[ad_1]
The 2023 elections will be dynamic and change the political landscape of Nigeria. Currently both political parties are in a quandary as regards a path to victory. The PDP selected Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President and serial participant, he has been running for President since 1992. But curiously a lot of people think that decision leaves the PDP in jeopardy, as there is a pervasive zeitgeist for power to return to the south. Someone once quipped that Atiku in the 2023 elections could be akin to phantom of the opera without Andrew Weber, because this will lead to the PDP losing the southern voting bloc due to screams of betrayal by the south.
On the road to producing a PDP candidate, a lot of southerners thought that the PDP will look south, but they did look north with the strong argument that only Atiku could win, albeit they played a symphony of no zoning on their exonerative grand piano.
Conversely, some have challenged this “winnability” talk by arguing whether the north will vote for Atiku. There are some uncircumspect postulations that if the north doesn’t vote for Atiku and the PDP doesn’t get the southern vote – which is possible due to the recent cry of blue murder by Ohanaeze indigbo, then it might be continuation of the wilderness experience for the PDP.
But as hitherto caveated, this is an uncircumspect iteration. Suffice to say the postulation of the APC not being able to win elections in the north with a southern candidate and winning the south with a below par performance is another jaundiced postulation.
However, asphyxiated of logic some of these postulations may look, they are scenarios to consider as some parrot the need for a third force which they outrightly say must be Peter Obi. But on more introspection the question will arise, does Obi and his brigade have the gravitas to eke out the votes in APC and PDP strongholds? Has he built a structure of at least 120,000 men and women to watch out for his votes across 774 local government areas, spread across 923,000 sq km? If a structure is built then how can this win an election? Can Nigeria be France where Macron started with the Republique enMarche and he built it to win? Even with Macron I ask if François Fillon had been without scandal will Macron have emerged?
One thing is certain, even despite how nebulous the process is, it would be the return of the old brigade and the end of “that era”. The final winners might be either the PDP or APC but a third force might make a dent. However when the process ends, one thing is certain: both key parties would have had their innings and the new active participation by the youth would emerge. I am excited at the possibilities, but my fear is the lack of a robust public discourse as that is the veritable pedestal for national development. As the Irish Rock Band, U2, will sing “change of heart come slow, remember it’s not a hill but a mountain as you start out the climb.”
Rufai Oseni, [email protected]
[ad_2]
Source link
