Civil democratic elections are not a matter of life and death, but no election portends more hope or calamity for a nation than the forthcoming Nigeria’s presidential election on 25th February 2023. Nigeria is in dire straits, courtesy of the pathetic mismanagement of the nation’s political and economic affairs by the country’s political class. All the predictions of the country imploding are starkly staring on the faces of Nigerians as a distinct possibility. The basic reality is that there are not many nations as insecure as Nigeria today, where insurgents, bandits, kidnappers, unknown gunmen and an assortment of hardened criminals have free reign. Nigeria’s battered economy is better imagined than experienced. Galloping inflation, high unemployment, commodities scarcity and now compounded by the new phenomenon of unavailable new currency. Nigeria is going into the general election a very traumatised nation and tottering on the precipice.

Since 1999 when the country evolved its current civil democratic system, two political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC) have monopolised power and interchanged ideas and personnel to a point of being indistinguishable. Devoid of any ideological leanings or guiding principles they merely serve as special purpose vehicles to grab political positions. In the estimation of many Nigerians, the two major parties possess every reprehensible and odious characteristic and have jointly rendered Nigeria prostrate. The iniquitous records of both parties were climaxed by the atrocious performance of the outgoing president, Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari’s APC presidency has the ignominious record of exacerbating Nigeria’s fault lines, wrecking the economy, weaponizing Nigeria’s ethnic and religious bigotry and consequently destroying hopes of a united and peaceful Nigeria.

Characteristically, PDP and APC have produced presidential candidates worthy of their images. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, flying the APC flag is visibly, physically, and mentally impaired. Coupled with a very dubious package of unconfirmed age, unverifiable school records, and a frightening record of a brush with American drug and money laundering agency. In saner political environments, he is a non-starter for any political leadership race. PDP’s flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar is a 76-year-old veteran of the presidential race. Apart from concerns about his elderly status, his frequent change of political parties and unconscionable manipulation of the party’s rotation principles betrays him as a desperate man lacking in loyalty and principles. The most damning testimonial comes from his former boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo described him as the most corrupt public figure in Nigeria and regrets ever trusting him with the responsibility of handling Nigeria’s privatisation scheme during their presidency of 1999 – 2007.

It's decision time. Nigeria is now at a crossroad, a choice between taking the transformational route of democratically electing a leader with the capacity to make impactful change or maintain status quo with frustrating and discredited PDP and APC and risk inevitable full-scale revolution. The efficacy of any democratic process is measured by its ability to hold political leaders accountable and inflict appropriate judgement on failed or potentially unsuitable office holders. Saturday, 25th February will test the efficiency of Nigeria’s democratic system and it makes every rational sense for Nigeria’s growth and existence to reject the two political parties that have jointly run Nigeria aground. They have made the choice easier by presenting two presidential candidates with undoubtedly glaring deficiencies and hardly inspire hope of anything new. A nation without hopes and dreams is doomed.

Realistically, the presidential election is a three-horse race between the Peoples Democratic Party, All Progressive Congress, and the Labour Party. The Labour party is a national party interestingly registered by the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress. In that respect it is not a political party created out of any regional or religious considerations, the bane of Nigerian politics. Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate is a Nigerian politician of Igbo descent, a former state Governor, and the PDP Vice Presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential elections. Since joining the Labour Party, Peter Obi and the Labour Party have caught the imagination of a nation in despair, culminating in the mass political movement popularly referred to as, “Obi-dient”. Labour party, Peter Obi and the new Obi-dient political movement is simply a Nigerian project hoping to rescue a distraught nation.

Peter Obi the candidate is a decent and capable Nigerian. Millions of Nigerians cutting across age, tribe, and religion are clamouring for him, not because he is Igbo or Christian but due to the qualities they have concluded from his personality, speeches, actions, and records in office. Obi is a successful businessperson with intimidating corporate experience and academic profile. Prior to going into politics and excelling as a state governor, he was already a billionaire with verifiable means of income. As such he is not tainted with the virus of corruption or ethnic bigotry. Crucially, Peter Obi presents as physically and mentally alert and exudes those positive qualities of hard work, thrift, and humility and these are essential qualities for the New Productive Nigeria he is envisioning.

Nigeria cannot afford the grave mistakes of 2015 and 2019 when an already frustrated Nigerian electorate were hoodwinked by a visibly deficient Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari’s colleagues and accomplices populate the ranks of APC and PDP and disguising their true identities. For the sake of Nigeria’s survival, APC and PDP must be punished for their unforgiveable failures. Peter Obi, for numerous reasons heralds a new dawn for Nigeria. An epochal event that cannot be missed.

•Emmanuel Chigozie Osuchukwu is a Nigerian writer and author. He can be reached onemmanuelosu@hotmail.com

PHOTO CAPTION:•LP Presidential Candidate Peter Obi