New Telegraph

2023: Waiting for a ‘reluctant’ president

A few months to the presidential primary, some aspirants are yet to declare their interest. ONYEKACHI EZE asks whether history will repeat itself whereby a reluctant aspirant is preferred ahead early contenders

Perhaps, the person who may eventually fly the flags of the two major political parties, All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s presidential election have not yet declared their ambition. Historically, Nigeria is known to be ruled by “reluctant” presidents.

Since independence in 1960 and now, only three leaders – former military heads of state, Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha, and now President Muhammadu Buhari, desired to lead Nigeria and it came to pass. That is why many Nigerians are disappointed at Buhari’s performance because he contested for the Office of President a record of three times before he was elected on his fourth attempt.

A quick look at past Nigeria leaders showed they were drafted at the last minute to lead the country. For instance, the first and only prime minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa, was drafted to the centre and subsequently became the prime minister because the leader of the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), Sir Ahmadu Bello, wanted to consolidate on the Northern region. Also, the first executive president, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, was preparing to go to the Senate, when he was invited to fly the presidential flag of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1979. The most recent one is the emergence of Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, as PDP presidential candidate in 2007.

Yar’Adua had already written to his alma mater, the Ahmadu Bello University, where he was a lecturer before he became the governor of Katsina State in 1999, of his intention to return to his former job on May 29, 2007. But by stroke of luck and divine providence, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nominated him as its presidential candidate in the December 2006 convention. Before his emergence, Dr. Peter Odili, the then governor of Rivers State, had toured round the country and had made elaborate campaign plans for his presidential ambition. Odili in his biography: “Conscience and History: My Story,” recalled that “By October and November (2006) my campaign, led by Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, had penetrated every state in the federation and it became obvious the Odili candidacy had attained national acceptance and had become a movement. Odili was seen as the frontrunner, the candidate to beat. “Traditional rulers, emirs, tribal leaders, labour unions, stakeholders, etc had embraced and were favourably disposed to Odili. For some inexplicable reason, the plot to stop him, by some people, became pathologically ‘urgent’. The PDP convention for nomination of the presidential candidate was slated for 16th December, 2006.”

In the race were also were then Governors Ahmed Markarfi and Adamu Mu’Azu, among others. As a matter of fact, Ayodele Fayose, who chaired the presidential committee set up by PDP to find a suitable flag bearer for the party, reportedly said Markarfi was the most preferred candidate.

Former President of the Senate Ken Nnamani, also in his autobiography: “Standing Strong: Legislative Reforms, Third Term and Other Issues of the 5th Senate,” said “all serious contenders” vying for PDP presidential ticket in the 2007 elections were (either) “hounded out of the way or convinced to withdraw.” Against all expectations, Yar’Adua who was already going back to the class-room emerged as the PDP candidate and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who was campaigning to retain his job as governor of Bayelsa Sate became his running mate. Recall that the same scenario played out in 1999, when former Head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo, was begged to contest the presidential election few months after his release from prison.

Obasanjo who had wondered how many “presidents” they wanted to make out of him, had his campaign fully funded and at the PDP convention in Jos, Plateau State, he defeated a former vice president, Dr. Alex Ekwueme and other contenders to emerge as the party’s presidential candidate. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, then Governor- elect of Adamawa State became his running mate. Ekwueme and others who laboured and fought the General Sani Abacha planned transformation to a civilian president, and formed the PDP, were pushed aside. Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, a number of aspirants, either by themselves or support groups in the two major political parties, the APC and the PDP, have flagged-off campaigns for their parties’ presidential ticket for the February 25, 2023 election.

In the APC are the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Ebonyi State governor David Umahi and former Imo State governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha. Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbanjo has not declared his ambition but over 100 support groups have been going round the country soliciting for his endorsement. In the PDP, the aspirants include former Presidents of the Senate Anyim Pius Anyim and Bukola Saraki, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal and his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed, former President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa and media mogul Dele Momodu.

Yet, there are others in the two parties who have not declared their intention, but who might be waiting in the wings. One of them is former Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, and the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba. Obi might run on the platform of the PDP, while Nwajiuba on the platform of the APC. Obi was PDP’s vice presidential candidate in 2019. He is interested in the presidency but has not yet declared.

