Why Durotoye, Sowore and Others Will Not be President

by Deji Yesufu

A few weeks ago I got a call from a Facebook acquaintance living in New York. He is someone whom I do not know personally but who apparently reads my posts on Facebook. He said he had plans to run for the Presidency of Nigeria and he needed my support. After taking almost half an hour of my time to explain his intentions, I responded to him quite frankly that he could not be President of Nigeria. I told him that the best he could run for at the moment was either counsellor at his local government level or, at most, seek a seat at the Federal House of Representatives. He thanked me for my candour and promised to get back to me. I knew he did not like my response and I was not surprised when he did not get back to me as he promised.

Yesterday, a good friend of mine got in touch with me and asked me what I thought about one Adamu Garba running for presidency. I told him I did not know who Adamu Garba was. He then sent me links on him where Mr. Garba had granted interviews to a blog. He is a thirty five year old man from Adamawa State. He wants to be president of Nigeria in 2019. I explained to my friend that there was a lot that goes into the making of the president of any country. It is not just some confident gentleman, who thinks he has a few dollars and the gift of the garb. Immediately I knew I needed to write on this sudden surge or is it craze of young men seeking the exalted office in the land. Unfortunately, my two case in point are well known individuals whom I am convinced will not become president come 2019. I hope to explain why in this piece.

Omoyele Sowore is the founder and CEO of Saharareporters. For me, he is the greatest thing that has happened to Nigerian journalism. Saharareporters has opened up the sphere of journalism in this country and has increased accountability in our national life. Sowore won my respect and admiration when he protested the visit of one of Goodluck Jonathan’s minister for external affairs in New York. From that time, I had kept tab on his activities and my love and respect for him has grown. When I carried out a one man protest on the visit of “Apostle” Johnson Suleiman to University of Ibadan in the name of carrying out a crusade, Sowore was my inspiration. Unfortunately, Omoyele Sowore, with his profile and popularity will not be President of Nigerian come 2019 and I will explain why soon.

Another gentleman that has thrown in his bid to run for the Presidency of this nation is Fela Durotoye. Mr. Durotoye is a writer and a motivational speaker. He is one of the few people in this country that has done exceptional work with the youths in our nation. His focus is capacity building and human capital development. He has done a lot of work in this area and he sure has the personality of one who can lead this nation. But he would not be president come 2019 and I will explain why.

Nigerian youths need to realize that becoming the leader of a nation like Nigeria is not a day job. There is still such a thing as career politicians and it is within these pool that the leadership of a nation shall emerge. The trouble over the years has been that Nigerian youths have come to distrust our politicians and political parties, so there is a tendency to want to reach a goal while despising or neglecting the means.

There is a reason why democracy offers a place for political parties. In an ideal society, political parties are structured around a certain ideology. Children are trained from almost infancy to learn the ideology of a party and to engage in activities within the political party. Therefore, by the time such a child is in his late twenties, he has probably emerged from the youth wing of that political party to take up position in the political party itself.

Gradually, such an individual will grow with the party; learn its ways and vision; and, there will come a day when people within that political party will nominate him for higher office. He will very likely begin with smaller duties like those of a counsellor, local government chairman, state governor and then finally he could run for presidency.

There is something incompatible with common sense about someone who does not have any experience in political office and does not seem to have a well thought out political agenda, who suddenly appears on the horizon and wishes to lead a nation of 180 million people. If the people of that nation vote for such a man and he wins, there is something wrong with those people.

Besides this, only a political party structure can conveniently cover the vast mass of the Nigerian nation. Today, for anyone to win the presidency, that person must have a hold on two regions of the three major geo-political regions of the nation. We have the north, the west and the East. To get hold of these regions, one would need people and resources. There is no one man in this country, regardless of his source of wealth, that can single-handedly pay his campaign through the Nigerian nation.

This is where political party structures come in. People from local government level handle the political machinery of a party there. So that if one wishes to win a local government, you must reach all the wards in that local government. One ward in Akinyele Local Government, alone, covers such a vast space and is populated with close to half a million people. This same effort will have to be replicated in all local government for anyone to win a state; and then there is a repeat of the same effort to win a political region that will consist of about twelve states.

The financial muscle that is needed to prosecute this kind of effort is enormous and not one person in this country can foot it. Therefore, a well structured political party will have individual at all level of a country’s political structure. These individuals will garner the people under them and encourage them to vote for the candidate of choice. This effort must be carried out successfully in at least two of the three geo-political zones for one to win the general elections.

What political structure does Omoyele Sowore have beyond social media and Facebook?

What political structure does Fela Durotoye have beyond youths in charismatic churches?

I would want to see a change of this present government but I would not join an effort that is not practical. Very recently, I reached Donald Duke and I expressed my reservations to him about the slow nature of his political bid to be President of this country. As far I am concerned, Duke meets the standard I have listed here. He is a young man that had served as a commissioner in his state before going on to be two term governor of Cross River State. He has sat through the political process in the People’s Democratic Party. He has paid his dues all these years and such an individual is more likely to offer the present incumbent a challenge than Sowore and Durotoye. Duke understand the dynamics of politics and is presently working within the structure of a political party with the hope of emerging a presidential candidate. That, for me, is a more practical plan than what I see with these wannabe presidents in our youths today.

Having said this, I need to make a point clear to every political juggernaut in Nigeria today: despite the fact that the incumbent president is quite unpopular and heavily criticized in both print and social media, he stands a better chance of being elected than any other person today in the political arena. Less than a year to election day in this country, no one has emerged as a worthy contender for the seat on which Muhammadu Buhari sits on.

