Nigerian Presidential Election - The Big One

I am inspired to write on this subject again today because of the semblance of success witnessed last Saturday during the Parliamentary elections. The hiccups notwithstanding, I think the record of June 12, 1993 is under serious threat if Jega & his team can repeat this next Saturday when Nigerians go to the polls to elect the number one citizen.

I will like voters all over the country to consider this simple truth about leadership and bear this in mind as they engage their consciences to thumbprint on Saturday.

A leader can be accurately appraised not just based on his personality, level of integrity, not even based on his vision BUT most importantly by the leaders around him. The team that a leader is able to raise up and release to function based on their giftings and expertise will go a long way to determine the success or otherwise of the leader.

Successful Leadership is not about the quality within a leader but much more about the quality around the leader

Having this in mind, please allow me to appraise the contestants parading themselves this Saturday. Again I wont bother myself about the likes of Dele Momodu, Chris Okotie and the other nameless ones.

Incumbent Jonathan: Acclaimed to be very sincere, but how much can he do with the PDP greyhounds that believe that they have done him some favour by giving him the ticket. I believe it will be pay back time if he gets back to Aso Rock & our infrastructures will be the victim

Governor Shekarau - An articulate man, who seems to have something that looks like a vision. ANPP on which platform he is contesting is in tatters and cannot even be called a political party again. He will have to shop for people he does not know to build a team which gives room for opportunists.

AIG Ribadu - untested, not a good orator. His exploits in the EFCC do not qualify him for this awesome responsibility. But if one goes by the antecedents of the party which he represents -ACN - one can see their commitment to team building. Even from the days of not too popular Tinubu, I remember the likes of Prof Osinbajo found themselves in government, experts like Tunde Fowler who is not a politician was given an assignment in the finance ministry. Fashola continued with the legacy, the likes of Ben Akabuaeze who is not even a citizen of the state is in cabinet based on expertise. I believe that if systems must work, we need technocrats & not professional politicians. Fola Adeola's inclusion in this ticket is valuable.

Gen. Buhari (RTD)- has a track record of integrity, not a good orator which Bakare can adequately make up for. I believe this ticket will be on a vengeance mission - I see two angry people here who will be out to do a number on those who have wronged them or who they believe have wronged the nation. This team does not give the much-needed variation in leadership & I foresee a situation where these two guys fall out with each other and we have a repeat of Obasanjo/Atiku feud but with a very dangerous dimension. The feud will have religious coloration, which will polarise the nation along religious lines, which we dread so much (this is very important for me considering the fact that I reside in Jos). I still believe that Buhari is our past & Tunde Bakare has nothing to offer in government. It is tragic to note that Nigerians have not come to terms with the importance of a virile opposition and a well-structured civil society. It is not only by going into executive or legislative governance that one can make a difference in a society.

I want to believe that my readers are in agreement with me that these are the major contenders in the Presidential race & may be you noticed my obvious lack of objectivity. I know I am guilty and so are you, but be sincere enough to consider my observations.

VOTE WISELY

I will be glad to have your comments