Arewa-online

The Politics Of Who Wants To Be President Come 2007

Prince Charles Dickson

Jos, Plateau Nigeria Nov 5, 2006

Weeks back I was asked by a reader my opinion about who was the best Presidential material for the 2007 General Elections, ordinarily this should not have been a hard nut but then as much as I have written a couple of essays on my honest assessment I have in light of new developments decided to take a more candid look and my verdict is not palatable. But off course for all it is worth we should look at it dispassionately and agree that we have a problem.

In Nigeria everything and anything is possible, elections may hold and crazy as it sounds it may not hold, this is a nation that has 4 crashes in 15 months, impeaches a Governor at 5.00am in the morning, seeks to remove a Governor by all means necessary, attempt the kidnap of another Governor, obeys and disobeys court orders at will. Indeed any thing is possible, we have seen how the voters' register exercise is coming on, so look the truth is anything can happen. However in the event of the elections holding the picture is not far from this.

In Benin City last week former Chief of Staff Admiral Mike Akhigbe had told his audience that he was in the Presidential race because "the changes that had taken place in the country in the last seven years had created a conducive atmosphere for people to build on...it is time to consolidate the administration's achievements...for this reason I have offered myself..." I beg to differ though but this is what I call an Obasanjo clone, and I can dare say amongst the lot presently campaigning there are many of them like that with the phrase consolidating on Baba's reform and this sounds partly like continuing the era of impeachments, state of emergencies, reforms without results nor human face.

As at press time, on the PDP card were eleven men and two women, from Victor Attah, Sam Egwu, Abdullahi, Peter Odili, Jerry Gana, Mike Akhigbe, Buba Marwa, Maman Kontagora, Sarah Jubril, P. Sawa, Donald Duke, Markafi, Saminu Turaki...In ANPP, the indefatigable General Buhari, Bukar Ibrahim, Yerima, Bashir Tofa. For Atiku one cannot yet be conclusive as to where he stands in the on-going permutations, also the Maradonic player IBB is still smiling with his gap tooth despite the EFCC set backs. I have not left out Orji Kalu, one of the President's Achilles knee. The traveling Professor Pat Utomi is not left out in the chase and Brother Chris Okotie.

However from this list that is bound to grow as we approach the D-date, we see a bunch of jokers, very many of them, and sadly just a remote number of persons that actually qualify to rule you and I. The truth is that we never may get a saint for President but we deserve the best that the nation has to offer and that is the premise on which one would campaign for any of these men or women.

Before I draw criticisms from readers and then I am accused of fronting for anyone I want to take us back to 1999, when the battle was between Olusegun and Olu Falae, there was a semblance of issues politicking, there were matters on ground to campaign for, goals were set out, although today it is doubtful if any of the promises made have been fulfilled but at least then there was something to vote for. I recall in the run off to the 1979 elections parties and candidates had promises, assertions, utterances that they could be held responsible for.

Some promised to eradicate the vermin of sectionalism, others to abolish all private schools, another to grant free education, others were even talking of stopping the irresponsible talk about free education. To scrap JAMB, to pardon Ojukwu and Gowon, to help roadside mechanics, to halt inflation, to establish a university in every state, to create a House of Chiefs in all States, to create full employment and banning non-Nigerians from holding jobs, to grant higher wages, not to grant higher wages but to provide more food and housing, to provide a master-plan that would cure the nation of all its maladies, especially indiscipline, and to eradicate crime, poverty, diseases, hunger, ignorance. The list was endless, some infact believed if voted into power they would eradicate mosquitoes and put air conditioners on the busy streets of Lagos.

Today the parties, the men are bereft of ideas, it is either we have an Obasanjo shadow, or we have men that are fighting each other while others are jostling for the post of Vice President, some others are just stooges whom we know cannot win an election in their village. And each passing day brings us closer to the elections and we have not been able to address the real issues. The PDP has a commercial running on the television and radio, in which the song of a young contemporary Nigerian artiste is adulterated, the commercial is supposed to appeal to the young at heart but then it only portrays the childish nature of the PDP. It could talk of NAFDAC (I do understand), Debt Relief, Anti-Corruption, Banking Reforms and then finito, in seven years and this is all.

I agree that NAFDAC and Dora the CEO is about one of the best thing to happen to Nigeria, I also support the EFCC despite its most times Gestapo style operations, it is working somehow, for Debt relief and Banking reforms it is not yet uhuru, the reason some candidates are talking of consolidation. Lest I drift for the candidates that supported the third term arrangement with what moral are they contesting? Those of the Governor's league that barely made an impression in running their States what can the offer a larger Nigeria. I hate not IBB, neither do I like him and for those that throw stones at him for corruption, with possibly rare distinction to Shagari, and Murtala, which Nigerian leader was not corrupt but that is not the issue what else does the man want...IBB is like Richard Nixon, the US President that was disgraced out of Office coming back to contest again.

IBB has a right to contest but I believe his person insults the Nigerian sensibility. I like Buhari but, many buts, can we not have a civilian for what it is worth, can Buhari not play a Statesman that he is, then the always religious sentiments of what he said and did not say comes up. Atiku has lost the moral right and the Atiku Campaign Organization would never agree on this but sadly it is the truth.

For the gentleman Duke in Cross Rivers, the Tinapa Project is his claim, Nigeria will see more of such, for Odili he has managed or mismanaged enough of Nigeria's resources as his state gets the second largest chunk of the National cake. With exception of few Governors Orji Kalu has had all sorts of running battles with the Federal Government and he hopes to climb the the podium besides...Is the young man the picture of humility, soberness and forthrightness that the office of the President needs, one doubts.

Then can we call Jerry Gana, Abdullahi Adamu, men of their own, are they men of honour on who we can have a social contract. When did Tofar wake up from his slumber, we hear Markafi is ready to take anything. How about the spoilers among the group. The fact is that not many of these men and women have told us why we should vote them as President, the President that we need is not another Aremu, almighty know it all, the impeacher and reformer of all, sinless and blameless.

Pat Utomi may look like it but, yes but can he navigate the murky waters, here I leave out the issue of money politics, but can he pass those intellectual tabs to reality for the ordinary man, he and Pastor Chris can they bring wonderful theories into practical. The way it is, and the way it remains for now is that there may be that dark horse, Bill Clinton was a Governor that went on to change the face of American economics, politics and left a mark...Can any of these Governors change or transform into our President. Do they have the character, the mien, and looking into the crystal ball, are we moving ahead with these calibres of men or would we as usual be again on the verge of taking steps backward.