If you faced Peter Obi in Enugu as I did on New Year’s Eve as he navigated through the mine field of Nigerian politics, you will agree effortlessly with anyone who describes him as a firebrand. This man is not just passionate about Nigeria, he is committed to any cause that can get it out of the woods.
Politics in Nigeria, as we very well know, is not an edifying enterprise. Our experience as a people bears this assertion out. From the very beginning, it has been a tale of woes. Rigging, thuggery, violence, murder, and corruption, among other negatives, define politics and electioneering in Nigeria. The actors themselves are so steeped in these evils to the extent that the typical Nigerian politician looks like one big evil.
Over the years, there may have been a flicker of light here and there. But none was able to graduate to anything enduring. However, things assumed an inspiring dimension in 2022 when Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and vice presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential election, stepped forward to stand election for the office of president. While campaigning for the presidential seat in the 2023 general elections, Obi came with a message and approach that captured the imagination of Nigerians. Before then, Nigerians were used to politicians and their ghost words. Having been accustomed to the lies and deceit that perennially waft out from political covens, they could no longer be persuaded or cajoled by anything into believing what politicians say or do. But Peter Obi came like a breath of fresh air. He belied all the negativity that is associated with the Nigerian politician. Where the typical Nigerian politician will pontificate, Obi will not. He has no place for rhetoric. Rather, he engages his subject, whatever it is, with clarity of vision and purpose. Until Obi happened on the political scene as a presidential candidate, Nigerians were yet to experience the freshness and hope that came with his message. His stellar performance in that election was a clear indication that Nigerians still cherish and respect values.
Since that election was won and lost, Obi has demonstrated in no small measure that he is not a flash in the pan. His message is rooted in conviction and sincerity of purpose. This tendency came alive in Enugu on New Year’s Eve.
Having taken a hard look at the way things have been under the present dispensation, Obi stepped forward not to declare that he will stand for election in 2027 but to point the way out of the quagmire. Why has the government of the day failed? How can things be done differently? To demonstrate that he is poised to find solutions to our numerous governance issues, Obi has, within the intervening years, taken lessons on leadership. He has understudied countries whose leaders have made their countries to work. He has read and learnt from successful leaders across the globe. Examples are Indonesia, the country with the largest economy in south east Asia and Rwanda, an African country once torn apart by war but which has, through good leadership, emerged as a model economy to be emulated.
Since he is convinced, based on practical experiences, that the problem of Nigeria rests on the twin pillars of bad leadership and lack of unity, Obi is poised, more than ever before, to ensure the enthronement of a functional, productive and inclusive order that will make Nigeria work. He is working towards that turning point where the attainment of a new Nigeria is not just possible but within reach.
Before Obi, Nigerian politics was bottled up in deceit and falsehood. But with him, Nigerian politics is being made to step out of the scroll so as to engage in political and social reconstruction. These espousals were the background upon which Peter Obi’s politics is anchored.
When therefore he went to the historic city of Enugu to make a declaration, he did so with clarity of vision. He has been part of the coalition party that is working towards rescuing Nigeria from the vice grip of kleptocrats. But unlike many a politician who will make a declaration without having a message to back it up, Obi went to Enugu with a compelling message. He knows what can be done for Nigeria to start working. He has pointed out some of them. But what must be done urgently for the country to work is to put certain institutional checks in place.
With Obi’s declaration to confront the ugly situation that we are in, using the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a platform, the stage is set for the battle for the soul of Nigeria. As a coalition political party, the ADC must put its acts together. It has a historical responsibility to save the country from the tiny cabal that is holding it captive. The task is much more urgent considering the fact that this rapacious breed that has seized Nigeria came into power with all manner of subterfuge. They pretended to have the answer to the country’s problems. But no sooner had they grabbed power than it became clear that they are not what the people thought they were. Given the fact that this pretentious breed will do anything possible to hang on to power, the ADC leadership must understand that the task ahead is Herculean. One sure way to arrive at their Damascus is for the leadership of the party to understand the urgency and imperative of the task ahead. The party must do everything possible to avert internal tensions. Compromises that will serve the interest of the party and that of the generality of Nigerians is required. With a strong, united ADC, President Tinubu’s plot to install a one-party Nigeria has fallen flat on its face. The party must consolidate on this gain by working towards giving the ruling party a bloody nose.
Above all this, the ADC must put its best foot forward. It must not field a presidential candidate whose candidature will be mired in controversy. The north-south understanding in power-sharing must be taken into consideration. The party must avoid sore points that the ruling can use against it. Zoning of the presidency, even though it is more conventional than constitutional, is one tricky road that the party must navigate with utmost caution. The ADC has all it takes to carry the day. Peter Obi, the man with the zeal and passion to enthrone a new Nigeria, has pointed the way. His agenda of renewal is both appealing and refreshing. The ADC should adopt it as its manifesto for change. The change he envisions is not the fraudulent one that APC foisted on unsuspecting Nigerians. It is the true change that will bring about a new Nigeria that will work for all.
QUOTE:
“Peter Obi, the man with the zeal and passion to enthrone a new Nigeria, has pointed the way. His agenda of renewal is both appealing and refreshing. The ADC should adopt it as its manifesto for change”.
