One elementary fact that is known to one and all is that Mr. Peter Obi, the man whose presidential run in 2023 belied the predictions of naysayers, has become the centerpiece of Nigeria’s politics. He is the most mentioned and the most discussed political figure in Nigeria today. But he is not just a subject of animated discourse, those who find themselves dissecting the man do so for good reasons. The novelty and uncommonness of his ideas and pronouncements compel attention. The man is anything but ordinary. He has introduced into the Nigerian polity a new way of doing things. His messages resonate with freshness and depth. They are the type that can hardly be ignored. And so, whenever analysts choose to reflect on him, they always have so much to deal with. Yet, issues around him have, so far, remained unsettled and unresolved because Nigeria has not put itself together to confront the novelty that is Peter Obi. As is the case with new things and new ideas, many who find themselves dealing with the phenomenon called Peter Obi do so with some level of trepidation. They do not know how to resolve the riddle around him. The fact that the man and his ideas are difficult to pigeonhole has made him a recurring decimal in Nigeria’s political discourse. He is the rhythm of our everyday dissections and projections. In fact, he has become the keynote in a symphony to which the strange melody will always return.
Unlike many of the howlers that populate the political space, Peter Obi is the only one with a message. He is the only presidential hopeful that has the prospect of offering Nigeria something new; something salubrious. The others are no more than political wayfarers who have become too jaded to provoke any form of salivation.
As analysts grapple with the political mine field called Peter Obi, he has just set the polity ablaze with his one term proposition. The man has said that he will spend only one term of four years in office, if elected President. This bombshell from Peter Obi is the most topical issue in the Nigerian political space today. It is being discussed in high and low places. What makes the issue topical is the status of the man making the proposition. Peter Obi is a frontline presidential personality in Nigeria of today. A snap of a finger can land him at the seat of power. In fact, Nigerians know how easy it can be for him to become President if theirs were a proper country. The people know, from their experience and understanding of Peter Obi, that the man can change Nigeria for good. They know that he is not a run-of-the-mill politician. They know that he will do what he says. Nigerians believe him because he has integrity. He has a past and present that those who crave for a new Nigeria should aspire to. That is why his pronouncement on single tenure is being discussed excitedly. They know that the man will keep to his words, if he is given the opportunity to serve as Nigeria’s President in 2027.
But those who have a different agenda for Nigeria are jittery. They are singing a different tune. The doubt arising from Obi’s one-term declaration started from the North. The region wants power back once the south of the country is done with its eight years shift. Wouldn’t a Peter Obi presidency elongate the return of power to the North? What if Obi does not do what he promised? That is the dilemma the north is grappling with. Some have even gone overboard to insinuate that Obi made the declaration to entice the North, and railroad them into supporting his 2027 presidential bid wholesale.
But that is where they miss the point. In talking about a single-term presidency, Obi was not trying to feather his own nest. Instead, he has the good of the country at heart. He is fully aware of the damage second term aspiration does to governance. Incumbent Presidents in Nigeria are given to thinking second term even before they complete the first one year in office. Once the second term fever sets in, governance is thrown overboard. Everything goes on holiday. Situations such as this have not helped in any way in the good governance of the country.
Besides, Obi has argued, and he is right, that any leader who does not make the right impact in four years will still not be able to make it if he is given a four-year extension. In fact, the extended stay will turn out to be the ultimate drag on impactful governance. It could be wasted just like that. To ensure that those elected by the people serve diligently without being distracted by re-election fever, Obi is advocating a constitution amendment that will provide for only one term of five years. But, until then, he wants the doubters to trust him with his four-year single term vow. If trust were not a scarce commodity in Nigeria, Obi would have been the toast of all forward-looking politicians in Nigeria by now.
At this stage in our national life, it has become imperative for the North to loosen up on its fastidiousness about power. Some liberal disposition will serve their purpose and that of everyone else. Maybe they can try their hands on this by playing a less rigid politics in 2027. One way to start is for the North to shun the temptation of rushing to take back power after four years of the South because such a move will not augur well for Nigeria. Such a scenario could breed the level of political instability that will be costlier to the North than allowing the South to complete its turn.
And since Tinubu has turned Nigeria upside down, the North should be free-minded enough to trust a southern alternative that will work. Those who have been running the affairs of Nigeria for decades should be large-hearted enough to challenge the country with something uncommon. If our accustomed style of governance has not changed Nigeria for good, then it makes sense to go for a disruptive order that will produce fresh and refreshing outcomes. Obi, everybody agrees, will offer Nigeria all this. What is left is for those who have been holding Nigeria by the jugular to allow it to breathe. Once they do that, the Nigerian electorate will step out freely to bring about that change that will work for all.
Credit:The Sun