The former governor wants PDP to make a declarative statement on where its presidential candidate in 2023 will come from. He said in an interview: “All the elections I followed in the past, the PDP made a pronouncement and took a stand. At least in 2019, when I was involved, where I can say Atiku Abubakar chose me as his running mate, for which I remain grateful, the party decided that the candidate should come from the North. “So, I believe that the party owes it a duty to declare its stand.

If its stand today is South, be rest assured I am aspiring, if it says North, I can’t do otherwise or the party may decide to choose the option that everybody is free with and then, you will hear from me.” Despite the fact that he has not declared his intention, Obi is enjoying the goodwill of many Nigerians, including one of the PDP presidential aspirants, Momodu, who said recently that he would support a candidate with competence and capacity rather than tribal affiliations. According to him, “I have no problems with an Igbo man becoming president.

I have some competent leaders I had expected to join the race, either in APC or PDP. Among all the presidential aspirants from the South-East, my most preferred in PDP, will be Peter Obi. But unfortunately, I don’t have the power to make him president. “He will have to go and slug it out at the party level. If I had such powers, I would say let Peter Obi be president, and it will be done.”

During the recent African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Cameroon, a football fan threatened Obi with court action if he fails to declare for presidency. The former governor had tweeted after Nigeria’s Super Eagles defeated Sudan that “in a season of gloom, the Super Eagles have again given us a reason to celebrate and be hopeful. Keep the flag flying. #AFCON2021 – PO” But the concerned fan with the handle, @FakeBuhari responded: “Sir, if at the end of this month and you don’t declare interest for presidency in the 2023 election, then be ready for a legal action from me. Leave #AFCON2021 for Orji UZOR Kalu, that’s his calling, not yours.

Your calling is excellent economic leadership. Congrats #TeamNigeria.” However, while Obi jokingly demanded to know the real name of the fan, he pleaded for some time. The Anambra State chapter of the PDP, on its part, promised to purchase the presidential nomination form for Obi. The chapter said in a statement after its expanded state executive committee meeting that the decision “was occasioned by a rare show of leadership ability displayed by the former governor of Anambra State and leader of the party in the state, Mr Peter Obi…” On the other hand, Nwajiuba may be APC’s joker for the 2023 presidential election.

A protégé of President Buhari who has been in politics for a while, the minister is probably waiting until after the March 26 APC national convention to declare his presidential ambition. A lawyer by training and former member of the House of Representatives (Ihitte- Uboma/Obowo/Ehime Mbano federal constituency of Imo State), Nwajiuba had contested Imo State governorship on two occasions – 2003 and 2011.

These two occasions were on the platforms of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), coincidentally the time these parties fielded President Buhari as presidential candidate. He is seen as a very close and trusted ally of Buhari, a fact that was attributed to his appointment as Executive Chairman of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), the first and only Igbo man to hold such position. Although he was re-elected to the House of Representatives in 2019 on the platform of Accord Party, Nwajiuba vied for the speakership of the House after declaring for the APC.

Though he failed to make it, his appointment into Buhari’s cabinet almost immediately after the speakership contest might be a pointer that his speakership aspiration was inspired from somewhere near the seat of power. National Coordinator of the Project Nigeria Group (PNG), one of the support groups calling on him to contest the 2023 presidency, Prof. Armayau Bichi, described Nwajiuba as “a bridge builder between the young and the old, the North and the South and the various ethnic and religious diversities. Bichi added: “He has the energy and strength to occupy the Nigerian presidency and meet up the demands of such office at a time like this.”

Bichi added that Nwajiuba “has the needed character, capacity, candour, competence and capability for the exalted office,” stating that though he is an Igbo in acts and pacts, he has a vision to use his Igboness to take the nation to a greater height. “He is the force for the breaking off of hatred and ethnicism and building up strong alliances for our national development.

The real question now is: What are we looking for in the actualisation of a Nigerian president of South-East extraction or how do we actualise the dream of a Nigerian president of South-East extraction? There’s no other voice so loud and clear and no other selfless leader so committed to the growth of our nation like Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba.” President Buhari in an interview said he is keeping close to his chest, his choice successor but if reports over the forthcoming national convention of the APC regarding the national chairmanship position are anything to go by, it then means that similar scenario might play out in the party’s presidential ticket.

The belief in some political quarters is that though neither Obi nor Nwajiuba has declared intention for the 2023 presidency, they can still make the difference. Both have paid the dues; they have also been tested. While the question is: Will 2023 produce another “reluctant” president for Nigeria, the next few months will proffer an answer by the time the presidential candidates of the two main political parties emerge.

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