By Peter N. Peters
It’s no longer news that there’s been ongoing talks between political parties to form partnerships and alliances for purposes of gaining more national appeal especially with the smaller political parties, as the 2023 general elections approaches.
Of greater interest is the arrangement for alignment of forces between Peter Obi’s Labour Party (LP) and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). It’s of major interest because, there’s been a clamour for another strong political movement that should position as the ‘Third Force’ to challenge the two existing behemoths of Political Parties called All Progressive Congress (APC) aka the governing party and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) the Opposition Party. This age-long clamour for a Third Force never saw the light of day until a Peter Obi, who was one of the then Presidential Aspirants under PDP read the ugly hand writing on the walls of the PDP and promptly resigned from the party and pitched his tent with a hitherto relatively small and largely unknown Labour Party.
Peter Obi’s message of ‘take back your country’ and his promise to drive the economy of the nation from consumption to that of production appealed to a lot of those who are hoping for a breather from the ugly and perennial cake-sharing, corruption ridden, transactional politics of the APC and PDP.
Peter Obi’s track records of accomplishments as one time governor of Anambra State; his track record of prudent management of state resources that enabled him to accomplish much for the state, were sweet music in the ears of a large section of hitherto despondent voting public, especially the youths.
Boom! There was suddenly an upsurge in the number of people seeking to either register, renew or transfer their registration so as to be armed with the PVC in readiness for the 2023 general elections. Peter Obi’s Labour Party (LP) suddenly assumed the colour of the much anticipated ‘Third Force.’ Latest report from INEC reveals that more than 10 million new registrants have been added to it’s registration portal by reason of the new upsurge. About 70% of this figure are youths who form the bulk of Peter Obi’s movement.
It is for this reason that every right thinking, fair minded and patriotic citizen of Nigeria that means well for this country must be worried at what is playing out in the ongoing partnership talks between the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). We hear the Presidential Candidate of NNPP, Senator Kwankwaso is insisting he must be the arrow head of the proposed partnership between this two parties or there will be no deal. We also hear he claims to be the senior partner in the partnership, and one just wonders how. If it’s by age, then it’s laughable, because even he is not qualified. We should begin a fresh new search for the oldest living man in Nigeria to lead us.
If it’s by qualification, track records and experience, it’s also doubtful whether a Kwankwaso can, in all honesty, match a Peter Obi’s track records of accomplishments as one time governors of their two states. One wonders also whether a Kwankwaso can really match the knowledge, expertise and intelligence of a Peter Obi on issues of managing a battered and depressed economy as that of Nigeria of today.
We really have not had the privilege of listening to Senator Kwankwaso give insight into his political ideology; what new thing he’s bringing to the table to checkmate the transactional mindsets of the politicians he left both in APC and PDP. So why should we trust him to do anything differently from the rest of them if given the chance to manage our national resources, never mind that he’s held other political offices like Minister and Senator of the Federal Republic?
Besides, if political offices held and paper qualifications alone are the measures to determine who leads and who follows, then Shehu Shagari whose only qualification and political office held were a Teacher’s Grade II certificate and Junior Minister under Tafawa Balewa administration respectively, shouldn’t have had any business being the President, while Dr. Alex Ekwueme, with his intimidating CV became his Vice during the regime of Shehu Shagari.
Truth be told, the political revolution that is brewing with the sudden and unprecedented massive surge of the youths to register and acquire the PVC preparatory for the 2023 elections, has nothing to do with Kwankwaso’s NNPP. It has everything to do with the message of hope for a New Nigeria and the brand new politics of fresh air of Mr. Peter Obi, which resonates largely with the youths
Peter Obi’s movement is not just for political campaign serving merely as a delivery van to bring people into political offices. It’s a mass movement of people seeking liberation from an evil gang of greedy political merchants perennially trading with the destiny of Nigeria and her citizens. It is a mass movement of people wanting a clean break from transactional politics of ethnicity and religious bigotry. It’s a mass movement of people, especially the younger folks desiring a reversal of the ugly trend of a nation of very poor citizens in the midst of plenty; a mass movement of people determined to drive the ship of state away from a consuming nation to a producing nation. It’s a mass movement of true Nigerians that do not know Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa-Fulani, Ijaw, Tiv, Igala, etc., but one Nigeria with a common destiny.
How then can a Kwankwaso expect that a Peter Obi, being the arrow head of this historic mass movement still loading, to suddenly quit the stage for him? Has he bothered to ask what will be the reaction of these fully charged youth segment of the voting public, rearing to use their PVC to make a loud statement in Nigeria’s political landscape come 2023 general elections if that happens?
Besides, granted that Peter Obi is not running on the ticket of the loud clamour for a President of Igbo extraction, does the Kwankwasos of this world not recognize that a Peter Obi presidency stands the best chance to also assuage the feelings of maginalisation of Ndi-Igbo and also help to calm the frayed nerves of those of them with separatist agenda? Or is he also suggesting that he’s part of the arrangement to continue to maginalise and isolate the Igbos in the Nigeria’s political equation?
This proposed marriage comes across to every discerning mind as one between two strange bed fellows. One of the parties representing the old order whose transactional brand of politics have contributed largely in bringing down Nigeria to this unenviable state of the poverty capital of the world. While the other is the face of a much desired New Nigeria of law and order, of productivity and prosperity.
Therefore Senator Kwankwaso is grossly unfit to lead this movement for a New Nigeria. It would only set the people right back to where they are struggling to leave behind. A marriage that would put a Kwankwaso at the drivers seat and relegate Peter Obi to the background is a no no. It’s completely unacceptable to the wider spectrum of the people, especially the youth segment who are suddenly rising up to be counted. And this, in all seriousness, should not be allowed.
* Peter N. Peters is a Media Practitioner based in the FCT, and Executive Secretary of CoEViN (Concern for Ethics & Values in Nigeria)
