Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea- The Nigerian Dilemma
In less than a month from now, Nigerians
will head to the poll to choose the next person to lead that great country. I
love Nigeria, not just because it is the land of my birth or because it is a
wealthy country; but also because of its place in prophecy and its strategic
position in the committee of Nations. Nigeria is the most populous
country in Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world; we cannot
ignore what happens there or pretend not to be concerned. It is important to note
that whatever happens in Nigeria invariably affects several things around the
globe. That said, my friends, Nigerian politics, as dangerous as it seems, is
everyone’s business no matter your nationality, race, profession, location or
religion.
Due to the ethics of my “profession” I am not supposed to be
partisan, but by all means, I am allowed freedom of speech which the Pope
recently told us also has its limits. Yes I can express my thoughts without
being inordinate, brutal, offensive or unnecessarily forceful. A good leader
should never instigate the people against instituted authorities. No matter how
bad a leader is, there is a purpose why he/she is in position of leadership and
every wise leader knows better than to tear down other leaders. And for
followers, it has not been given to any one of us, the right or power to make
mutinous statements against any leader. If fellow leaders are not allowed to do
certain things against their colleagues, who are you to dance where angels fear
to tread!? In dealing with leaders, caution is required.
Key Players
I see that two key parties and two key
players have emerged for the presidential position. The two parties; People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressive Congress (APC) have produced two
juggernauts. No disrespect to other candidates and parties, but as a
semi-neutral observer, I can’t but notice the disparity between these two and
the other candidates/parties. I might be wrong, but I believe that the next
president of Nigeria will be one of these two. But which of them has what it
takes to move the country forward?
Looking at some information about each of them might help the
electorate and other observers decide who best suits Nigeria.
APC Candidate:
1) He is 72 years old (He was born 1942)
2) A Muslim from Northern Nigeria
3) Has some form of military training and qualification
4) Was once a military ruler (for about 2 years)
5) He ran for presidential
election three times before now (2003, 2007 and 2011) and lost in all three.
6) Has the backing of the Islamic militant group Boko Haram
PDP Candidate:
1) He is 57 years old (he was born 1957)
2) A Christian from South south
Nigeria
3) Has a PhD in Zoology
4) Rose to power by what some have called a twist of fate
5) Contested and won the 2011 general election against
retired Major General Buhari with 59% of the votes
6) Is the incumbent president and probably has some backing
too
My thoughts
In the first place, I think the
constitutional cut of age to be Nigerian president, makes it difficult for
young people who have the know-how to lead, contest for the position. If
someone is younger than forty years and leads a multi-million dollar company
with several hundreds of people in his pay roll, what else does he need to
prove that he has potential to lead!? Don’t tell me he needs some experience,
isn’t there something like on-the-job-training? Oh! Yes I know the answer.
Nobody can just come in from anywhere and contest for any elective position;
there is a “cabal” that runs the polity and if such a young and rich leader is
not part of the clique or does not have a godfather behind him, he has no
chance. Strange! Very, very strange! What we have in Nigeria is a weird system
that, among other ills, have left top political offices for only the old,
sick and tired people who have little or no ideas left in their frail minds.
Rather than have young and intelligent people vie for political positions, we
have people who should play advisory roles seeking leadership positions. Some
even have ruled and failed and are attempting to come back again. Is it just me
or does anybody else think there is clear ploy to keep Nigeria backward?
There are four factors I think the electorate should consider
before voting:
1) Age
2) History
3) True democrat
4) Health condition
Not too long ago, we had a president who could not finish his term
due to ill health. I think by now Nigerians have learnt not to vote-in anybody
who doesn’t pass the health test. But again, I’m not too sure if the electoral
commission performs any such tests and even if they do, can it be trusted? If
anyone is contesting for a leadership position, I think the least we expect to
know is that his organs should last for the period he intends to serve. Maybe
we should not be asking for his health history, but if any of the contestants
shows signs of weakness and the electoral commission allows him to contest,
then we the people should not allow him get “up there”. Once bitten, twice shy.
A sick leader cannot make good decisions. Sounds like stating the obvious, but
in a country like Nigeria, where many of the people simulate ignorance, it is
important to mention.
Boring History
In high School, History was one of my most boring subjects. No
amount of coffee could keep me awake in a history class. But as I grew up, I
personally took interest in history because I realized that there is no way
anyone can make progress without considering what happened in the past.
I was 7 years old in 1976 when Muritala Mohammad was assassinated.
