My choice of Mr President in 2023

Some significant events this week have informed this edition of Political Panorama.
Essentially the benefits of technology gave me the opportunity to discuss more intimately with other well placed Nigerians from different parts of the world on the future of our Mother Land. These guys that I wish to personally refer to as VERY CONCERNED NIGERIANS include retired very senior military officers, intellectuals from the US and veteran media professionals from Nigeria.


The encounters have reinforced my determination to do more for my country particularly between now and the 2023 election and even beyond.
At this point I wish to concentrate on discussions to help Nigerians to make very informed decisions in taking their individual decisions as to who leads the country into the future.


I have seen more clearly that a lot is really going on underground- maybe good in a way and not so good!
It’s apparent that the entrenched slave drivers in Nigeria are so determined to deploy their I’ll gotten wealth to keep Nigeria in perpetual poverty.


This is why we all should also be much more determined to use all that God has endowed us with to ‘fight back’! After all some of us still believe that the Pen is mightier than the sword. We believe the mouth is a major launching pad for all sorts of political missiles.


We believe we can resist and annihilate all enemies of Nigeria if we remain determined to continue to ‘perspire and not retire’
So can I ask you at this point if you have been thinking seriously about how to take a personal decision on who to vote for in the presidential race next year.


To take my decisions in life, I consult very widely and wisely obviously not the way our pretentious politicians do theirs. They tell us they are consulting when it’s so obvious even to a nonentity that they have made up their mind on what to do.
They really take us for granted and we allow them to get away with it all the time. 2023 is too crucial to allow that to continue.


In my consultation exercise I take time to listen to many media outlets online.
In particular I read the BLUEPRINT newspaper everyday. This is because my brother in law, Jibola Oyetubo, their GM finance sends me an online copy everyday without fail.


This weekend’s edition of the BLUEPRINT has on its front cover, the story captioned THE PRESIDENT WE NEED.
They did a vox pop sampling the views of some major groups in Nigeria.
So in a way I am doing a review here as part of efforts to sensitise us to be more active on the political scene.


According to the group, Southern Nigeria Frontier, the president we need is one with commitment to Restructuring.
For the Arewa Youths, the president we need must be passionate about tackling insecurity engendering good governance.
The Igbo Youth Parliament say we need a leader who who will end marginalisation and manage our diversities, while for Women in Politics our next president must be gender sensitive, implement the 35% affirmative action.

Is it not possible for us on this platform to discuss and arrive at what we expect from Nigeria’s Head of State from next year.
Is it impossible to organise ourselves in such a way that we get these political front runners to face our panel of interviewers.

Can’t we get some if not all NTA stations to broadcast our very well professionally produced political programmes.

So what and what will inform your personal choice for our president in 2023.

Shall we continue to sit down and look at this precious moment in history frizzle out without any meaningful contribution from us.

Let’s have a weekend of sober reflection.
I’ll be back with more thoughts on the road to 2023.

Mr Femi Idowu,
former NTA staff now based in U.K, contributed this on NTA Alumni Platform having been inspired by the front page of Blueprint weekend edition.