• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Durotoye, Moghalu, Sowore & others: Unite for Nigeria!

Durotoye-Moghalu-Sowore

For the desire to serve, the toils of campaign and election, I say big congrats to Fela Dorotoye, Kingsley Moghalu, Omoyele Sowore and over 60 other candidates that participated in the presidential election. With the election over and the winner widely expected to be PMB or AA, I think it is time to reflect and re-strategize. Believing that you all came out due to your patriotic zeal and genuine desire to salvage Nigeria, the conduct of the election and the tentative results so far released all point to the fact that we as a country and people are still very far from what we should be. In fact, the work to create a country where all and sundry irrespective of tribe, religion and sex can aspire to achieve their full potential is just beginning and demands the full patriotic participation of all men and women of good will and salvific disposition.

As we are expected to elect our leaders every four years, it is important that we appreciate that one person will always be elected as the President at the end of every election cycle! That is what our constitution allows at the moment. With this being the case, I therefore implore all of you (seventy excluding PMB and AA) that while your presumed patriotic ambitions and innate desire to serve is most commendable, it is important to be a bit circumspect and realistic. As most of you came out based on the widely perceived failures of the two dominant parties- APC and PDP, it is difficult to understand the strategy that would have helped one of you to win without proper synergy, structure and leadership especially among yourselves. One of the observers lamented that the numerous 72 presidential candidates in Nigeria is like the size of his country’s parliament.

Due to lack of proper co-ordination and unity, there are views that most you are the same or even worse than the old politicians driven mainly by ego and personal interests. There are also perceptions that some of you were sponsored by either APC or PDP. Even though the initial plan to get a consensus candidate among you failed, it is and should be a leadership test for all of you. If you are interested in leading a complex and plural society of about 200 million people, agreeing and presenting a consensus candidate from the remaining 70 of you would have been the first leadership test. As charity should begin at home, if none of you can properly co-ordinate 69 members of your presidential candidates’ family, then it will be difficult to convince Nigerians that you can govern about 200 million people.

To achieve a vision, you need a strategy that is normally based on the deep assessment of your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT). And this should be done based on robust appreciation and examination of the Political, Economic, Social, Technology, Legal and Environmental situations (PESTLE) of Nigeria. Even though both SWOT and PESTLE analysis can be relative and subjective, it is something I will recommend and encourage our many presidential candidates to do both as individuals and a group if they are genuinely interested in forming an alternative party and candidate to effectively compete with APC and PDP.

During the campaigns, there were many debates, accusations and quarrels as to why people who are dissatisfied with both APC and PDP still supported either PMB orAA. The answer is principally based on the robust and realistic assessments of the SWOTs of both candidates and their parties in line with the PESTLE of Nigeria. Like many other Nigerians, even though Iparticularly liked the plans and views of Durotoye, Ezekwesili, Moghalu, Sowore and few others, it was clear and painful that none of them will emerge due to our PESTLE trajectories. With 2019 election almost concluded, the plan for the next election should start. It is just about four years from now and this is the right time to start a proper assessments of the SWOTs of each of our young and alluring presidential candidates.

As leadership requires an immeasurable dose of humility, I implore each and every one of you to reach out to the other candidates to start the discussion on the unity and synergy required. Given our PESTLE and structural formation, it is almost impossible for any of you to make any meaningful impact in any election without this required unity and synergy. It is also important to appreciate that the success of any president or government does not depend on the sole capability of the president. It depends on the effective assemblage of many patriotic and competent team. In addition to the very important positions such as Chief of staff, Secretary to the government of the federation, Chief economic adviser, National security adviser and ministers, the president has within his powers and tasks to make over 250 strategic appointments. This means that if the desire to serve is truly of patriotic inclination, the utmost motive should be on how to contribute and not really to be the president.

If we are really dissatisfied with the state of Nigeria and the leadership outcomes of APC and PDP, it is imperative that our presidential candidates close ranks and team up behind one person with the brightest chance of winning based on a robust assessment of the candidate’s SWOT in line with Nigerian PESTLE. Continuing with about 70 candidates is more of a support to either APC or PDP and the old politicians to continue their dominance and control of our governance and society.

 

Franklin Nnaemeka Ngwu (PhD)

Dr. Ngwu is a Senior Lecturer in Strategy, Finance and Risk Management, Lagos Business School and a Member, Expert Network, World Economic Forum.