Nigeria’s next presidential election

Can Nigeria get it right in the next presidential election? Good political leadership translates to development in any country. And, politics is a component of democracy through which our leaders emerge. Periodic election is central to the sustenance of democratic governance and culture in any country. It offers the hoi polloi and other people in a country the opportunity to elect leaders of their choice. In countries where the votes of the electorate count, bad leaders are voted out, and good ones voted in, during elections.

The development of a country is a function of the leadership obtainable in that country. No country can grow above the visions and abilities of its leaders. African countries are underdeveloped because visionless and selfish leaders are controlling political powers, there. And, they will push for constitutional amendments, which will guarantee them limitless terms in office. Africa is teeming with this species of political despots. Think about Paul Biya of Cameroun; Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe; and the deposed Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso.

President Good Jonathan has declared his interest to run for the President after keeping us in suspense for a long time as to his next political move. The months leading to his declaration of interest were filled with intense and frenzied political activities orchestrated by the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria. Their sycophantic expression and demonstration of support for Jonathan’s candidature bears striking resemblance to Daniel Kanu’s Youths Earnestly Ask for Abacha.
President Jonathan is the favourite to win the 2015 presidential election irrespective of his unimpressive and unflattering leadership score-card and go-slow attitude to issues of leadership. Although his rhetoric and anecdotes of personal privation will not sway our support to him, he will use the incumbency power to tilt the odds into his favour. He will most probably  sweep the votes in the South-east and South-south. In the South-west, he will keenly battle for the votes with APC. And, there is no monolithic north anymore. So, given this scenario, Jonathan’s foot soldiers and campaigners can make inroads into the core-north.

But, the absence of a strong political opposition in Nigeria will aid the re-emergence of Jonathan as president.
APC’s presidential candidate in the 2015 presidential election will determine how far the party will go in the next presidential poll. General Buhari and Atiku Abubakar have picked APC forms for the presidential election. Rabiu Kwankwaso is battling to become APC’s standard bearer in the 2015 presidential election, too. Buhari, an old political war horse, seems to be ahead of other politicians fighting for APC presidential ticket.

The fact is, Nigeria is without a formidable, credible, and vibrant opposition party. The opposition parties should present pragmatic economic and educational polices as alternatives to the government’s ones. And, they should field candidates for elective posts who are with proven probity, integrity, patriotism, vision, and leadership qualities. Nigeria is practising multi-party system only in name. Some smaller parties may have been collapsed into PDP.  Is APGA an appendage of PDP? Nigeria is tending towards a one party state. The boast by a PDP chieftain that PDP will rule Nigeria for 60 years is a reality. Where are the opposition parties?

Chiedu Uche Okoye
Uruowulu – Obosi, Anambra State