The 2023 election will hopefully terminate or lengthen the stewardship of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), that was bestowed with the political throne in 2015. The 2015 general elections signalled a brighter way for the hitherto desperate leadership looking Buhari, courtesy of vibrant political youths from the South West geo-political zone. They took the bull by the horn to launch the retired army general into the nation’s political spectrum with his victory in that year’s elections.
The South-west’s politically minded youths, after the amalgam of three to four political parties, including the Alliance for Democracy that transformed into today’s All Progressives Congress (APC), took the pains of ensuring that Buhari’s fourth onslaught onto the presidency became reality. The sub-regional youths were not only supported but also mentored by some notable political heavyweights in the likes of a one-time Lagos state governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and others of his breed to get the retired soldier-turned politician into Aso Rock in 2015. These western youths from different political associations of the sub-region under the tutelage of Asiwaju Tinubu, hooked up by some notable northern politicians, withered the electioneering storms of the 2015, passed through the rigours of electoral processes to realise the aspiration of Muhammadu Buhari as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria today.
A similar political association, the North East Progressives Youth Group, which has its roots from Bauchi, but with its tentacles spread across the three geo-political zones of North East, North-west and North-central, took a similar crusade to shape the political armoury of the APC ahead of the 2013 elections. The group’s main objectives were to ensure that the 2015 general elections were freely, fairly and creditably conducted in a peaceful atmosphere, and for President Buhari to reciprocate the South-west’s gesture of handing-over the reins of power to a politically minded South Westerner in tandem with the principles of rotational presidency. Achieving that feat and ensuring smooth transfer of power to the South West geo-political zone we believe, could not only strengthen Nigeria’s democracy but also its survival amidst the country’s various ethnic groups.
President Buhari should see to a reciprocity of that gesture by his political party. Here, we recommend that Lagos-born politician of national repute, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, in whom it has every confidence, should carry the APC presidential flag come the 2023 general elections. The man has already thrown his hat into the arena of the electoral processes, and is seen to be frequenting the Villa, ostensibly to get the nod of President Buhari, for the party’s ticket. This political kite is a prelude to the 2023 general elections. It is not out of hand; it is coming at a time INEC is down-sizing the nation’s registered political parties in conformity with global best practices. The stage is now left for the APC and the power-baton passing President Buhari to heed to the idea, with a view to salvaging the country from the foreseeable political quagmire. So can Buhari come to terms and see to the new political order of reciprocal venture, is left for posterity to judge.
Adamu Hassan is a member of the North East Progressives Youth Group.
