By Tunde Abatan, tunde2013abatan@gmail.com 08165660217
Since the declaration on Monday, January 11 by National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to run for the Presidency of the country next year, the dynamics of the nation’s politics have changed. Frankly Speaking 2023: Has discovered that the race has become an all-comers..’Taja Teran’ affairs.
Not because his declaration is unexpected, since he has pretentiously been working along that line since his joining politics, but rather the frenzy of activities that his declaration has triggered among the political class.
A former Editor, with The Nation newspaper, Lekan Otufodunrin, fittingly described the entry into the presidential aspiration ring of many politicians of all hues in the Yoruba language on his Facebook page as…Taja Teran’ Affairs.
Taja Teran’ in Yoruba euphemistically translates to all comers affairs.
This in itself means that the presidential race in Nigeria has been turned into a bazaar of the sort in which all manner of aspirants both the serious, the not too serious, the pretenders, clowns, and jokers have entered the race.
In entering the race for the nation’s top job which has suffered battering and incompetency in the last seven years, these characters have reduced the Presidential seat into a theatre of sort and their shenanigans a laughing stock.
In other words, their entry so far has confirmed a famous Yoruba adage which says..Ni Ojo iku Erin, orisirisi obe la Ng ri, meaning the day the Elephant dies, all manner of knifes surface.
Nigeria’s presidency contest has been turned into a bazaar of sorts where all manners of bargainers show face to suggest both the offering of the biggest and often ridiculous price for the trophy at stake.
You could excuse this attitude to either the depth of low performance that the exalted office, where the fate of over 200 million citizens have sunk in the last fifteen years since Olusegun Obasanjo, a former military head of state who won election as civilian President left office.
Like him or hate him, he gave quality leadership devoid of the provincialism and nepotism of today.
His reign, without doubt, brought back to international reckoning, and restore the sagging image that the previous military regime has reduced the country among the comity of nations.
This feat led to the writing-off of Nigeria’s humongous debt profile of losing to $70billion dollars both by the Paris Club of creditors and the other western financial institutions.
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu:
As for Asiwaju Tinubu, a man often described by James Ibori, former Delta State governor as ‘the last man standing, his role in sanitizing democratic conduct when Obasanjo tried to railroad Nigeria into one-party rule is commendable.
With incumbent, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as his Attorney General, Tinubu used the law to fight Obasanjos dictatorial tendencies and rescued opposition hopes when he battled the former general turned President at the nations court when he seized local government funds.
He fought to the Supreme court and won all the way.
Besides, incumbent Governor Nyesome Wike, who recently won a battle at the Federal High Court to win the Value Added Tax war, no other Governor has stood face to face to battle this autocratic modern day democrats like incumbent Muhammadu Buhari, who has equally used the obnoxious 1999 constitution to turn Nigeria into a unitary slave camp.
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With an experience as an Accountant who has worked in Mobil Oil, an international oil company, Tinubu, in spite of any misgivings you may have about his politics, has acquired enough experience which he used to set the pace for turn around of Lagos economy.
It is also to Tinubus’s credit that the first opposition party, the APC was clubbed together and eventually defeated an incumbent ruling government led by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP in the 2015 general elections.
Give it to Tinubu, he is a serious contender in spite of schisms in his party shoved him aside by a cabal that contributed nothing to bring about the APC.
It was the vehicle with which they ride to power with Buhari, a dictator dressed in a civilian robe.
However, Tinubus entrance have also thrown up the not too serious,the pretenders and jokers of all hues from the political parties who have also thrown their hat into the ring.
Atiku Abubakar:
Former vice President Atiku Abubakar, a man who with modest education saw himself at the top of Nigerian Customs service and made enough money, influence and connection.
With his deft political move and loyalty to Obasanjos friend, the late Shehu Musa Yaradua, he plotted his way to the second in command at Aso rock for eight years .
It is doubtful whether any other politician in the country has enough deep pocket like Atiku did in 2019 to give Buhari a good fight .
He still commands good standing in the PDP, the muscle flexing of some governors in the southern parts of the country who are still busy mouthing the rotation of the presidency.
But the decision of the PDP 37 men committee to leave the race open for all aspirants from every part of the country has further boosted Atikus chances of clinging the party’s ticket.
Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo:
Though, he is yet to formally declare his interest in the nations top job, Professor Yemi Osinbajo,a loyal deputy to President Buhari is seen as one of the frontline contenders for the top job considering his demonstrable capability in the last seven years in the saddle.
Osinbajo, a lawyer whose performance in office as Lagos attorney General for eight years added to the resilience of Tinubu against Obasanjos autocracy is seen as a plus for him apart from his deep understanding of management of the nations adversity and his almost nil baggage as a public officer.
He is seen as a trusted aide who didn’t ruffle any feather in spite of hostility from a cabal in the presidency.
His resilience to pressures and intimidation is seen as a potential asset in managing the nations adversity especially as somebody who have a grasp of workings of the Presidency.
Osinbajos entrance is being awaited with bathed breadth in his native South West where no serious challenge has come except that of Tinubu his former boss.
