MOGHALU, SOWORE, DUROTOYE & CO....THE REAL WINNERS....

By Desmond Ekwueme



Hate or love me for saying this, it won't change the truth....a very bitter one for that matter. The rot and failure of our system, talking about our politics, democracy and governments since independence have caged Nigerians into two choices or option ahead of the 2019 Presidential election....

Muhammadu Buhari and Abubakar Atiku.
The led has deliberately or otherwise agreed to the dictates of the leaders, talking precisely about the ruling class. The failing formulae of North/South rotation of the president or presidency if you like which keeps throwing up establishment candidates and choices or candidates of the ruling class in every election has ensured that the people, the Nigerian people and nation have no option but to tow the lines, will and wishes of the ruling class even when it is obvious that there are better candidates and choices to lead the country in every election outside theirs. Incidentally, the failing North/South rotation of the presidency has created more divide along ethnic, religious and cultural lines. This has led to the cries of marginalisation even as the screaming voices are suppressed through nefarious and inhumane methods. The end product is the call for restructuring and fiscal federalism.

If only Late Umaru Yar'adua and Goodluck Jonathan were not establishment choices in 2007...extending to 2015 which ensured that they were not absolutely independent-minded in decision-making perhaps we would have had the NEW NIGERIA of our dream. The country we crave for. May be both men would have performed better than they did at separate times in power. They were from the academia. They had age on their side....and above all, they had a kind of appeal of newness or freshness even if Late President Yar'adua had an idea or feel of leadership while his elder brother was No. 2 man under the military regime of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo between February 13, 1976 and October 1st, 1979.

Talking about youthfulness, newness, sense of direction and purpose, the Presidential election of 2019 has thrown up the trio of Omoyele Sowore, Kingsley Moghalu and Fela Durotoye among others. Any of these should be the candidate or choice of Nigerians or Nigerian voter below 60 years. Any of these should honestly be the choice of a Nigerian voter who is futuristic in thinking. Any of these candidate should be the choice of a Nigerian voter who truly desires change. Any of these candidates should be the candidate of a Nigerian voter who wants an end to establishment candidate or an end to the candidates of the ruling class or an end to the theory of "the status quo must remain".

Sadly and ironically, the same Nigerians including Yours Sincerely have been systematically and politically gagged to focus on just two candidates.... Buhari and Atiku....the establishment candidates or candidates of the ruling class.The voting pattern will take this shape irrespective of what we think, say, feel or assume. The reality on ground is that the ruling class has made it mandatory by principle for the political class to coerce the ordinary and unsuspecting Nigerians not to look beyond Buhari and Atiku....the same way we had MKO Abiola and Bashir Tofa in 1992/93 and GEJ versus PMB in 2015.

This political arrangement can only fail if and when the electorate, the voters, the masses or the ordinary Nigerians wake up from their political slumber to take their future in their hands and shun the stipends and handouts they receive from members of the political class who are indirectly controlled by the ruling class. How this will come to pass depends on how much awareness an average Nigerian has politically or betterstill how sophisticated he or she is politically.

This political arrangement can only fail if and when the electorate, the voters, the masses or the ordinary Nigerians wake up from their political slumber to take their future in their hands and shun the stipends and handouts they receive from members of the political class who are indirectly controlled by the ruling class. How this will come to pass depends on how much awareness an average Nigerian has politically or betterstill how sophisticated he or she is politically.

Like legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti once said in one of his hit songs Nigerians are "Suffering and Smiling". Change of this stereotype leadership style can come when Nigerians stop "Suffering and Smiling". It can come when they start thinking like Moghalu, Sowore and Durotoye among others. It can come when they decide to take control of their future by relegating the ruling class to the backseat or background.

Talking about Durotoye, Moghalu, Sowore and co, they may not win the Presidential election but they have made a strong statement through stepping out (to contest in the presidential race) that the future is truly here....and now....and for the youths who were harassed and silenced by mere remark tagging them lazy. Such remark may have sparked off the real change in saner clime....but sadly, not here.

Durotoye, Moghalu, Sowore and co have boldly looked into the faces of the ruling class to warn that some day, the table will turn against the latter. They have bravely announced to the political elites that a NEW ORDER is here in Nigeria. They have confidently yet successfully announced the birth of a NEW MOVEMENT. With and through their involvement, they have declared unequivocally to the ruling and political elites that soonest, it won't be business as usual.....as we all won't lie down facing one direction....at least not forever.

Indeed, I make bold to salute these guys and their guts. They have shown character, resilience and determination where some of us have failed and continued to pretend, grumble, cry, faint, complain, criticise, bootlick or worship members of the ruling and political class. For me, it doesn't matter if these guys win or not come 2019. They are the torch bearers of and for the youths. They are the leaders of the vanguard of the NEW ORDER. Win or lose, they belong to the class of Emmanuel Macron of France, George Weah of Liberia and Justin Trudeau of Canada among others.

It is now up to Nigerians to think of their future and how best they want their country to be governed perhaps after the Buhari/Atiku battle royale. The future is here but can be postponed just like the doomsday as usual. We have been doing this since 1960. It is a circle Nigerians seems to love. It is upto Nigerians to decide to make or take a bold shift from the past which is polluted by ethnicity, religious extremism, class differences and mindless looting of the nation's treasury by the ruling class....

It is about time we embraced the future where leadership won't be considered on any of these satanic factors. It is time, we stopped talking sbout experience and age as leadership factors. Gen. Yakubu Gowon was 32 when he led Nigeria. He was not even married as at the time he took over the mantle of leadership of the country. He may not have satisfied all as a good leader but there are no upto two leaders to be compared to him in terms of performance. Until Nigerians see reasons in the emergence of Moghalu, Sowore, Durotoye and co, we will pitifully focus on Buhari and Atiku in the 2019 Presidential election....and sadly continue to embrace establishment and ruling class candidates.
Moghalu, Sowore, Durotoye and co have played and will continue to play their part as history has noted. The choice is up to Nigerians.

I salute you my brothers Moghalu, Durotoye and Sowore among others for stepping forward most courageously thus reminding us of the youthful but leadership days of African heroes like Thomas Sankara, Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, JohnJerry Rawlings and Nelson Mandela among others.

Nigeria will be great again!

Cc: lala



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Hmm

I salute the courage of Moghalu,Sowore and Durotoye to venture into the murky political waters of Nigeria. In as much as they have made a statement and they are ideally the kind of candidates we would like to see at the national stage, they have nonetheless made a significant mistake.

You see politics is like war, you study the terrain, you map out strategies based on realities on ground with the ultimate aim being able to capture the presidency. The realities on ground in the present Nigerian political scene, doesn’t support a newbie coming from oblivion and capturing the Nigerian presidency, that strategy will not and cannot work.

I would have suggested for either of them to contest for the governorship of their respective states because there’s a more greater chance for you to become a Nigerian President as a former governor than a newbie. When they are able to win the governorships of their states, then people can see and acknowledge their leadership styles, people can reference on their achievements as former governors, they can build networks and alliances as governors, these are the fabrics you need to get you ready for a shot at the Nigerian presidency. I will like to reference Tinubu’s progression from being a senator to being a governor, his ultimate game is the presidency which is well within his grasp after PMB’s tenure. I’m sure he couldn’t have achieved whatever he has been able to do today if he shot straight out of Mobil aiming for Nigerian presidency.

Politics requires a great deal of planning, strategizing, patience and forming alliances to achieve desired objectives. It’s a good thing we have people of Sowore’s caliber in the political space but they should start planning right and surely they’ll get there.