By Sola Ebiseni
The much-awaited year 2023, so expectantly talked about by Nigerians and her well-wishers is here with a big bang, and already stirring ripples around the country. As usual, it was welcomed with prophesies and predictions on all conceivable issues, but only those touching on the elections appear to matter to Nigerians.
The Man of Letters, former President Matthew Olusegun Aremu Okikiola Obasanjo, would not even allow the very first day pass by before he released a salvo in his quintessential letter writing fashion. Like it or not, Peter Obi’s candidacy has not only attracted quality commendation by well-meaning Nigerians, it is evident that it is the only aspiration that comparatively matters to Nigerians from the usually non-partisan quarters.
Non-partisan in this context does not mean being apolitical but those who have no constraints or burdens of political party membership. By my position as the Secretary General of the Afenifere and ipso facto member of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, this organisation of the ethnic nationalities of the three regions of the South and of the Middle Belt which traversed all the three zones of the North is completely insulated from the pressures of political parties.
As a matter of fact the groups consist of elder statesmen, politicians with members cutting across political parties. But when it comes to taking decisions about what is best for Nigeria, those partisan considerations are simply a taboo. Before Obasanjo finally unveiled the big masquerade of his preference, several other leaders have been speaking in parables which irresistibly point to Peter Obi. When Maradonic Ibrahim Babangida, who once relished the appellation of the “evil genius”, said the next President would be in his early 60s, it did not require any imagination to come to terms with the subject of his reference and prediction if you compare the ages of the front-liners.
Even the taciturn Goodluck Jonathan, in little words, commended Obi for being the first of the candidates to accord him a respectful visit as former President and many people have praised Gregory the Rock for his Omoluwabi candour. In public, Obasanjo vacated his seat for Peter as Jesus proclaimed Simon as Peter the rock upon which he would build his Church and gave him the keys of infinite possibilities.
The crowd-pulling clergies who make their sanctuaries available to Peter to just take a bow before the ecstatic congregation are probably propelled by the vision of emergence of Peter Obi or passion of the goodness of Nigeria.
Obasanjo identified “four major factors to watch out for a leader you will consider to hoist on yourself and on the rest of Nigerians in the coming election and they are what I call TVVP: Track record of ability and performance; Vision that is authentic, honest and realistic; Character and attributes of a lady and a gentleman who are children of God and obedient to God; and Physical and mental capability with soundness of mind as it is a very taxing and tasking assignment at the best of times and more so it is at the most difficult time that we are”.
The former President decried and dismissed the concepts of “emi lokan” (it is my turn) and “I have paid my dues” as each side of the same coin and rather charged the youths that “eyin lo kan” was the population to which the future holds. In 2014, when the five PDP Governors disagreed with Goodluck Jonathan, the choice of where to go was not difficult to make. APC, even then, was a juvenile political party. The difference between them and the present five Governors and others in the Integrity Group is the presence of Obi.
They know what the public looks for in integrity which cannot be in those who already told Nigerians that it is their turn to rule them. The Integrity Group knows that just as the “Emi lo kan” group described Obasanjo’s endorsement as worthless, they certainly would dismiss the involvement of the Integrity Group as a favour for a probably marooned group which needed them for survival and not a worthy partner.
It is beyond doubt that the only locus of integrity in the present race to the 2023 general election is the OBIDATTI vision and combination. Only pretenders will rationalise the lack of integrity in the PDP combination which is seeking to foist another President of Northern extraction on Nigerians against the national consensus of a Southern/Northern regional rotation. The APC arrangement is faulted on its disrespect to both zonal and faith sensitivities. The underlying factor for this wanton disregard for Nigerians is the sense of entitlement to Nigeria’s rulership by one who says he has paid his dues and the other who flaunts it in the face of over 200 million free-born citizens that it is his turn to rule them.
The campaign round the country by both of them is a mere charade covering the face of Nigerians from minds which say “l’etat cest moi ( I am the State) in a democracy. The reactions of other political parties to the endorsement of the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi by former President Obasanjo is not unexpected. Obasanjo is an institution whose views are respected all over the world. His endorsement is sought by all the political parties and candidates.
Those who said his endorsement was worthless went to him with fanfare in Abeokuta last August seeking his endorsement and Nigerians still remember that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila defied all protocols to announce an Obasanjo endorsement which never happened and invariably denied by the former President. They may also wish to be reminded that in 2015, Obasanjo, in preference for equity, threw his weight against the candidate of his own PDP, paving way for the then infant APC to grab the Presidency.
Obasanjo’s commendation of Obi to Nigerians is in tandem with the well-considered opinion of well-meaning Nigerians in all walks of life, including the ethnic nationality groups, former heads of state and Presidents, particularly the youths who are the authors and certainly will be the finishers of the OBIDATTI vision. Pa Edwin Clarke has immediately after Obasanjo’s killer punch against lack of integrity in our body politic further reiterated his endorsement of Peter Obi. So now too is the legal icon, Chief Afe Babalola.
The difference between Obi and other contestants is that the endorsements which they do not get spending billions are given Obi voluntarily and in good faith by well-meaning Nigerians. Their modus operandi is a resort to abuses, blackmail and orchestrated but futile efforts to divide or destroy personalities and institutions they could not influence.
As Obasanjo endorsement dey sweet us, na pain e dey pain dem.
*Ebiseni is Secretary General, Afenifere and South West Coordinator, OBIDATTI CAMPAIGNS
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