rule? How can two new aspirants declare just few weeks to the primary election? Also, three from one state, Ogun! Are they to weaken Osinbajo or what? Is this a remotely controlled strategy to dampen the chance of Asiwaju, who is the aspirant to beat in the race? All these will get clearer as events unfold but these candidates should let the admonition of the late Hubert Ogunde guide them: “Yoruba r’onu”.
While I am not saying that any of the aspirants who have declared are not qualified to contest, they all need to be circumspect. Most of them are doing so for the sake of it. Afterall, it is now addition to one’s cv to have contested as an aspirant or candidate. Nigerians and vanity!
In all, the interest of the people should be the ultimate drive of any aspirant for any office. In the primary elections that are coming soon, Nigerians do not really have a say. Parties determine who emerges on their platforms. It is from among these lots that the citizens will be constrained to choose the best among the available, not necessarily the best we can get. That’s how the system is rigged against the people. As we move closer to the 2023, we can only continue to pray for the best as we do our parts.
May God continue to protect us and guide us aright.
God Bless Nigeria.
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