TheCable

Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says Nigerians will suffer if they continue to recycle politicians in leadership positions.

In an opinion piece where he analysed the three major presidential candidates – Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi — the senior advocate said none of them is a perfect fit for the office.

‘TINUBU HAS ALWAYS HAD BAGGAGE’ 

He said Tinubu “has always had baggage, even from his stint as the governor of Lagos State, concerning his true age, his origin, his educational qualifications, his health and even his wealth”.

“The expectation was that a man in such troubled waters would walk circumspectly in order not to step upon the landmines of Nigerian politics,” he added.

He also criticised Tinubu for choosing a Muslim, Kashim Shettima, the former governor of Borno state, as his running mate.

“How can a candidate aspiring to be the president of Nigeria not be mindful of the sensitive nature of religion and its role in our national life?” he asked.

“Tinubu’s choice in 2015 has driven Nigeria to the very brink not ever thought possible. Buhari has divided us more than ever before and he has also pauperized our people beyond tolerance. He is the perfect example of how not to raise a leader.

“Without apologizing for misleading the people, Tinubu himself has now joined the race to succeed his candidate.

“The impression that the APC has given to Nigerians is that the party can win the presidential election without the people. Perhaps that is the reason for the Osun State shocker. No one should be allowed to assert with such unbridled arrogance that there is a hold on power unless there is a hidden agenda to win elections through other means beyond the open ballot.”

‘ATIKU WORSE THAN TINUBU‘

Addressing Atiku’s candidature, Adegboruwa said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flagbearer “is worse than that of Tinubu in a million ways”.

“In Atiku, we are likely to have another government of vengeance. Atiku has been vying for president for a very long time, just like Buhari. Atiku must and will hold some people or institutions responsible for his defeats in the past,” he said.

“Furthermore, Atiku’s candidature is a big slap upon the plurality and unity of Nigeria. An Atiku presidency will translate to sixteen years of the unbroken presidency of the North, which will lead to more agitations and may snowball into disintegration. An Atiku presidency will translate to sixteen years of Muslim-Muslim presidency, in a nation where there are two dominant religions.”

‘OBI LEVERAGING ANGER OF YOUTHS‘

As for Obi, the senior lawyer said although he supports the agenda that the presidency should go to the Igbo, the former governor cannot transform Nigeria.

He said Obi is leveraging on the “anger, frustration, and apathy of Nigerian youths” to “project himself as a friend of the masses when he is indeed part of their problems”.

“I have always advocated for an end to the marginalization of the South East by the ‘owners’ of Nigeria,” he said.

“So if we say that Obi should be president in order to give the Igbos a sense of belonging, I will gladly accept and support that venture.

“But to portray Obi as the new face of any transformation agenda for Nigeria, please perish the thought.

“This was the same way that Buhari was paraded as the messiah for Nigeria in 2015. Buhari even presented a ‘progressive’ manifesto to us with fantastic promises only to turn around to disown it after his election.

“Obi has jumped from the All Progressive Grand Alliance which gave him the platform to be governor, to the PDP, and now to the Labour Party. With Nigeria’s current structure, a million Obis will end up worse than Buhari.

“There is an urgent need to restructure Nigeria and if we keep recycling politicians every four years, there will be nothing for the masses except lamentations. The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria is itself the enemy of our development and progress.

“It is time to discard it and enact a new Constitution that will reflect the will of the people, instead of jumping around with politicians every four years with no mission in focus. That is the 2023 dilemma. Restructuring is the answer, after all.”