For three months now, who becomes Nigeria’s next president, as February nears, has been a topic of sizzling debate. With many people rooting support for different candidates, the nation’s pre-election period appears to have been dotted with bickerings, loggerheads, taunting, verbal attacks and other campaign gimmicks more than ever. Understandably so, Nigeria has, for the past seven years and half, had perhaps, her worst leadership run.
The poor progress indices and indexes of unemployment, insecurity, corruption and all have bared the claim before any arithmetic eye. But this aside, the skyrocketed prices of things especially the commonly consumed rice is the only red indication an average market woman needs to know that THINGS ARE NO LONGER AT EASE with everyone but the rich and political class.
It is in the light of how badly things have changed in the last seven years that many people have regarded the coming election as one of destiny and a time to change the status quo.
With many candidates up and out for election, the masses are divided into their preferences, each group to their preferred candidate. This has created a rift among the groups. Each group, while promoting their preferred presidential candidate, criticises others for endorsing theirs. There are the OBI-DIENTS who are rooting support for the Labour Party Candidate Peter Obi. The BAT DISCIPLES are tipping Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC. Atiku Abubakar, the PDP man enjoys the support of his ATIKULATED followers. There is also Kwankwaso of NNPC and of course others who people rarely talk about.
Only one person will eventually emerge but for now, the dissents coming from the camps should be evaluated just like the ensuing electioneering trolls and jabs are enjoyed by a handful of the candidates’ supporters.
The Labour Party candidate and his followers have been mocked to be labouring in vain. In their own reprisal, the Labour Party faithfuls and other groups against his candidacy have termed the presidential flagbearer of the APC “Baba wey no well” in a song that has mesmerised the netizens more than the APC supporters have been able to defend the seemingly true words of the lyrics of the song ‘Emilokan’.
On his own side, the PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar has had himself terribly berated for saying he is a Nation Unifier in the wake of the internal crisis rampaging his party. So the argument is that a supposed nation Unifier who couldn’t unify ordinary political party is a joker.
With all these things playing out and people still rooting their support nevertheless, it becomes critical to see or know how much it is worth for these people to be different. Why support your candidate and not the other person(s)?
There is Atiku Abubakar, an erstwhile vice president, who is appearing for the umpteenth time on the presidential ballot. Why would a man who previously served the country in the capacity of the VP for eight years be so desirous of the presidential seat that he has contested for it virtually in every presidential election? Some people have claimed that the former vice president is desperate to become Nigeria’s number one citizen and it looks so. Unarguably, desperation says so much about what people are in dire need of for themselves than for corporate interest. One may ask what blows the embers of support of his camp? Why are his supporters rooting support for him to win the polls and become the president?
There is Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC, the former governor of Lagos, who has promised on several outings to continue from where president Buhari stops. This has sounded to many as a joke considering how abysmally people believe the latter has performed. Many people have concluded that the undertone of Tinubu’s remarks reeks of danger. By the way, the APC candidate made it clear that it is his turn to be president, a statement that has sparked sour reactions across the country.
Apart from the above mentioned comments from Tinubu which did not augur well with most Nigerians, debates have been on over his qualifications and age. Defending his qualifications has not been as difficult as defending his age eligibility considering how much he has goofed almost in every of his outings, which indicatively shows nothing but dips in his cognitive and affective domains. With all these red flags, why are people rooting support for him?
There is Peter Obi, the former Anambra State governor and vice presidential candidate during the 2019 elections. A man who has made us to know he means well for the nation. He has always bemoaned the current state of the nation and consequently talked about how to improve things. Since his declaration to run, he has enjoyed as much massive support from those who believe he is the most suitable for the job as he has had to endure criticism from those who said he is wasting his time.
While some say he is the one sponsoring IPOB and therefore cannot become Nigeria’s president, others say different things including that he does not have the structure to win. But there is one thing nobody has said about him; that he embezzled public funds. In fact, he has said himself that the appropriate office should investigate him if they want. He has not been found to be involved in any corrupt act. Is this one of the reasons people are rooting support for him?
How much does it really worth to act differently now and how much will it cost later?
Read also: Obasanjo’s endorsement of Peter Obi: Matters arising
From my own perspective, Atiku appears to be more interested in the prefix “president” preceding his name than anything else. Secondly, he has gone up North to ask the northerners to vote for no one else but him. That was too tribalistic for a nation that is already boiling from ethnic and religious fires. Again, he has not really shown a drawn up master plan capable of redeeming Nigeria from her current economic abyss, security deteriorations and religious upheavals. He has said so much but, we have not seen anything. The only people seeing what he will do when he wins are his supporters who obviously, either supporting for their own gains or for ethnic affiliations.
In Tinubu, I see a man whose age has failed but is being supported to get there at all cost, by those who have some cards up their sleeves. Nigeria, at this point, needs a leader who would be indefatigable. Unfortunately, Tinubu’s age doesn’t guarantee this.
Obi is not a saint but he is better and means business. With his policies-laced mindset, Peter Obi will reposition Nigeria. Supporting him is asking for revival.
After Peter Obi, my next choice is Kwankwaso. Now, this tells you that I am not being tribalistic by endorsing Peter Obi. Buhari, from the north is about to complete his eight years in office, with a south western vice president. It will be so unfair to have another president from the north in a multi-ethnic nation like Nigeria.
Apart from coming from the South East, a region yet to produce president of this nation, Peter Obi is most competent, looking at his antecedents. Unless one intends to be tribalistic or nepotistic, Obi’s candidacy should seem right to anyone that wishes Nigeria well.
Obviously, the worth of the support varies but, we must stick to the one of corporate interest so it would not cost our lives after the polls.