I remember the fear and trepidation which followed the news of the coup and
death of the then military ruler. But not too long, we had another military
ruler, General Obasanjo. I’m not sure if he did badly during his tenure, but
his leadership was not all that excellent; but terminating military rule,
lifting the ban on political activities and initiating transition to civilian
rule was among the fruits his “first coming” yielded. Not too long a civilian
president was installed and history was made-for the first time Nigerians voted
in their own president (at least that’s how our fathers felt).
Early one morning, December 1983, we woke up to the news that the
civilian president had been overthrown. A military coup had brought down the
democratically elected civilian government. Having dismantled the civilian
government, Major General Buhari installed himself as the leader of the Supreme
Military Council. About two years into his regime, there was another coup
d’état. IBB overthrew Buhari and took over power. He ruled Nigeria from 1985
until 1993 when he was forced out of office. When he, IBB, “stepped aside”, he
handed over to a so called Interim Government which did not last more than
ninety days. The madness continued and culminated in the death of Sanni Abacha.
After all the Military foolishness, it
was time to hand over power to the people, as they claimed. Abdusalami, who
became Head of State after Abacha’s death and who, as was claimed, had never
held public office, announced transition to civilian rule. Although they called
it civilian rule, the masses didn’t think it was. That marked the “second
coming” of Olusegun Obasanjo. Some believe that the difference between his
first and second tenure as president was the military uniform. There was not
much of a difference in his modus operandi.
The Catch-22
When the present president came into
office, many people began to sing his praise and some even said he was the
chosen one who will lead Nigeria to the “promised land”. But after one term and
a half, many have come to discover that things are not always as they seem.
During the tenure of Goodluck Jonathan, one can point to several things that
are not working as they should. Although he claims that the electricity problem
has improved, the reality on ground seems to show otherwise. Some claim Boko
Haram have wreaked devastation of catastrophic proportions while the president
and his government turn a deaf ear to the cry of the people. He still has not
been able to help us actualize our dreams and #bringbackourgirls. Security is
still a major concern in Nigeria; armed and highway robbery continues to be the
order of the day. We can go on and on to list things that President Goodluck
Jonathan has not been able to achieve in about seven years in office. Is he the
best man for the job? I am not sure.
Like I stated earlier, two parties and candidates have become top
dogs and I think the race to Aso Rock is a two horse race. Goodluck Jonathan’s
PDP and Muhhamadu Buhari’s APC have emerged as the two major contestants. So if
Goodluck is not the best man for the job, is Buhari the right one? Erm! You
know, I have a problem saying he is better. If we consider his antecedent (how
he overthrew a civilian government and etc.), then we won’t be wrong to assume
that he may still have some seditious traits in his system.
As an old Nigerian adage goes “people
don’t become left handed at old age”. I agree. I find it difficult to believe
that after many years of going through tough military training and working in a
system that does not allow for free speech, one can change at old age and
become a democrat. I may be wrong or ignorant, but can someone explain to me,
how can someone who overthrew a democratically elected government suddenly wake
up and say he now believes in democracy? Can a military dictator ever become a
true democrat who understands and follows the rule of law and applies the
principles of diplomacy? Will he become left-handed at the age of
seventy-two?
Who will I vote for?
Recently someone sent me a link to listen to a young fairly popular
Catholic priest who made an open declaration criticizing the incumbent
president and asked Nigerians to vote him out. I took time to listen to his
emotion ridden sermon and I cannot but ask “seriously brother Reverend Father?”
I really do not have any other comment than that.
When caught between the devil and the
deep blue sea, I would rather take my chances with the sea. At least with the
sea I have better chances than with the devil. I will swim for as long as I can
and hope help comes before I drown or freeze to death. I do not want to dine
with the devil not even with the proverbial “long spoon”; evil is evil no
matter how nice we try to sugar coat it. Choosing to go with the devil will be
selling out my soul. Why offer your soul for safety when you will die anyway!?
Let’s call a spade what it is, Nigeria’s problem cannot be solved
within ten years. Let us not be fooled with all the promises these politicians
make. Like Nikita Khrushchev puts it “Politicians are the same all over. They
promise to build bridges even when there are no rivers” They can promise to
bring heaven down to earth, but when they get there they rarely perform. No
individual has what it takes to make Nigeria a “paradise” overnight. Nigeria is
work-in-progress and voting for anyone from the first, second, or third
republic is only a retrogressive move.
Since I have to vote, I will vote for 1) the younger 2) the
healthier one 3) the one I believe really believes in democracy 4) one whose
history does not portend future trouble for Nigeria.
Only God has the power to save, help and
transform Nigeria, but in the absence of a clear revelation of who He has
chosen to use, let us vote wisely and not allow the events of 1983 repeat
itself.
