In a few months from now, Nigerians will be going to the polls again to elect a new set of leaders to pilot the affairs of the country for the next four years. Typical of Nigerian politicians, promises made in campaigns are broken the moment they get hold of power.

Nigerians should insist on vetting politicians to assess their level of competence. Presidential and Vice Presidential debates aired on national television stations have been the only visible effort that unfortunately produces near-zero impact relative to producing credible candidates. The problem is not the act, but the system, which is ridden with underlying flaws, one of which is the manner politicians emerge as party flag-bearers.

There are flaws embedded in the political system already, which exacerbate the inequality felt by different federating units. There is inherent suspicion and rivalry already among various ethno-religious groups in the country. The development has impacted the relationship between the North and the South.

Some privileged individuals, particularly from the northern part of the country, have argued that the presidential slot in the 2023 polls should be left open for all regions. This should ordinarily be the case, if Nigeria were to be a monolithic country.

I wonder why these oligarchs prefer playing the card of competency of the aspirant in defending their selfish position, which they already know is indefensible, given that the regions have qualified and competent persons to occupy Aso Rock.

Ideally, the practice of democracy as a form of government should not be straight-jacketed. The approach should be dynamic relative to the peculiarities of the countries adopting it. Nigeria has a very peculiar diversity on multiple sides, which should be considered.

The democracy we copied from the United States should be domesticated, while still maintaining its key principles such as the rule of law, separation of power, freedom of speech, among others.

Democracy is not a state. It is an act that works well with consensus and cooperation. This should be the shared commitment of nationalities in the Nigerian federation to achieve inclusion. The inherent benefit of applying this model far outweighs the ‘sacrifices’.

The ‘majority mindset’ associated with democratic governance should be toned down to accommodate other interests, particularly those considered disadvantaged in numerical size.

But contrary to the erroneous perception by some, particularly from a section of the country that the Southeast region has limited political value in influencing elections into national offices like the presidency, the two-third clause in the Nigerian Constitution is sufficient to stall the declaration of a potential winner with an overwhelming majority of votes in a presidential election from being returned winner. They are as important and on equal terms as other regions in the country.

As a concerned Nigerian speaking from a dispassionate position, I strongly suggest Nigeria should shop for a person of Igbo extraction as president in 2023, reason being to even the imbalance of power in the country.

Aside from the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC), which has officially reserved the presidential ticket of the party for the South, the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which hitherto enjoyed the rotation formula, has decided to backtrack.

For fairness, equity, and justice, the Igbo race from the Southeast should be given the chance to take a shot at Presidency, because the Southeast has not produced a democratically elected president since Independence.

The suffocating injustice perpetrated by a few to massage their pecuniary ego has now brought more discerning voices to the table to speak the truth to power.

One of such voices is Chief Ayo Okpadokun, an Afenifere chieftain, who is on the same page with my suggestion of an Igbo Presidency to balance the power equation.

This is something we really need to think about and act. This is the right thing to do to enhance the nation’s unity and progress the nation. This, indeed, would produce a win-win situation for all federating units in the country.

And referencing a line from one of the signature tracks of the late reggae icon, Bob Marley: “ We don’t want no peace, we want equal right and justice.” There cannot be ideal peace anywhere without equal right and justice.

We have to correct the imbalance of political power in the country. The situation, if not addressed, will linger for a long time, and could lead the country into anarchy.

The political landscape in Nigeria even before our present state was grossly lopsided, as the fault lines observed in the First Republic though worsened now, are still visible and stirring us in the face in our journey towards nationhood.

Inequalities in the polity are the main reasons sentiments shift towards tribe, race, or religious affiliations. The agitation of the erstwhile Republic of Biafra led by Odumegwu Ojukwu shortly after Independence in 1966, and the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) led by Nnamdi Kanu, are manifestations of the imbalance in the sharing of political power and national wealth.

Optimism by proponents of Nigeria’s indivisibility should be more discerning rather than play to the gallery by ignoring the visible fault lines which impinge on the variables that impact the unity. Concerted efforts should be made by governments at all levels to address the problems, which are linked to the existing fault lines.

The #EndSARS incident in 2020 was a protest against the already broken system. The Boko Haram, IPOB, Fulani cattle herdsmen, and other pockets of agitating groups in the country are indications of discontent with the system.

The recent release by an international security group ranking Nigeria first as the most attacked country by terrorists, overtaking Iraq is a reminder to the authorities of the dire and low state of security in the country. Nigeria is ravaged by multiple problems on multiple fronts. Everywhere, at least pockets in every region of the country, experience one form of security challenge or the other.

In the Northeast, especially Borno, signs of life are disrupted. The Northwestern state of Kaduna is replete almost daily by attacks on communities and kidnappings for ransom.

There is so much insecurity in the country and the Federal Government, whose responsibility it is to protect Nigerians, is overwhelmed. Nigerians are now living dangerously from the edge of a precipice.

Daily, the media is enunciated with news of attacks, kidnappings, arson among others, and the government’s response always is condemnation devoid of tangible action.

Meanwhile, the situation unfortunately is unlikely to change as long as authorities are unwilling to recalibrate the political architecture, relying instead on the orthodox method they are used to and which has not robbed off positively by way of the dividend of democracy on the country.

To resolve this long-lasting discontent is to be pragmatic and walk the talk. I want to suggest an option alongside the already known two. The constitution should be tweaked to officially accommodate rotation or zoning among the six regions in the country.

The second option is to restructure the political system which may involve re-jigging the entire system or adopting a hybrid of two or more types. Restructuring though already misconstrued, maligned, and politicized still remains a viable option to be explored.

The third option is consideration of the various conferences and official congregations of the national government, civil or military to discuss and fine-tune workable political path for the country. The 2015 National Constitutional Conference leads these past efforts of the national government to seek ways of abating the problem including how to devolve power between the federal government and the other tiers of government. The National Assembly collaborating with State Assemblies or ad hoc arrangement deemed representative of the people could be congregated to assess, review and recommend for adoption.

President Buhari and the APC-led Federal Government should rise to the occasion and do the needful to redress the multiple challenges facing the country.
Asanga, social commentator, wrote from Lagos.