By Samuel Shoremekun.
As year 2023 beckons, one discussion that has continued to generate intense concern is who would take over the reins of power as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023.
With the seemingly unpalatable situation of things in the country, it is only logical to state unequivocally that 2023 Presidential election should not just be business as usual. Rather, the election should see to the emergence of a President that is committed to rescue Nigeria from its current precarious state.
The excruciating hardship arising from the nosedive of the economy, the palpable insecurity which has continued to change in forms and shades like a chameleon, the over 33% unemployment rate, the rising public debt profile of #39trn, and the worsening state of ethnic divisiveness are all clear indications that the country is in dire need of rescue.
For a President that would rescue Nigeria from the precipice, certain qualities are required.
To start with, the ideal candidate to rescue Nigeria in 2023 must be energetic enough to take on the myriad of challenges confronting the country. This quality is imperative because when a car is plunged into a ditch, no serious-minded person would assemble old and feeble people to pull out the car from the ditch. To this end, I am of the opinion that in a country where civil servants who form the engine room of the country retire at age 60, it can only be absurd to have a President who is above 60 years in 2023. It must be stressed that Nigeria is at a critical juncture where it requires serious and urgent attention that can only come from an energetic candidate with the strength to do the hard and tactful job of rescuing Nigeria.
Many will agree that there have been instances in Nigeria where the physical presence of the current President was required but never happened, perhaps due to some reasons associated with old age. Let me state that my position on age requirement for the next President is informed by patriotic consideration of the need to rescue Nigeria and not one intended to disparage any aspirant.
Secondly, only a candidate with verifiable and impeccable antecedents is worthy of our votes in 2023. With the turn of events in the country, which is sharply at variance with all the promises made by the ruling party in soliciting the votes of Nigerians in 2015, it is clear that 2023 is not a time to fall for empty political promises from aspirants. It is a time to critically probe past records of aspirants to determine their capability to deliver.
In doing this, we must probe the following: achievements of aspirants in their previously occupied offices; aspirant’s democratic posture especially in accepting criticism with equanimity; aspirant’s prudent management of public resources, if s/he has held public office; aspirant’s proven empathy towards humanity; aspirant’s tactfulness; and aspirant’s placement of national interest over self or other parochial interests.
Therefore, any contestant with a questionable antecedent has no business presiding over the affairs of our country in 2023.
Moreover, any candidate seeking our votes must have proven governance experience. Just as no sane person would accept to be flown by an amateur pilot, the presidential position of Nigeria should not be entrusted in the hand of any amateur who would most likely experiment with our collective destiny. For candidates seeking our votes, we should be bold enough to ask them of their experience in governance and verify same to see how well they performed in previously held governance position. For greenhorns, they may wish to start with other positions below that of the President because the number one position in the land should not be an object of gamble.
In addition, our next President must be educated and exposed. Though the constitution demands below a degree or its equivalent for the position of President; as electorates, we must place premium on our votes and demand a minimum of a degree or its equivalent from aspirants soliciting our votes. How can a country where most of its agencies are headed by people with minimum of a degree or its equivalent now gladly elect a President with a far lesser academic qualification than those heading Institutions of state to be presided over by the President? It is simply incongruous. In 2023, we must work towards the enthronement of knowledge-based leadership.
Also, the next President of Nigeria must be free from historical traces of religious bigotry. It is a known fact that Nigeria is a multi-religious nation and unfortunate issues of religious intolerance has led to religious suspicion especially between the two major faiths in the country. To this end, policies of government are viewed from religious lens. Therefore, whoever must lead Nigeria must be one whose actions and inactions must be geared towards engendering religious harmony.
Furthermore, our next President must be a detribalized Nigerian. Recent happenings in our country has placed our unity under threat as a result of ethnic suspicion and intolerance. Those who share this opinion have pointed to agitations for Biafra and Oduduwa republics as clear indications of existential ethnic division, fuelled by the disposition of the current administration.
In a related vein, many have accused the current administration of nepotism, which has generated scathing criticism of the administration. For many, they are of the opinion that the current administration has made most of its appointments from a particular region of the country to the detriment of the other. Some others believe that the administration’s disposition towards tackling cases of insurrection allegedly perpetuated by people of a particular ethnic extraction has adversely affected the polity. In fact, one of the vocal governors once accused the President of not acting like the President of Nigeria but like a President of a particular ethnic nationality.
Whether the claims of those who have accused the current President of nepotism is real or imagined, the take away is that Nigeria is in need of a President who can foster unity among all ethnic enclaves that make up the country. To this end, Nigerians must advocate for a truly detribalized President in 2023.
In conclusion, one fact that is incontrovertible is that Nigeria would have a new President in 2023. Consequently, another golden opportunity is presented to electorates to elect a President with the capacity to rescue Nigeria and put her on the path of progress.
▪︎Shoremekun, a public affairs commentator, is based in Abuja.
