The 2023 Nigeria Presidential Election - My conclusions (1)

L-R: Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu with Muhammadu Buhari

Politics is almost as exciting as war, and quite as dangerous. In war you can only be killed once, but in politics, many times - Winston Churchill

Nigeria politics can be likened to a foray of big men versus bigger men, cabal playing cabals, politicians playing art and crafts with the people. It is in the Nigeria politics sphere that I have come to learn about betrayals, friendship, peace, greediness, and simple living enhance in contentment of the little you are served. It is also in this circle that I learnt that service to the people is now attributed into sharing of the cake, best put at the federal level as the 'National cake'.

Several politicians have come and gone, but there are some names that will always ring bell, from Shehu Shagari, Sani Abacha, Moshood Kashimawo Olabiwoninu Abiola, Olusegun Obasanjo, and to the latest name ringing bell like Muhammadu Buhari, and Bola Ahmed Tinubu - the embodiments of politics in name & style. These names among others played the politics of growth, dictatorship, Democracy and progress in peace, half in fight.

While they play their politics, there was this common slang common to the Cabals, the Media and the Nigerian people, it became a slang of honor in truth and deceit. When there is a policy to be aired, verified or unverified, the Media will come on to say things like - so, so, & so order has been given, and if the citizens ask, who gave the order, the media will reply - 'The Presidency'. It went to become the order of the day, any little thing, it is the Presidency. The 2023 elections came with its lessons and laughter's in-between.

THE ISSUES

The issues of the 2023 Nigeria election are now a memory which might linger on the minds and lips of the people. Issues like Pre-election matters, during and post-election matters, they became live narratives that can be sum up to a book, which might become All-time best seller depending on the angle one writes from. Nigerians are controversial people, many of them thrive in controversy, as well as their politicians, this is not a generalization of the people but a fact in part.

It started with the issues of the who becomes the flag bearer of the major political parties, the All-Progressives Congress APC, the People's Democratic Party PDP, the Labour Party LP, and the new bride The New Nigerian People's Party NNPP. 

The APC primary elections was the most controversial, in a case in which the then Vice President contested against his assumed political benefactor - Tinubu, a man he was a commissioner under him while Tinubu was the Governor of Lagos state, many people see the act as a betrayal of the highest order, also being a pastor of one of the largest following in Nigeria and beyond, many Nigerians said he never put the teachings of the Bible into practices. In fact, one of the protege of Tinubu, in person of Babatunde Fashola, was quoted saying "May our loyalty never be tested" when he was asked why he was not in the contest for the number 1 job.

Also Read: The Making of a Flint

Another scene was the issues of the Senate President Ahmad Lawan contesting against Tinubu, who is most time referred to as Jagaban, or Asiwaju. Ahmad Lawan has over the years enjoys the singular support of Tinubu for the Leadership of the National Assembly, so it came as rude shock when Ahmad enters the same trouser with Tinubu. Tinubu was later quoted in his victory speech to Lawan that "I will have been a little bit upset of competing with me, but it is over now, you can go and lick your wound" - he did lick his wound.

Tinubu won the Primary election with a figure of 1271 votes, a vote which swallow the votes of all the other contestant joined together, truly, Tinubu is the master of the political game, he looks prepared for the day.

Other political parties held their primary election, with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso RMK winning the ticket of the NNPP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar winning the PDP ticket in a more controversial manner of betrayals, while Peter Gregory Obi was without stress handed the ticket of the LP.

Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagonising it incorectly and applying the wrong remedies. - Groucho Marx

THE CAMPAIGNS

All the aspirants went all pout to convince Nigerians of their manifestoes and plans if elected, the APC, PDP, and LP except the NNPP candidate all said they are going to end the scam in the Petrol subsidy scheme, make an end to insecurity and reduce the unemployment and poverty rate among citizens. 

Campaign comes with twist and gist, the candidate of the APC and the LP remain the most talked about, for the APC because he was believed to be the best in winning the contest due to his skills in winning elections, the LP candidate was also riding on the religious and ethnic card, sometimes playing the victim, by arguing his region since independence has not have a fair share of the National cake. Some Nigerians reminded him that power is not given but taken, that if truly he has what it takes to win election, what is stopping him, and he in response, asked that the APC candidate step down for him, a move many of the followers of Tinubu see as an aberration of the highest order, considering his age as he is younger to Tinubu.

Also Read: The Road That Leads Home

Although many believes some of his comments are due to the region he hails from, their kind of culture do not give regards to their elders unlike where Tinubu hails from. Tinubu hails from a region who greet their elders by the male prostrating, while the females kneel down a practice still involve till date even with the advent of civilization and modernity. Obi cultural background allows the young ones to greet their elders while standing even up to shaking hands without a sign of respect as common to the west where Tinubu hails from.

The campaign was so fierce that the candidates were called under one roof to sign a peace accord, it was believed that Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party never handled his followers well, because they insults anyone who does not follow their path in supporting them, they even go to the extent of cancel culture, and they take pride in their numbers to harassing both the young and the old without being checkmated or restrained by their leader, Obi 

While Tinubu, Atiku, and Kwankwaso were facing the issues of their willingness to become President, Obi was having a problem of minoring on the major, and vis-a-vis, not remembering the principal words, 'we create more friends, and not more enemies'. 

To be continued...