By Stephen Obidike
With the 2023 national elections gradually approaching, there has been numerous predictions and expectations. However, one of the most baffling occurrences is the number and variety of people picking the presidential nomination form under the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). At a hundred million naira, it is the most expensive presidential nomination form of all the parties. Despite that more than twenty politicians with majority having roles in the current administration have purchased the form. A prominent political figure from the North recently joked that he prays God will bless a certain state in Nigeria with as many foreign investors as He has blessed APC with presidential aspirants. What it says of the ruling party and their efforts to fight corruption leaves more to be desired.
On the other side of the divide, The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are selling their presidential nomination form for forty million naira. However, the party is more in the news due to zoning than the price of their form. The party has always had an unwritten agreement to practice rotation of their presidential flag-bearers through the six geopolitical zones in the country. Amongst these zones, the South-East has not gotten the presidential nomination by the party since the party started although many of the principal founding fathers of the party were from the region. Although the region currently has a few presidential hopefuls from the South-East, one man stands out.
In what some northern politicians have described as unique, even a prominent politician from one of the northern states recently said that there were two presidential aspirants in the country, Mr. Peter Obi and others. Mr. Obi, a presidential candidate from the PDP, has taken the presidential political space by storm, not because of his crackly, chocking voice that will make you think he will not be able to complete his next sentence but by his clear, concise, and articulate message to the people regarding the problems facing the nation. The practical solutions he has proffered have not been rivaled by any of the other presidential aspirants whose interviews have mainly looked like comical shows.
Mr. Peter Obi, who prefers to call himself a trader from Onitsha is not new in Nigerian political space. He was a Former Governor of Anambra State where his frugal economic policies turned the state to one of the economic vibrant states in the country. He was also a Vice Presidential aspirant under the PDP in the 2019 Presidential election. His CV boasts of numerous academic degrees from Nigeria and other notable institutions worldwide. He is also an accomplished businessman and have served in the board of several financial institutions in the country and beyond. Looking at the economic and security situation of the country now, Mr. Obi seems to have reasonable and practical solutions that will move the country out of the tipping edge it currently finds itself.
Democracy they say is power of the people, by the people, for the people. In essence it is all about the people. However, the way it works makes one wonder if there is anything like true democracy. For every election, first, each party has candidates that are screened, and the party nominates their own preferred candidate. This nomination is done by party delegates who realistically represent various vested interests within the party and not the people’s interest. This is where the power is taken from the people, this is where the deceit resides. This is where democracy died even before it was born. The selected candidates from the parties are now presented to the people to be voted for. This is where the people are made to believe they are the ones choosing their leaders. This is the charade that is regarded as democracy.
In any case, Mr. Peter Obi and the others will be going through this process to determine who is going to be Nigeria’s president in 2023. However, the message is clear as day. So far there are only two presidential aspirants in the race.
Dr. Obidike, an Emergency Physician wrote from the UK.
