The 2023 presidential election will be held in about two years. Nigerians are already debating how, what, why and who should represent them as President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. Nigeria uses the democratic principles contained in the 1999 Constitution to elect new leaders who are responsible for ensuring that people enjoy the dividends of democracy.
With this in mind, plans on who is the “best-fit” to replace the current President Mohammed Buhari in 2023 after eight years is in full-swing. Scarcity, economic difficulties, turbulence and other incomprehensible problems that threaten the survival of Nigerian businesses will be key challenges for the new president to address.
In fact, interest groups and some well-intentioned Nigerians in government circles believe that after Buhari’s eight years rule, power must come to the southern region in order to enforce political equity. Coincidentally, the southern region has a large number of political gladiators who can push the country to new heights, however, the pertinent question at this juncture is, ‘who meets the cut?’. If you look at the political scene in the southern region, former presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, ensured that the South have ruled for a total of 14 years (although the Igbo people haven’t had their day in the sun), many people in the eastern region hope that the next election will give them a shot at the throne.
However, the only player within the Southern region that can be deemed an “appropriate candidate” for the APC is the former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Tinubu is an APC chieftain and national leader). Many government agencies and individuals have expressed interest in supporting his ambition to succeed President Buhari, but the only problem is that some Nigerians are worried about his health and age.
In a recent interview with Arise TV, President Buhari made it clear that the sole responsibility for deciding who becomes APC’s presidential candidate is strictly under the purview of the party. He also said that ‘no one would sit in Lagos to decide what the party should do with regards to zoning’.
Debatedly, Tinubu may not win the APC candidacy for the 2023 election, and power may return to the North because they rule most of the states controlled by APC. If this permutation comes to fruition, then one of these 3 things is bound to happen;
He can decide to create another political party or resuscitate the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which joined forces with other parties to form the APC in preparation for the 2015 presidential elections.
Tinubu may be forced to support the agitators of the Oduduwa Republic.
If the Peoples Democratic Party’s political calculations are correct, it will once again take over the reins at the Aso Rock.
For what it’s worth, we Nigerians must not repeat the mistakes we made in the past. We must support the political parties and candidates who will liberate the country from the doldrums. Nigeria is everything we have, and we must do everything we can to maintain our place in the international community.
