The signs that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was an ill-prepared contraption in Nigeria’s democratic experiment were apparent from the campaign rally held in Enugu, on Saturday, January 10, 2015. It was shortchanged for time, perhaps on account of earlier engagements. I had expected a better showing from past and present governors of various states who made presentations at the rally. I strained to hear in live broadcast of proceedings at the rally some issues that could be described as pertinent to election issues and drew a blank.
I had thought that rallies were meant for seeking support from a cross section of the electorate of a state, in this case Enugu, to woo voters with concrete proposals of intent of a party in seeking reins of power. I thought a party should outline message of errors in current administration and make proposals that are loaded with data on how to make good what should be established as wrong in the current government. I thought a rally was an opportunity of matching wits of main actors and a conclusive dismissal of opposing party or parties and compelling voters to find a rallying party. I thought that character of a candidate would be laid bare and contrasted with character of an incumbent. I thought that the main issue of terrorism would be addressed along with welfare of the people which is indeed the main task of governance would be laid bare. I thought that doubts about presidential candidates’ integrity and track record would have been set against the massive institutional reforms that the incumbent has used to start a process of change. I thought that arguments should have been raised about the policies of the incumbent, with a view to impugning with data the efficacy of such policies.
All that took place was student-level jingles and chants that had little bearing on any issue. And this dominated the time-pressed opportunity to speak of identity-differentiating qualities. Most who stepped onto the dais were shallow. Rotimi Amaechi showed amazing shallowness that spoke volumes about his fatal shutdown of courts in a democracy.
Responses were lethargic. Voices were strained by weather and extended vocal strain. Only one person made an impression. Rochas Okorocha was articulate in marshalling out some key desires of the electorate in the zone of rally. Even then, he appeared to self-glorify with his delivery. He was, however, leagues ahead of the ill-prepared pack. I was particularly disappointed by Ogbonnaya Onu whom I had thought was sufficiently cerebral to fall into mediocrity in the rally among those with whom he had spent a reasonable part of his life speaking of millions of people in Okpara Square.
Even the vice presidential candidate failed to create any ripple worth celebrating as fruit of the rally. He was calm and distraught about the jingles and chants, as if he was about to land on the main object of the rally. His stop was abrupt, as if he had received a signal that time was up. He was a professor and pastor and product of compromise meant to bark and bite and remedy lapses of his appointor.
Jonathan was more forthcoming with his programme and its defence. He had made is delivery loaded with attacks against Buhari as a person and this whittled down the pungency of his presentation. He was clear about his programme. His handlers ought to have done better in style and presentation of the massive scores he earned in articulating his stupendous effort in the Nigeria project. Even then, he was head and shoulder above his opponents. His opponents were busy forming a coalition of wounded elements and could not address the object of such a glorious opportunity to win the hearts of people sceptical about Hausa-Fulani agenda in a tenuous security situation that did not even receive any attention. The demands of Ndigbo as espoused by Okorocha did not earn a line of comment from a ‘president-in-waiting’.
I came off the radio commentary of Enugu rally of APC disappointed with the quality of people angling for leadership of Nigeria. I contemplated the issue far into the night and saw that APC is ill-prepared to take reins of power from someone who had applied his mind to problems besetting the country and had visible signs of addressing the problem. I thought that in the international system we share, analog leaders who cannot keep pace with opinions of the electorate can hardly bring any change, even when change is their motto. One cannot change what one is rustic about.
Buhari might have been a game changer in command leadership. He certainly is not current enough to mount a saddle with anachronistic credentials. He is not sufficiently grounded in democratic politics. And Nigeria cannot elect him and allow him time and space to learn the ropes. We are better off, I humbly think, in the hands of someone who has been guided properly to set up structures for proper functioning of Nigeria, but who may have been slow to combat corruption on account of his pandering to whims of power-brokers. I believe that he will develop a sting that will take us one notch out of the present dilemma, if he is allowed to return to Aso Rock one last time.
Ndigbo relies on him to address the national conference findings and sue for loose federation. It is quite clear that nihilist forces in the North are not likely to relent, even when Buhari assumes the saddle. It is not certain, since nothing has issued from him in concrete terms, that he will develop the will to fight insecurity in present day idiom without dampening his own people. He may be a saint for purification of Nigeria, but he has to win full understanding of contending forces in a democracy to operate as a pilot. I think, and most humbly too, that he lacks the capacity in health, currency and cognate exposure terms to lead Nigeria out of the doldrums.
Jonathan, to me, is a better risk despite his failings to curb corruption. He should midwife a new Nigeria in Federating Idiom. Buhari may not even consider that, despite assurances from my friends close to him. Buhari is my age mate. I know what effort I make to keep pace with a world ruled by technology with huge potentials for dazzling anyone in his 50s at this time, let alone analog, expired military folks with guilt burdens from the decades past and possibilities of health challenge.