Pity And Beauty Of Powerplay : A Decent Warning to Tinubu, Osinbajo’s Supporters (Part 1) !! By Afeez Bello

Pity And Beauty Of Powerplay : A Decent Warning to Tinubu, Osinbajo’s Supporters (Part 1) !! By Afeez Bello

As the 2023 general election in Nigeria is fast approaching, political speculation, calculation and permutation are beginning to surface across the six geo political zones of the country, namely, South East, North East, South West, North West, South South and North Central.

The race of which zone is the next to produce the presidential candidate across all the political parties which will be marketable to North and South has become an incessant factor in Nigeria political history. For instance, in 2007 when Former President Olusegun Obasanjo who hailed from Ogun State, Southwestern part of the country was completing his second term in office, presidential aspirants from the Northern part of the country started emerging such as the former Head of State – General Ibrahim Babaginda ( North Central), former Governor of Katsina state – Umar Musa Yar’adua ( North West), Former Vice President – Atiku Abubakar (North East), Former Head of State and the current President of the Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari (North West) among many others.

Meanwhile, The emergence of Late Musa Yar’adua as Nigerian President under the umbrella of the ruling People’s Democratic Party in 2007 general election has made the number one seat of power in the country to become a rotating exercise between the Northern and the Southern geopolitical. Three years later, the rotating exercise was truncated by the unwanted death of the sitting president Umar Musa Yar’adua which paved way for his running mate, Goodluck Jonathan to emerge as Nigeria President. This development sparked unlimited uproars in the political scene across the country since the former vice president, Goodluck Jonathan, who hailed from Bayelsa State (South South), was also planning to contest for President in 2011 general election.

Since there is no part of the Nigerian constitution that hinders Goodluck Jonathan to contest as Nigeria President in 2011. He defeated his counterpart, Muhammadu Buhari of Congress for Progressive Change in the election. The emergence of Goodluck Jonathan as the elected president triggered the call for the balance of power in Nigeria as some Northern Leaders were bragging that Jonathan should not use more than a term and power should return to the North.

Due to insecurity, corruption, lack of transparency among many other factors that engulfed Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure; the Northern leaders with the support of notable bigwigs in the south succeeded in achieving their mission in 2015 General election.

The campaign for change mark the end of ruling People’s Democratic Party and
Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure on one side and the emergence of All Progressive Congress(APC) as the ruling party and Muhammadu Buhari as the newly elected president of Nigeria in year 2015 on the other side. This political scenario did not only receive thumb up from most of the Northern Leaders in ensuring that power returns to the North but it has also instigated balance in the rotation of power between the North and the South.

As Buhari’s tenure is running to an end in 2023, it is generally accepted that the rotation of power is being balanced. By May 29, 2023, it will be clear that two presidents from each of the two zones(North and South) have ruled the country since 1999. Meanwhile, the North is still ruling while it is indicating that power should return to the South; thus it was not stated in Nigerian Constitution but it is becoming the political tradition in the country, as well.

Since the expectation of notable politicians in the country is that the South should produce the next president, come 2023. Many Southerners have been showing interest in becoming the number one citizen of the country. The likes of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor David Umahi, Dele Momodu, Dr Rochas Okorocha, Dr Chris Ngige and others have shown interest. However, this did not stop the Northerners such as Turaki of Adamawa – Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Senator Bukola Saraki, Governor Yahya Bello of Kogi State to show their interest since zoning was not stated in the Nigerian Constitution. Also, some groups in some parts of the country were calling for influential people in the country to also show their interest in the contest. Some of the influential personalities who have not shown their interest to contest for the race is the current Vice President – Professor Yemi Osinbajo; Africa Development Bank Chairman – Dr Femi Adesina. Also, a group from Northern part of the country was also advising the richest Man in Africa, Aliko Dangote and former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala to run for President come 2023.

From all indications, two notable Southerners whom most of Nigerians have seen that they are well fit to lead the country out of the current economic mess and other social instabilities are the National Stalwarts of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

(To be continued….).