There are two main candidates vying for the post of president at the March 28 polls: PDP’s Goodluck Jonathan and APC’s Muhammadu Buhari. When I speak to young, educated Nigerians, there’s a general lethargy caused by a feeling of choicelessness. Many allude to being disappointed at the quality (or lack thereof) of the candidates thrown up by both political parties to head a country of over 170 million (majority of whom are teeming youths).
You’ll hear phrases like “this is an election of the lesser of two evils” or “a choice between the devil and deep blue sea”. Renowned businessman and founder of ANAP Foundation, Atedo Peterside, posits that in elections like this, undecided voters (who vote in the end) are likely to vote against candidates they’re more afraid of (uncertain about) rather than vote affirmatively. Based on the foregoing, I’m going to try and evaluate both candidates, focusing solely on their perceived flaws, and propose a method by which you (the undecided voter) can independently determine who is better (not quite as bad) for the nation.
Goodluck Jonathan
1. Corruption: Even President Jonathan’s ardent supporters would agree that this is one of Jonathan’s weaknesses. His critics will go as far as saying this administration is on par with the ousted Shehu Shagari government, if not worse. Although Transparency International says we are less corrupt (Nigeria climbed up to 136th on its corruption index; in 2000, we were in the last position), the common man’s perception is different.
From the pension scam to subsidy thieves to Sanusi’s allegation of unremitted $20bn, this administration has been rocked with multiple corruption scandals. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the president’s body language and indeed his actions and utterances paint a picture of a man who condones corruption.
“Corruption is a problem for all countries. A poor score is likely a sign of widespread bribery, lack of punishment for corruption and public institutions that don’t respond to citizens’ needs,” TI said.
Most Nigerians feel corruption is the bane of this nation. Solve this problem and you’ve taken off the shackles that have been holding the country back since independence.
2. Security
Another area of apparent weakness in this administration is security. From the almost daily bomb blasts to the missing Chibok girls to the brazen atrocities committed by Boko Haram (all in the North), to the general sense of insecurity (commercial kidnapping and armed robbery in the South), the security situation in the country has never been worse.
Commenting on the performance of the Nigerian government in their fight against BH, President Obama said: “The Nigerian government has not been effective as it needs to be in not only finding the girls but also stopping these extremist organizations from operating in their territories.”
Social media is awash with disturbing images of the carnage caused by BH. Some have now become de-sensitized to news of their barbaric attacks – nothing shocks them anymore. Boko Haram has grown in leaps and bounds in the last five years – from a ragtag insurgency to a daring, sophisticated terror group ransacking villages/towns and capturing territories. All this against the backdrop of N4.4 trillion military spending since 2010 (not counting $1bn borrowed to buy weapons last year).
In spite of the president’s assurances that we are winning the battle against Boko Haram, there’s a general feeling of hopelessness. No-one knows when the killings and bombings will stop. For whatever reasons (be it incompetence or sabotage), the government is at best just about managing to contain BH – and not aggressively diminishing the threat posed by the vile terror group.
3. Economy
Right now, the economy is a hot button issue. Not least due to the ongoing war of words between two of the nation’s foremost economists: minister of finance/coordinating minister of the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and former CBN governor, Chukwuma Soludo. Thus, it’s a bit more challenging trying to be objective with this issue because both sides can always use favourable indicators to back up their arguments; given that there’s a plethora of indices to cherry-pick from. That being said, I’ll reel out the stats in favour of, and against President GEJ. Readers can draw their own conclusions from them.
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Pro-GEJ stats:
Third fastest growing economy in 2015 – CNN Money; among Top 3 destinations for FDI in Africa – UN; Africa’s largest economy; steady diversification of the economy (oil accounts for only 70 percent of government revenue); new automobile plants in Nigeria; exports up (cement, sugar, agricultural produce, etc.); food imports down due to agricultural revolution, which has drastically increased domestic supply.
Anti-GEJ stats:
High unemployment (24 percent); poverty (71 percent in 2011- disputed); depletion of foreign reserves and ECA; growing debt profile; exchange rates: record lows of N211/$1.
Muhammadu Buhari
Given the seemingly obvious shortcomings of GEJ, it’s not hard to imagine why the citizenry would be calling for change. But in spite of the frustrations felt by most undecided voters, the alternative to GEJ, the APC’s presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, has his own areas of concern.
1. Age (of ideas)
To many, it does seem odd that a 72-year-old, former military dictator is the face of change in Nigeria today. Particularly after considering he has ruled Nigeria before and has run for the post three times prior. To some, he is part of the old era. Some even say it is unimaginable, unforgivable for a military ruler who overthrew a democratically-elected government and truncated Nigeria’s then nascent democracy to be seeking the presidency in a new democratic dispensation. They feel he should be consigned to that regrettable chapter in Nigeria’s history of coups and counter-coups.
Buhari’s critics argue that Nigeria in this digital age is too complex, too boisterous for a 72-year-old retired General to run. His supporters, however, point to Ronald Reagan and Mandela (et al) who rescued their country at the tail end of their lives.
Aside from the hysteria over GMB’s age (which is a valid issue – considering how physically demanding the job is, and the enormous pressures faced by presidents), there’s also a question of the age of his ideas. We’ve all heard the bold campaign promises (tackling corruption head-on, ending Boko Haram insurgency in months, 2 million jobs for the youths, diversifying the economy, etc.), but what we haven’t heard is the candidate himself articulate a clear blueprint to achieving these lofty goals. His speeches are usually flat and bereft of new ideas. He doesn’t seem to have a firm grasp of Nigeria’s economy today. For every question thrown at him, he somehow manages to end up talking about corruption. To many, there’s a disconnect between the portrayal of the person in the shiny posters and clean TV ads (face of change movement) and the candidate himself.
2. Credibility gap
Given that GMB is running on a platform of Mr. Integrity and his anti-corruption credentials, it makes sense for him to be 100 percent transparent in all his dealings. Therefore, he cannot afford to be seen as the typical Nigerian politician shrouded in controversies and scandals.
Ugochukwu Onuoha
