Now that the primary elections of the various political parties in Nigeria have come and gone, the stage is getting set for the political campaigns and political fireworks to start gaining ground.
Ideally, the Nigerian electorates have started clamouring, particularly over the social media, and via discussions and arguments, for the candidates of their choice who they think would be most suitable and capable of saving Nigeria and Nigerians from the sorry state we have found ourselves.
As a result of this, various battle lines have been drawn across party lines, ethnic lines, religious lines, as well as regional lines. At some points, one would be forced to ask if these clamourings are for the common good of the common man, or are these for individualistic/selfish tendencies or parochial interests as the game has always been about?
The PDP is preparing hard to outwit the ruling APC, the incumbent APC is gearing-up to outsmart/retain their position over the PDP. The NNPP is warming-up to overtake them all but re-energized Labour Party wants the top job of ruling and changing Nigeria for the better but I tell you this; you are in for a shocker if you are expecting a Messiah President in Nigeria so soon!
Please and please don’t get me wrong. I come in peace, and I want a Nigeria that is safe and secure for massive development and industrialisation to thrive, and for the standard of living to be okay for the Nigerian populace but the truth is still the truth. Nigeria is ripe for saving but we don’t have the right personality right now to save us. Nigeria also lack the constitutional framework that would readily usher in the peace, growth and development we so sought. Having x-rayed the materials available right now, I am forced to think the way I am thinking right now. We are trying to believe in candidates that could save Nigeria but we all have our doubts.
To this end, we should continue to shop for the best and credible forerunner who would come in via the 2023 Presidential elections to lay the ground work for the true Messiah President to carry out the main transformational work. Let us not deceive ourselves, this country cannot be changed in just eight years- so much hardwork need to be done over a long time with dedication and consistency. Nigeria is a very complex country to govern.
Again, while shopping for the next youthless president,. let the youth watch and learn, and prepare to take-over from these old hands. The youths are yet to stage a proper takeover. Let us not misbehave by killing or hurting ourselves for the present crop of politicians because we need to be alive to witness the beginning of a new era which is the relaying of the national foundation. We need to be ready to snatch the baton very soon.
We could be getting our hopes too high if we discovered in six to eight years from now that we didn’t elect a saviour president. It is, indeed, a tall order. We should be aware of the reality that no one is perfect, and everyone learns on the job in spite of prior experiences. The expectation placed on the present administration was far higher when it came onboard but a lot of hopes seemed to have been dashed as it is.
In real sense, what Nigerians should be looking out for is a candidate with a unifying political strategy. A candidate with the will-power to deliver the dividends of pure democratic values without bias. He or she should be someone with the requisite skill and rare political tactics to navigate the Nigeria Ship away from the troubled waters of corruption, nepotism, decayed infrastructure, insecurity and poverty, to the glorious sea of massive industrial development, security, unity, peace, wealth, trust and stability of our economy. This would then offer the opportunity for steady growth, sustainable development and lasting solutions to our young democracy. We need a Presidential candidate that can fast-track the manufacturing sector with the building of our confidence in home-made goods and reduce our over-dependence on importation with emphasis on improving the dollar to naira ratio.
In other words, what I am saying is simple: Nigeria needs a presidential candidate that can secure our citizens from the massive threat of insecurity that we are presently under. Nigerians need a candidate that can speak the language that all regions of this country could understand. A candidate who possesses a formidable blueprint that could re-engineer the faulty foundations of this country so that we could start the rebuilding and healing process of a better and greater Nigeria. The billion naira question now is “who does this particular cap fit?”
