Power. It excites and incites. It
can excite hope and strength, or incite tension, hate and bitterness. Why
should the regional background of the next president be a vexatious issue,
evoking threats and recriminations? Why should brothers be at daggers drawn
with each other over the geography of power? What happened to gentlemanly
ententes, negotiations and trade-offs? What happened to the Nigerian agenda – if
there was ever one? Brothers sheathe thy swords.
If the principal interest of
acquiring power at the centre is to steer Nigeria and all Nigerians to a path
of peace and development, why should the geography of power be such a caustic
issue? If the interest of all Nigerians is of consequence why should the axial
disposition of power be the minatory contention? Well, except the latent grail
of obtaining power at the centre is to pursue regional and sectional agendas, I
see no reason for the pyrotechnics and why we cannot come to an accord on where
power should orbit in 2023.
Really, leadership in Nigeria has
been blighted by ethnic and religious blots. A new leader is elected, but he
gets there and makes ethnic protectionism his pastime. So, Nigerians are wary
because power is not deployed for the benefit of all, but for the convenience
of a few. The north may be skittish that power orbiting to the south will be to
its own detriment, and the south could be uneasy that power subsisting in the
current axis will further diminish its interest — a clash of titanic interests
and agendas. But what happened to the Nigerian agenda? One for all and all for
one?
Since we are cognisant of our
problems; we know where the house started to cave in, is it not logical that we
reach a consensus in the leadership value of the next president in 2023 — such
as his antecedents, credentials, proven leadership and managerial abilities,
demonstrated patriotism, expansiveness and respect for diversity – but with
ethnic/regional background as a secondary value?
We need a Nigerian president –
not one that will be defined by his geographical or ethnic character. Yes, a
president that will be utilitarian in the deployment of power for the benefit
of all Nigerians. So, whether north or south, it will not matter where the
president comes from; there will be a sense of belonging and national
affability among a majority of Nigerians. We need the Nigerian agenda – not
northern or southern agenda.
The pursuit of power should be
for the protection and preservation of all. We made some mistakes in the past
with successive leaderships; we should be bold enough to correct them. We
cannot seek change, but persist in the same pigeonhole mentation. How do we
reorder the system when we insist on the status quo because we want the
pendulum to swing our way? We must be able to distinguish between primary and
secondary value.
Some prominent Nigerians and
groups have been heating up the cauldron with their intemperate comments on the
2023 presidency. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, was
reported to have made some uncharacteristic comments on the geography of power
in 2023.
Baba-Ahmed reportedly said: “We
will lead Nigeria the way we have led Nigeria before whether we are president or
vice-president, we will lead Nigeria. We have the majority of the votes and
democracy says vote who you want. Why should we accept a second-class position
when we know we can buy a form and contest for first class and we will win? Why
does anybody need to threaten us and intimidate us? We will get that power, but
be humble because power comes from God. We inherited leadership and being
honest is not being stupid. The north has pride; we are humble enough to know
that we are going to run Nigeria with other people but we are not going to pay
a second fiddle to anybody. We may not have the most robust economy, there are
people who are trying to strangulate us even more than we are being
strangled.’’
I have followed the statements of
Baba-Ahmed over the years and noticed his dispassionate assessment of
polarising national matters. It is the reason I find his recent comments
untoward. But besides Baba-Ahmed, other prominent persons and groups in the
south have been suffusing their demand for power to the region with corrosive
statements and threats. Brother should not threaten brother.
Naturally, when leaders in the
south make indecorous statements about power shifting to the region in 2023, it
provokes a reaction from the other side. I think matters of this complexion
require tact and diplomacy – not threats or counter threats. Even if most
people agree that power should orbit to the south in 2023, there is still a
need for popular consensus.
We all have to work together.
Leaders only deepen the sectional fears and widen the chasm by making
uncontrolled comments. Where the next president should come from is a
collective decision, no region or group should be isolated or made to feel
threatened over this.
Political, religious, group and
community leaders should be disciplined in their public comments on the 2023
presidency. They should know that there can only be an election if the country
is peaceful and secure. They should not incite chaos with undisciplined
statements.
By Fredrick ‘Mr OneNigeria’ Nwabufo
Twitter/Instagram/Facebook:
@FredrickNwabufo
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