2023 elections: Seeing light at end of the tunnel

An elder statesman and an undisputable legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, has voiced out his frustration and pessimism over the Nigerian nation when he said on Channel Television on 5th of January 2023 as follows:

It is not who can make a difference that will win this election. It is not the person who has all that it takes – age, health, education and patriotism that will win the election. The winner of this election, I can bet it, is going to be the person who has made money in this country. It is the person who has the money that will win.

This is not, and should not, be misconstrued as prophecy proceeding from the mouth of an oracle. Chief Babalola was only expressing his personal fear, and feeling of hopelessness, judging by how things usually pan out in Nigeria.

One may as well mistake the elder statesman as tactically endorsing the money bags, who are contesting in the 2023 election, especially as the known money bags are people closer to his age bracket. I do not think that was the intention of the legal luminary. In any event there was nothing wrong with the nonagenarian’s expressing his disappointment at the way things are going.

Chief Babalola’s fear on Nigeria is well-founded. However, he should find consolation in the fact that there is light simmering at the end of the tunnel. Never in the history of Nigeria, from independence to date, has there been such awakening and commitment of the ordinary Nigerian citizen, particularly the youths to taking their destiny in their hands and ushering in a new dawn as they are currently doing in anticipation of the 2023 elections.

We are not in any doubt as to whether we are in a very dire situation as a nation currently. It is not in dispute that those who have impoverished us are using our common wealth, which they have now personalized to hold us captive. What we need now is not recounting to us our woes, which we already know.

What is required now as a matter of necessity, especially from an elder statesman like Chief Babalola, is to encourage and to cheer up fellow citizen to continue in their newly revived quest to change the negative political narrative. We would expect of Chief Afe Babalola to assure us that no matter how difficult it may seem, that we can elect the best candidate as President, rather than hopelessly mortgage our collective destiny for money.

Chief Babalola’s skepticism is ultimately about the 1999 Constitution, about which he said:
Rather any election conducted under the 1999 election will merely result in recycling the same people who have brought Nigeria to grinding poverty – unemployment, underfunded education, insecurity and external debt.

Chief Babalola, may be right in seeing the need for a change of the 1999 Constitution, as this has been corroborated by many other well-meaning Nigerians. He is leaving no one in doubt that he has no faith whatsoever in the 1999 Constitution and anything it produces. It will be remembered that he has earlier on called for the suspension of any election based on the 1999 Constitution and for an interim government to be formed. He is in the same company with people like Pastor Chris Okotie on this score. The only difference is that Chris Okotie expressly canvassed that he (Chris Okotie) should be made the head of such interim government.

However, the reality on ground is that setting up an interim government is near impossible before the 2023 election, and more impossible is getting a new constitution before the 2023 election. It is ennobling for Are Babalola to aspire and call for a new Constitution. However, while we hope and keep pressing for a new constitution, it is desirable for us to strive to make the most of what is currently available on ground, rather than throwing up our hands and hopelessly expecting the very worst to happen.

Having identified Peter Obi as best suited for the job given his untainted character, he should be bold enough to encourage the Nigerians, who are already supportive of his candidacy to soldier on, as they are headed for the right direction. On the contrary, expressing his fear so categorically to the effect that it is the money bag that will win the 2023 election is capable of having a negative, though unintended, implication on the psyche of these passionate Nigerians.

Firstly, it can be seen as a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom. And this may cause some to retire to the fatalistic mode of “whatever will be will be” instead of mobilizing to cast their vote for the candidate most suitable to lead Nigeria out of the woods. This may even give room for the uninformed to even see the great Afe as a hired prophet of the money bags.

An inscription at the Chambers of the legendary Chief Gani Fawehinwi SAN reads: “Stand up for what is right, even if you are standing alone.” At no time is such saying more apt in the case of Nigeria than now. Deep down in their hearts, most Nigerians voters know who, among Presidential candidates is more suitable to be the President of Nigeria at such a trying time in our history. So, what stops them from casting their votes for him. This is not the time to sit on the fence and merely run commentary on what another person have done or have not done. If every Nigerian voter does all that is within his or her power to support the candidate that he or she believes is most suited for the job, we can be rest assured that we can elect the best hand as president at the end of the day, and there is nothing anybody can do about it. Beyond religious, tribal or any other sentiment, every Nigerian should see the 2023 election as a struggle of his or her life and the lives of his or children.

Truly, power belongs to the people. However, the people have a choice to utilize the power to get either the best or the worst deal for themselves.

Onwe is a legal practitioner, Notary public and political analysts.