TheCable

BY GBENGA ADEOSUN

In 2019, Nigerians will troop to the polls in their large numbers to participate in the sixth general elections since the return of modern democracy to the nation in 1999. Taking predominance as usual is the most keenly contested and most significant of all, the Presidential elections which will hold on Saturday 19th February 2019. With the conclusion of internal party primaries among the different political parties which came with its habitual melodrama, intrigues and hyper-reactions; the roles has been set and the die has been cast, the candidates standing for the different political parties have been unveiled and Nigerians patiently wait to chaste the political class (an opportunity they get only once in 4 years) and make their voices heard through the ballot come February 2019.

RESUSCITATION OF THE PDP

Immediately after the 2015 election results were announced and the reality began to set in, the APC; basking in the euphoria of its unprecedented victory and a landmark achievement of being the first political party to unseat an incumbent government declared the PDP as “dead and buried forever” in Nigeria. According to them, the loss of PDP was a mark of absolute rejection by Nigerians and a departure from the proverbial PDP Egypt of slavery, looting and subjugation to the APC Canaan of Plentitude, transparency and Wealth. This however has proven to be a taunt taken too far, the PDP was undeniably hit with the unexpected loss as it found itself in unfamiliar terrain as an opposition party; its ego was bruised and its feathers clipped. Eventually however, the PDP like the famed phoenix, was able to rise from its ashes, overcoming legal tussles challenging the leadership of the party, received back many prodigal politicians who deserted its fold in the build up to the 2015 polls and has been able to make itself a national formidable force once again heading into the 2019 elections.
APC….ALL PROMISES CANCELLED?

Seeing that many Nigerians were evidently disenchanted with the perceived impunity of the PDP, inability to tackle the Boko Haram menace effectively and allegations of reckless corruption that permeated the government led by former president Goodluck Jonathan, the APC capitalized on that to build an appealing manifesto to Nigerians that contained promises which sweetened the populace and excited the electorate. General Muhammadu Buhari, a serial presidential contestant always on the losing side was rebranded and repackaged as the Messiah that will salvage Nigeria from the rot the PDP has enmeshed it into and liberate Nigeria into a new el-dorado of national bliss, equitable wealth, security for all, economic happiness and joy inestimable. The APC, bestrode this fantasy and utilized it to claim its landmark victory in the 2015 elections.

As we approach the next elections however, a lot of Nigerians have compared the APC manifesto with the realities on ground and have seen through the duplicity, hypocrisy and chicanery of the APC to the point it earned itself an ignoble cognomen and rechristening of its party name to (All Promises Cancelled).

THE RESTRUCTURING TUSSLE- GOING BEYOND MERE PAPERWORK

The issue of restructuring has been one persistently controversial and unsettled topic in the Nigerian polity for decades. The Jonathan government convened a CONFAB in 2014 which aimed to find lasting solutions to problems of Nigeria, his government was however ejected from power before he could have a chance to properly consider, re-negotiate or implement any of its recommendations, its report was jettisoned by the successive government and till today is accumulating dust somewhere in the archives of the Presidential Villa.
The Afenifere, the socio-cultural forum of South Western Nigeria, the PANDEF, a pan-Niger Delta forum and the Nigerian Elders Forum have vowed not to support any party that won’t restructure Nigeria in 2019. Seeing the handwriting on the wall therefore, the candidate of the PDP for 2019, former vice president Atiku Abubakar has hinged his campaign on amongst other things, the promise to restructure the country for optimal performance once he is elected. Cardinal among his suggestions is a complete devolution of power and fiscal federalism. Few weeks before he emerged as the flagbearer of the PDP, to further buttress his tenacity on the issue, he engaged the current vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo in a public back-and-forth on the true definition of restructuring. Atiku also promised to maximize security, halt the persistent killings and herders-farmers clashes, devote an annual budgetary allocation of 21% to the Education sector, entrench national unity and cohesion to heal the polarization and unprecedented division in Nigeria, promised to use his entrepreneurial expertise to achieve massive human capital development and get Nigeria out of the doldrums towards rescuing it from being the poverty headquarters of the World. His manifesto looks refreshing and reassuring at this time of national distress.
Antecedents have however proven manifestoes to be a mere paperwork that politicians use to beguile the populace and attain power after which it gets relegated to the trash bin. Nigerians have lost trust and confidence in lip-manifestoes and bogus promises.