I carried out a mini poll recently on Facebook on who people are likely to vote for in 2019, and I would surprised to see that Buhari won. Despite the challenges, Nigerians still recognize the fact that the Buhari government has offered this nation a minimum. There is minimum security in the land. There is minimum economic progress. There is minimum curtailing of the nation’s wealth.

While we desire speedy progress, many Nigerians will rather dine with the devil than take a plunge into the deep blue sea.

To become President, the likes of Sowore and Durotoye will need to join a political group. This political group needs to build structure around the country; a structure that does not just stand alone, but stand on practical political ideologies. This sort of thing takes time and involves the spending of resources. These young men do not have to spend their own money. All they need to do is to find other people who will buy into their political agenda. They will need to have these people and structures in all the 774 local government areas in this country. Then they can emerge as a contending candidate in the political arena.

Until then, they would simply go on a wild goose chase. The kind that Chris Okotie, Dele Momodu and co engaged in before now.

Source: http://mouthpiece.com.ng/why-durotoye-sowore-and-others-will-not-be-president/

Deji Yesufu is the author of the book Victor Banjo. He can be reached on newdejix@gmail.com

CC: Seun, Lalasticlala

Only political neophytes like the minions we have on Nairaland will believe any of these guys will do anything tangible other than self-promotion of their personal brands or hustle. Majority cannot even win a councillor seat.

Q

Sowore wants to be president? Lmao!

I swear the author could not have been more wrong.

Has he heard of the word revolution?
Talking about having political foot soldiers in all of the 774 local govt, party structure and funding. Yes of course, That is what a revolution does. It comes as a three in one.

A revolution is the collapse of political gaming and a rise of national hunger.

If Sowore has a game plan to cause Revolution..trust me, it will work.

Did we need political parties to create #OccupyNigeria?

Do you think that political calculations was what brought PMB into office? Do you remember how PMB won the APC primary? It was his speech when he said at the event, after Atiku had secured part faithfuls with USD. PMB spoke and said something that made headlines. He said "I do not have money to give you and if I did have, I won't give you. But if it's change you want, leadership with integrity that will move Nigeria forward, then stand with me"

In case you don't know...it was this same revolution seed which people like sowore planted in the hearts of Nigerians that sparked the outrage against Gej to the extent that grassroots politicians became very afraid of showing any links with Gej. Traditional rulers dared not openly campaign for him despite the dollars.

So I won't rule out sowore completely.

But I will personally ignore this author who has obviously been reaching out to Donald Duke in hope of becoming a media adviser ... They are all the same bunch of misfits who have destroyed the country.

I call them the 1999 politicians.

Anyway, watch out for 2027. You will know what a revolution is.

I do not see how a Yoruba man can ever be president of Nigeria again, where will the votes come from.

Cacawa2:
I swear the author could not have been more wrong.

Has he heard of the word revolution?
Talking about having political foot soldiers in all of the 774 local govt, party structure and funding. Yes of course, That is what a revolution does. It comes as a three in one.

A revolution is the collapse of political gaming and a rise of national hunger.

If Sowore has a game plan to cause Revolution..trust me, it will work.

Did we need political parties to create #OccupyNigeria?

Do you think that political calculations was what brought PMB into office? Do you remember how PMB won the APC primary? It was his speech when he said at the event, after Atiku had secured part faithfuls with USD. PMB spoke and said something that made headlines. He said "I do not have money to give you and if I did have, I won't give you. But if it's change you want, leadership with integrity that will move Nigeria forward, then stand with me"

In case you don't know...it was this same revolution seed which people like sowore planted in the hearts of Nigerians that sparked the outrage against Gej to the extent that grassroots politicians became very afraid of showing any links with Gej. Traditional rulers dared not openly campaign for him despite the dollars.

So I won't rule out sowore completely.

But I will personally ignore this author who has obviously been reaching out to Donald Duke in hope of becoming a media adviser ... They are all the same bunch of misfits who have destroyed the country.

I call them the 1999 politicians.

Anyway, watch out for 2027. You will know what a revolution is.

I agree that a revolution can work. I sincerely hope that Sowore can birth something of a revolution.

I read how Hitler rose to power. It was one book he wrote that won the heart of the German people. And he was eventually nominated to President.

But...

Even Hitler had to belong to a recognizable body or party.

No one can do this thing alone.

It is quite unfortunate that this commentator thinks Deji Yesufu is writing this to be political adviser to Duke. Maybe you should google that name and realize that his calling is more in the Christian ministry than politics. But in the state in which Nigeria is, everyone has to speak. We have to canvass ideas for a workable society.

I agree with the author of the opener, Sowore and others should join or build recognizable political parties, through the years, and then they stand a chance of leading this nation.

VBCampaign:


I agree that a revolution can work. I sincerely hope that Sowore can birth something of a revolution.

I read how Hitler rose to power. It was one book he wrote that won the heart of the German people. And he was eventually nominated to President.

But...

Even Hitler had to belong to a recognizable body or party.

No one can do this thing alone.

It is quite unfortunate that this commentator thinks Deji Yesufu is writing this to be political adviser to Duke. Maybe you should google that name and realize that his calling is more in the Christian ministry than politics. But in the state in which Nigeria is, everyone has to speak. We have to canvass ideas for a workable society.

I agree with the author of the opener, Sowore and others should join or build recognizable political parties, through the years, and then they stand a chance of leading this nation.

Okay o.

But watch out for 2027.

As predicted by Deji Yesufu...