Anyim Pius Anyim:
Former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim,61,who has also joined the fray of pretenders into the 2023 presidential race is not known to acquired any high profile job experience except the high office entrusted on him by the power play in the PDP during Good luck Jonathan’s tenure. He had earlier been elected into the Senate in 1999.
He also served as Secretary to the government of the federation but since leaving office little is known of his continued relevance in power calculus.
Bukola Saraki:
Also following closely on his trail is Bukola Saraki,a former Senate President and one time governor of Kwara state . Though he gave Buhari a tough time during his tenure as Senate President between 2015 -2019, he was nevertheless thrown out of the hallow chamber by the ‘Otoge’ movement which ended the reign of the Saraki political dynasty in Kwara state.
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He has also signified interest in the choice job though his mid-wiving a consensus arrangement among PDP leaders and pretenders in the Northern part of the country.
He may consider stepping down for any other candidate with stronger clout for the Presidency.
Aminu Tambuwal:
Also in the ring is Sokoto state Governor,Aminu Tambuwal who like Saraki has also shuttled between PDP and APC .
Though he enjoyed Tinubus support to emerge House of Representatives Speaker during Goodluck presidency, he is banking on a tenous northern solidarity to win the Presidential slot of his party even when members from the South East are clamouring for zoning of the Presidency.
Orji Uzor Kalu:
As for Orji Uzor Kalu, a former Abia governor now a senator,little has been heard of his not too serious presidential moves since he announced beginning of his consultations three months ago. It is not unexpected that he may settle for a vice presidential slot as the South East have always enjoyed partnership with northern conservative establishment since the first republic.
Peter Obi:
Among the serious contenders from the South East, Peter Obi,who like Tinubu has earned accolade as a two times governor of Anambra state,is also an acknowledged banker and financial power house whose management skills while in office commend him for the job.
But building enough bridge across the South and Northern party’s of the country is a task which he is either reluctant to do or not too adepth as to style and strategy .
For now, Obi,still remains the most contending force among the Igbo South east for the job if he could pull enough weight and defeat the northern hawks in the PDP to get the ticket.
Either he succeeds or not, he is taken serious by close watchers of the nations politics as a man to watch now or in the nearest future.
Gov Yahaya Bello:
As for the Kogi state governor,his entrance into the presidential contest in the ruling APC is not only seen as a joke and distraction considering his unimpressive rule of his backward middle belt state but more for his legendary attitude to workers welfare which earned him an appellate of a state with the most backward worker friendly policy.
Seen as a youth whose policies and extravagance life style are at variance with future promise for the youth he represents.
His ‘disting’up of one of the late winner of June 12 election, Moshood Abiolas daughter,Hafsat as his director of campaign has thrown up more controversy.
Not only for him but the late politicians daughter drawing parallel with his father’s image.
Hafsat acceptance of Bellos job is seen as a negation of what Abiola stood for.
Bello also seriously diminish the position and respect for the Presidency job considering his infantile and un-serious attitude to governance.
Frmr Gov Ayodele Fayose:
Like Yayah- Bello of Kogi state, Ayodele Fayose entrance into the presidential contest is more of attention seeking and playboy who crave publicity at any point in time.
Though his entrance is not new as he did in 2019,he is considered a permanent source of comic relief in national politics and a politician who enjoys public attention coupled with his bravery.
Having been one of the few politicians from the Yoruba South West who have taken on Obasanjo both in and out of office,he remains a playboy contender even when his hold on his Ekiti state and indeed SW flank of the PDP is not strong enough to roughen the party’s leaders feathers enough to get the ticket.
But the fact remains that Fayose is a table shaker and gadfly whose resilience spirit at craving public attention is second to none.
Pastor Tunde Bakare:
The popular cleric noted for his fiery criticism of various government has also thrown his hat into the Presidential contest.
A lawyer by training and profession before he abandon the wig for the pulpit,
Bakare however does his own things his own way and only he know and understands the meaning of his religious cum political theatrics.
This is because he has often declared to all those who care to listen several times, pending prophetic fulfillment of his being Buharis successor.
According to him, he is the potential number 16th ruler of Nigeria,a country which he has honestly criticised it’s structure and feasibility unless a surgical operation is performed to change it’s form for better governance.
Bakare, in his declaration done virtually against the established convention, has also failed to name the party on which platform he intends to contest for the Presidency.
While the cleric has demonstrated enough seriousness about his concern for Nigeria, it is doubtful whether he has shown enough conviction to rule the country considering his bizarre way of going about it.
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Rotimi Amaechi:
As one of the favoured errand boy minister of the Buhari regime,Amaechis entrance is seem as the climax of the career of a politician who before joining partisan politics in 1999 is not known to had any working experience.
Yet,having rose through the political ladder to become governor and later federal minister his entry into the race is a sign that afterall Buhari may not have a close mind yet on who succeeds him.
It is clear that the military president may be caught in the web of deep intrigues as he navigates his way to foister a successor next year.
Interesting times lies ahead for the nation.
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