The Obi tsunami has continued to sweep across the length and breadth of Nigeria but the dust is beginning to settle. Some say, the tsunami has run out of gusto as expected but others believe that coolheaded people are beginning to ask searching questions that go beyond the normal street march and internet extravagance of the Obicians. Critics are now asking what new will Obi’s presidency bring to the table in Nigeria. This question is very important because the inability to ask and answer similar questions, during Jonathan and Buhari’s campaigns are part of the reasons we are where we are today. So what is Peter Obi bringing to the table that other presidents who helped to destroy this country have not brought? Or rather, what gives Mr. Peter Obi an edge over other heavy weights in the presidential race like Tinubu, Atiku and Kwankwaso?
Obi is not going to be a Miracles Worker
If Peter Obi wins the presidential election today, it is not simply going to be a Peter Obi’s victory but a victory for the millions of Nigerians who defiled many tribal and religious odds, invested their time, energy and resources into the Obi’s project. This is because by Nigerian standard, Obi is the underdog in the forthcoming election and those talk about structure clearly understood what they meant. So, if Obi is going to win, which I don’t know but pray he does, it is not going to be because he is eminently qualified but because Nigerians want a new Nigeria where politicians are elected represent the interests of the people.
However, electing Obi outside the cash and carry transactional politics common in Nigeria is not without its own challenges. One of such challenges is that Obi will be under enormous pressure to perform. For instance, if Tinubu wins the election today, Nigerians will not have the moral rectitude to pressure him to perform because he almost bought the position with him money. You don’t tell a man who paid the kind of money Tinubu and Atiku paid in the primaries what to do. You can cry and wail as many of us are crying and wailing under Buhari’s highhandedness but a leader who bought his position with money does what he like.
Obi will not be enjoying the same luxury. He did not buy the position and speaking by Nigeria’s standard, he didn’t even merit the position. Nigerians gave the position to him and would demand performance and accountability. In fact, many Nigerians will want nothing short of a miracle from Mr. Peter Obi.
There is therefore the need to make it clear, at this early stage that Mr. Peter Obi, the former Governor of Anambra State is not going to be a miracle worker. Nigeria was brought this far by many years of greed and misrule and will likely take as many years or at least a reasonable number of years to fix. It doesn’t matter who become the president of the country today or tomorrow, the truth is that changing Nigeria will take some time, hard work and commitment. The only difference I feel Obi’s administration will make, difference in terms of what previous administrations have done or have not done, is that Obi’s government will be sincere with Nigerians.
Yes, Obi and Yusuf will not run an administration where terrorists would storm a maximum-security prison at the center of Nigeria’s capital, freed inmates and the government in power would not be able to explain what happened. I am persuaded that Obi’s will not be a government where bullion vans are used ferry cash into private homes and 3 years into the incident, the man in Aso Rock still feels he owes nobody any explanation.
Let it be clear, Obi’s government will not perform an economic miracle: there may still be fuel scarcity, yes, ASUU strike may even return but Obi’s government will be a transparent and people oriented government. And who knows, this may just be the type of government that Nigeria needs to head in the right direction.
