rankly, I did based on the strong conviction that somebody needed to do this – I mean somebody ordinary, a true representative of the people; not one of the longstanding “movers and shakers” or their surrogates. Over the years the rich and powerful have been consistently pushing the rest of us to the periphery, and far too many citizens of this nation have ended up Falling off the edge. Politics has become a family business, with men ensuring their continued influence within that arena by ‘donating’ their wives and children to the cause. We have equally heard it over and over again: more than 80 per cent of our resources are employed at the service of less than 20 per cent of our population. That cannot be just, by any standard.
As a clear demonstration of what is stated above, witness the lavish spending that typically accompanies the political campaigns of the major political parties. Over N21 billion was raised at a single sitting for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election campaign – and this at a time when austerity measures had just been announced to the country and workers were being owed several months of salaries. Clearly, our resources are concentrated in the hands of a small group of people who, in their own eyes, are at liberty to do with it as they please. The Punch newspaper, in its editorial of 23rd December, 2014 characterised this development as “impunity taken too far”, given that our electoral laws stipulate that “the maximum election expenses to be incurred by a candidate at a presidential election shall be N1 billion” while the maximum donation from an individual must not be in excess of N1 million. Must we continue to accept from our elected officers wanton disregard for the laws of the land?
It is time for us to have leaders who will devote their energies to the business of governance – not spending so much time singing their own praises after every little achievement or attacking those who are perceived to be in opposition. A leader does not need adulation for doing that which he or she is elected to do. Leadership is an issue I have thought long and hard about and which has been explored in many of my writings, especially in my three books: A Trust to Earn – Reflections on Leadership and Life in Nigeria (2010); Igniting Consciousness – Nigeria and Other Riddles (2013); Daybreak Nigeria – This Nation Must Rise! (2014). We need leaders who will inspire us.
As we all know, the pressure to satisfy different interest groups within the political party often prevents even a well-intentioned elected officer from working effectively for the good of the people. Positions to be filled by appointment are therefore multiplied (assistants, special assistants, special advisors, senior special advisors, etc.), depleting available resources. From our experience as a nation, it is clear that certain interests within the big political parties manage to exert a stranglehold both on the elected officers and the people they are supposed to serve, thus ensuring our slow march to development. The time is ripe for a whole new breed of leaders who will be able to face squarely, without interference or distraction, the important task of governance.
Nigerians deserve better than they are getting. We are a hard-working and resilient people, but far too many of us suffer various forms of deprivation and exclusion. It cannot be that hard to provide for our people the basic necessities of life – if only there is the will to do it. It is the role of government to serve the interest of all the people, not to demonstrate largesse to a few (e.g. through the distribution of pepper grinding machines, motorcycles, etc.). It was Mrs. Hilary Clinton who said that Nigerian leaders “are able but unwilling” to make life better for their citizens. That is a serious indictment which needed to be reversed.
My decision to run was also about the image which the nation should seek to project at this time. There is no doubt that Nigeria’s image has suffered considerable damage in recent years, due primarily to the actions and inactions of our leaders. I believe we stand at a very crucial moment in our history as a nation. Given the important choice before us, should we continue with what we have always known, recycling the same old people who are actually mostly responsible for putting us in our present predicament? Or could we not choose to seize the opportunity of the moment and take a bold step forward, making a clean break with the pervasive culture of extravagance and impunity at the leadership level by electing people who, by their words and personal lifestyle, would be able to inspire Nigerians to give their best to their fatherland and thereby prove that the pursuit of our collective prosperity is far more beneficial on the long run.
Certainly, some progress had been recorded in some sectors of our socio-economic life. However, my conviction is that the prevalence of corruption within the system seriously undermines the impact that such progress could have made in the lives of the people. I believed it was time for those who were fed up with the current state of affairs to take a stand and seek to play their part in bringing about the real change they desire. That is why I chose to run. I hope I ran well. And if I managed to inspire a few people along the way, then I would not have run in vain.
