Rookies are known by their smiles and veterans by their scars…Ena E. Orugbo
Surprisingly, no one was willing to stand surety for the detained publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoloye Sowore. This is not to justify his futile call for a revolution or erode his tactless anti-Goodluck Jonathan footprints. The truth must be told; Sowore has sacrificed a lot to make Nigeria a sane society and must not be left behind bars. Where is Yinka Odumakin of Afenifere? Where are the hawks of Ohaneze Ndigbo and Arewa? They are probably exchanging notes and strategising for 2023. As horse-trading for 2023 intensifies, it is becoming obvious that the hallmark of politics is waiting. Buhari waited for 12 years to become president. Yet, rookies relish short cuts.
South East
After the failed Ojukwu led civil war, the South East had to learn how to wait. Waiting seems tedious, but it is always rewarding. Isaiah 40:31 is spot-on “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint”. The Igbo wait period has yielded high dividends. Ibeto Group, Innoson Motors and Emzor Pharmaceuticals, to name but a few. Ironically, political power is not the climax. Mayer Amschel Bauer Rothschild famously said, “Give me control of a nation’s money and I care not who makes it’s laws”. The South East has a claim to 2023 but Tinubu and his cohorts think otherwise.
South West
The South West is working on a tight political rope to 2023. Tinubu has become an asset and a liability to the region. If the cabal decides to turn the heat on Tinubu before 2023, the center of political gravity in the South West will tilt. Alas, the vice president, Professor Yemi Osibanjo (SAN) who was an excellent acting president is being choked into early retirement. The best-case scenario for the South West is for Tinubu’s cohorts and Afenifere’s veterans to sacrifice personal ambitions and close ranks. A South Eastern presidency is impractical for 2023 because the North and South East are political parallels. Besides, the North will not relinquish political power except by an act of God.
Nigeria’s 16th President
Pastor Tunde Bakare is becoming a recurring decimal. Firstly, he was President Muhammadu Buhari’s vice presidential candidate in 2011. Secondly, he prophesied that “God was preparing a tender plant from the North” to take over from Buhari in 2023. Thirdly and verbatim, “I am saying it to you this morning, in the scheme of things, as far as politics of Nigeria is concerned, President Buhari is number 15 and yours sincerely is number 16”. The North would have none of it because Southerners (Peoples Democratic Party) betrayed their trust in 2011. The latter fielded former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, contrary to the fine prints of a gentleman’s agreement on the rotation of power.
Conclusion
Politics used to be a game of numbers; it is now a game of chess. Sure, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is fit to become president. However, in Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s post-election pitch, he declared thus “Atiku was never destined to become president”. Who is destined to become Nigeria’s 16th president? The waiting game has begun, and the South Easterners must now settle for the vice-presidential slot. As a precursor to enter the mainstream and allow the South Eastern winds to gain momentum. Make no mistake, the North currently holds the carrot and the stick though God alone has the final say. The South West and South South will have to contend for 2023 swing vote privileges.
Dr. Enameguolo Orugbo