CAMPAIGN OF CALUMNY OR ISSUE-BASED CAMPAIGN?

The build up to the 2015 elections was the most acrimonious in recent history as the PDP and the APC launched stinging and scathing assaults on each other, character assassination, personal attacks and disgraceful exchanges fouled the electoral space. It is a trend that was generally adjudged to be regrettable and should never recur in our country.
The brief restructuring debate between VP Osinbajo and Former VP Atiku raised hopes and drew plaudits from the public who desired more of such intellectual exchanges. However, with the eventual emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the PDP candidate, such intellectual exchanges gave been substituted with acerbic onslaughts that have started rearing its ugly head again as the Festus Keyamo-led Buhari Campaign organization have drawn first blood questioning the source of Atiku’s humongous wealth and ascribed it to ill-gotten and illicit proceeds during his stay in the Nigeria Customs services and some shady deals he engaged in his when he was vice president. Expectedly, The Atiku campaign team fired back vigorously accusing the President of massive corruption in his administration, orchestrated killings and abysmal public performance with his habitual shielding of corrupt officials in his inner circus. Nigerians honestly hope this ignominious trend is nipped in the bud as the campaign goes deeper and thicker.

PANACEA TO RECYCLING OF PAST LEADERS; EMERGENCE OF A DARK HORSE?

Much has been said about the urgent need to halt the re-election of leaders who have at a time or the other held a major national office. Going into the 2019 polls however, the situation is staring us at the face again as a former VP of 8 years is aspiring to be the President!!
The 2019 elections have witnessed the declaration of some new breed of fresh politicians who have declared doom on both the APC & PDP, they have been described as two peas in a pod who have similar intrinsic selfish ambitions and that none can deliver good governance or get Nigeria to a better pedestal of performance.
With the APC & PDP being the only two mainstream political parties with national network, financial clout and proven prowess to win elections at the Presidential level however, the emergence of a winner outside the two main parties look unlikely and premature for the 2019 polls.

FREE AND FAIR POLLS & SEAMLESS RELINQUISHMENT OF POWER

The hitherto fearsome incumbency factor has been demystified in 2015. Heading into the 2019 elections however, fears are being raised in some quarters of the seeming ambition of the ruling APC to hold on to power by all means possible; even to the point of compromising the fairness of the process. Such indicators use the recent conduct and modus operandi of the security and the ugly vote-buying scandals (of which both APC & PDP are guilty of) in the gubernatorial polls in Ekiti and Osun to buttress their points. This is outlandish and scandalous however. The APC government, being the biggest beneficiary of the free and fair elections conducted in 2015 holds the nation a solemn duty to further deepen the credibility of our electoral process. The nation sincerely hopes the electoral umpire INEC, the security forces and all others will put national interest above other considerations and conduct a credible, free and fair national elections.
THE OBASANJO FACTOR: HIS FINAL DEMYSTIFICATION?

Since his exit from power in 2007, former president Olusegun Obasanjo has carved a niche for himself as the unceremonial kingmaker of Nigeria. It is instructive to note that since 2007, all presidents that have emerged have enjoyed the direct or indirect support of Obasanjo. Many Nigerians have despised this and scorned the so-called arrogance and overbearing attitude of the former president. Heading into 2019 pits Obasanjo between his former deputy who he has a well publicized rancorous and discordant relationship with and the incumbent President whom he has repeatedly declared a massive failure on all fronts. Immediately after winning the PDP primaries, the PDP candidate Atiku embarked on a conciliatory visit to the Abeokuta residence of the former president alongside party leaders and some religious leaders to seek for final forgiveness and endorsement from Obasanjo. Predictably, the burning desire to see Buhari expelled from power made him overlook his former deputy’s hitherto unforgivable offences and declared him as better fit for the 2019 elections than Buhari. Thus, maintaining his culture of always having a major candidate he backs for a Presidential election. Whether Obasanjo’s record of always seeing his preferred candidate for the presidential post emerge victorious will be manifested again in 2019 is an exciting intrigue many Nigerians are anticipating.
Nigeria’s democracy will be 20 years old by 2019 and it is time to start making the most of the opportunities afforded to us every 4 years. Nigerians have all the time between now and February to study the candidates painstakingly, sieve the chaff from the wheat and never allow themselves to be taken into a fool’s paradise again. The choice is right here in front of Nigerians. I hope we make a choice we will be glad we did.

Adeosun sent in this piece from Abuja