The Omens Of His Run Are Positive for APC.
My discussion on Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the 2023 presidential elections began in part 1. If you missed that Part, please read it here.
Since part 1 was published, it is still not clear if the Vice President, Pastor Yemi Osinbajo (PYO) will run for president. Speculations are rife that he would. However, his office was forced to issue a statement to deny a leading newspaper report that he would do so, after the APC convention later this month of February. All well and good.
This second part, nevertheless, works on the presumption that PYO could still be a candidate in a party primary, and contend with others who have so far declared – Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, Chief Uzor Orji Kalu; and possibly some more that may yet join the race. I yearn for a vigorous party primary with a level playing field for as many who desire to pick up the party’s ticket. Why? Because a motley of contenders is very good for internal party democracy.
Secondly because power is NOT given. It has to be taken, and for it to be taken, it has to be pursued. A quotation attributed to William Powell, which he later conveniently tried to deny! It has to be emphasized that a reluctant or imposed candidate is a disservice to democracy. Period! Nobody gets handed power on a platter. You’ve got to compete for, and win it. This make the victor own the process, and those who fall short in its pursuit respect the party and its flag bearer.
So, a hotly contested party primary is good for the soul of any vibrant political party, if it’s fall out is properly managed. Moshood Abiola, a ‘political neophyte’ did it in Jos in March of 1993 at the defunct SDP convention, when he edged out other more established politicians for the SDP ticket. He then successfully united the party behind him going into the general election in June of the same year.
Now, back to PYO. Should he triumph in such an open primary, it will put to rest all insinuations that ‘he is not a politician’, or that ‘he cannot stand alone to achieve political success’. That he was handed the vice presidency ’on a platter’ because the preferred candidate could not run. And PYO needs this respect and impetus going into the general election WHICH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WILL BE THE MOST HOTLY CONTESTED TILL DATE (story for another day), and for which the APC will have no hiding place, as it will have to account for, and justify the last 7 years of its rulership, that has had many Nigerians groaning. This time, there will be no scape-goat in the PDP! That election will be tough!
This leads to the biggest positive for me, of what an Osinbajo presidential run will do for my party platform. Life is hard in ‘average Naija’. Anyone who disputes this is being clever by half. Many do not appreciate, or even want to appreciate that re-building Nigeria after the salad years of the previous ruling party requires pain and sacrifice. And the APC has a mountain to climb to win the presidential election in 2023. For two reasons, one of which is of its own making.
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First reason, APC over promised during its desperation to defeat the PDP government, promises that have truthfully not been fulfilled, especially on the micro economy level. Secondly, because politicians have serially embarrassed themselves by the manner of their profligacy and incompetence, the APC is now left to defend this class as the ruling party.
Now, rather than something to run away from, these daunting reality I believe, is one that the APC can confront and surmount, to argue and show Nigerians that current economic and social pains will lead to tomorrow’s prosperity.
I love PMB, but I cannot recollect him having addressed or spoken to this vision effectively, if at all. But it is a boil that the APC has to lance to win in 2023. And of all the politicians currently in the ruling party, competent to run as standard bearer, I wager that the only one who has the nous to do this effectively and convince Nigerians is PYO.
So, why him, and not others for this salesperson role? Simply because he is not perceived in the light of all other jostling politicians. He does not carry the baggage of one who has been Governor before and therefore access to ‘untold riches’ (unlike Jagaban, Rochas Okorocha, Orji Kalu, and some others who are yet to declare but who have been or are currently sitting governors) Rightly or wrongly, this is the perception the average Nigerian has of the political class. And because politics is perception, PYO may, just maybe, be the one to get the APC over the angry picket of average Nigeria, where I repeat things have been bad.
As I round up this part 2, let me address an issue which many of my party colleagues prefer to conveniently sweep under the carpet. This is the rising tidal wave of intolerance against a presidential run by anyone other than the leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I will specifically mention one by a former member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Rotimi Makinde who represented Ife Federal Constituency in the 7th NASS. He was reported to have said on Saturday, February 5th 2022 that “it would be a sheer waste as well as suicidal for any APC member of Yoruba extraction to contest against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu”. In other words, PYO or any possible candidate WHO BY ACCIDENT OF BIRTH was born of parents from the Southwestern part of Nigeria. (Note my turn of phrase for emphasis, please)
The reality that all ‘Jagabanistas’ must face is that presidential politics is NATIONAL politics, not sectional or local politics. The clout of a godfather pales into insignificance at this level, because there are many parts to Nigeria, with contending interests to boot! If this were not so, the AD and ACN would have won power at the centre on its own strength before 2015!
In national politics, nobody can be restrained as it happens in the sectional domains of godfathers! I reiterate that statements like this gives the impression that the camp of our leader is panicking. Truth of the matter is this: what will validate Jagaban for national office of president is for all who want to contest against him in the primaries to be allowed to, and for him to roundly defeat them! Except that prospect is not an expected outcome!
I hope our people are listening….
If you think this part 2 eulogizes PYO and therefore subtly endorses him, watch out for Part 3, where I will argue against his candidature.
Topic for Part 3 is: 2023 Permutations & PYO, Part 3 – Ahoy! Boulders Ahead.
(C) Adewale Adeniji 09022022.
(Disclosure-This writer is a card carrying member of APC)
