Generations of committed political leaders are very necessary and critical to the development of a nation. No matter how good a government’s policies and strategies are, they will not yield positive results except there are committed leaders in positions of authority to implement them.
But committed leaders are scarce in Nigeria. Perhaps, that is the reason why most Nigerians have always been praying in religious houses for committed leaders to emerge within the political class that will solve the country’s numerous challenges. The current political season is particularly very interesting like the ones before it in that there is a new crowd comprising mostly youths who strongly believe that they will build a better Nigeria on the rock of Peter Obi-Labor Party’s presidential flag bearer.
Our youths are warming up to support and vote for Peter Obi of the Labor Party in the next presidential election. Voting for the former governor of Anambra State is a very serious matter to this group of Nigerians and they aren’t joking about it, I was told.
Leading well is not about enriching yourself – it is about empowering and opening doors of opportunities for others. The Obidient youths referred to here belong to a generation of Nigerians who have never known good governance
Peter OBI of the Labor Party has started electrifying young Nigerians through his articulated speeches. He is generating ideas and propagating a unique ideology on politics and economy as he moves from one part of the country to the other that will most likely define the government he dreams to lead if elected. And as he pontificates on how to improve governance in Nigeria if elected as president , his crowd is increasing and swelling per second. Peter Obi believes that if leaders want to be successful, they have to be willing to empower others.
We sincerely hope that Peter OBI has started looking for competent, honest and decent Nigerians irrespective of religion or tribe who may, all things being equal, work with him if he is elected. We learnt that Peter Obi has just picked his running mate, Yusuf Datti Ahmed to rescue Nigeria. To pick a running mate, I like the philosophy of former President Theodore Roosevelt of the United States of America: “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and the self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”
Leading well is not about enriching yourself – it is about empowering and opening doors of opportunities for others. The Obidient youths referred to here belong to a generation of Nigerians who have never known good governance. These youths are on Twitter where they express their opinions and show their support for Peter Obi. Any contrary view to theirs on why Peter Obi should be the next president of the country, is an attack on all. They are mostly urban and computer savvy under 30s who gracefully refer to themselves as the “coconut head generation.” Why this baptism? It is because the Obidient youths are “strong-willed, independent-minded and contemptuous of older politicians who they say have done little for them.”
These youths claimed they represent the structures which Peter Obi needs to win the election. We sincerely hope that these youths will turn out in large number to vote on Election Day. Most of our youths have been flooding INEC’s offices nationwide to register as first-time voters. We hope that the votes of our youths will count in the next elections as promised by the INEC. I learnt that some of the youths were involved in the ENDSARS Protest which took place in some parts of the country 2 years ago. They have started providing logistics and mobilizing students for the political campaigns as they did during the #EndSARS Protests.
These are youths in the same age bracket who were referred to 10 years ago by a president’s media aid as the “collective children of anger.” Their presence is felt on social media where they exhibit anger and frustration of living in a failing country which they inherited from their parents and may likely bequeath same to their children. What a pity? These youths have vowed that upon the Peter OBI rock they will stand until all their political enemies are defeated in the forthcoming elections.
The older these youths get, the more they understand the urgency of resolving Nigeria’s perineal socio-economic challenges, and the more intense they display their torrential emotions when taking part in contemporary public policy discourse. Can we blame the youths for their Obidience? Not at all! At least, not on the issue of governance. One cannot blame those young men and women who live in a society where the conditions of their humanity and existence get systematically decimated daily by the political class for not facilitating a better life and a promising future.
A wealthy businessman and former governor of Anambra State, Peter OBI has emerged as a powerful brand name to be reckoned with ahead of Nigeria’s presidential election next year 2023.
Peter OBI has been traveling across the country energizing the voters with messages of prudence, transparency and accountability. His homilies are reverberating and aptly amplified among an army of social media users. We hope Peter Obi is fully aware of all the challenges facing the country and their complexities particularly in security, economy and infrastructure. If elected, will Peter Obi and his Labor Party be able to manage the nation’s diversity for wealth creation and financial inclusion?
It is not only peter OBI of the Labor Party that is contesting in the forthcoming presidential election. There are two septuagenarian political heavyweights in APC and PDP as well as other presidential flag bearers that are contesting for the same powerful position of the President. But pundits want to know whether the gathering political storm of the youths will amount to political gains for Mr Peter OBI? Because politics is a game of numbers, not emotions.
Read also: The Obi-dients and new political consciousness of Nigerian youths
Now a bit of statistics to answer the question. An unconfirmed report showed that by 2020, 43.49 percent of Nigerians were between age zero and 14years old; 53.77 percent were between 15 and 64 years old; a mere 2.74 percent are 64 years and older. Another unsubstantiated report claimed that about half of the Nigerian population are below 19 years old. This according to analysts suggests that more than 100 million Nigerians wouldn’t be able to vote in the 2023 general elections. They would not have satisfied the constitutional provision that qualifies only those who are 18years and above to vote.
In addition, it is being rumored that most of the PVCs that are just being registered for would not be ready before the 2023 general elections. I don’t believe this rumor. But if the rumor was true, it would dampen the spirit and discourage many of our youths who appear to have suddenly woken up from their lethargic behavior.
While most supporters of the APC and PDP as well as many citizens agree that Peter OBI has what it takes to lead the country come 2023, some say he lacks a nationwide popularity to win the election. These supporters mainly in the opposition warned Peter Obi’s supporters that they risk wasting their votes.
Despite any financial controversy, his tenure as the governor of Anambra state has become a cardinal point for his presidential campaign. Those who watched him closely as a governor pointed out that Peter OBI invested heavily in education and paid salaries on time- these are the simple and basic things that most state governors in Nigeria have not been able to do in office. We have read in newspapers that as governor of Anambra State, he left huge savings in the state coffers at the end of his eight-year term which is another rarity.
These achievements notwithstanding, there are those who described Peter Obi’s tenure as Anambra State governor as “unremarkable.” They ask: “Who saves money in the face of hunger? Who saves money in the face of a lack of facilities?” While waiting for answers to these questions, it is reputation for frugality and sound economic management of state resources that have attracted a horde of young supporters known as Obidients.
What the Obedient youths need to do now is to sustain the current momentum, be more rational and work with less emotional attitude in their quest for building a better Nigeria. The good news is that the change our youths desire can be achieved once they remain focused. It was done before during the time of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Obafemi Awolowo and others. The youths can make the hay while the political sun of Peter Obi is still shinning.
It is my advice to Obedient youths that as they embark on the tortuous and winding journey towards February 2023, they should avoid unnecessary distractions. I implore them to remain cool and calm; be responsible citizens and avoid any nefarious activity that can derail their efforts towards ensuring that they vote for politicians of their choice. Thank you.
