By KINGSLEY FANWO

On Tuesday 31st May, 2022 and shortly before his departure to Spain, Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari had a closed-door meeting with the 22 Governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The main agenda of the meeting was to brainstorm on the forthcoming APC national convention to nominate the presidential flag bearer of the ruling APC. The meeting was short and concise as the president did not waste much time in hitting the nail on the head. He told the governors the qualities he would look out for in his successor.

He wants a leader who would be able to hold the nation together as a united entity; a leader who will be able to secure the nation from the threats of terrorism, insurgency and other violent crimes which have been holding down the nation from attaining her destiny. These qualities fit perfectly into the what Nigeria needs at the crucial bend of our nationhood.

Expectedly, many commentators have taken to the media space to either lend their support for or vent their anger at the position of Mr President. While the antagonists are of the view that such position is fascism in a democratic garb; others simply want the President to give the delegates the opportunity to nominate a candidate of their choice. Neither of the schools of thought was too wrong neither too right. What will be wrong will be to have a President who would not be able to solve the problems of insecurity, division and economic retrogression. What will be right is to get our choice right.

The dollarization of the PDP National Convention was not only a sham, but also a shame of a nation. It was a shambolic display of where we were before 2015 and where they want us to be from 2023. Rather than being a competition of idealistic measures to lift our nation, it became a competition of dollars, a competition of who had stolen more to buy his way to steal even more.

Every great leader will want to be succeeded by another great one. Every democracy confers some privileges on a few to determine the leadership of the nation. The President understands the challenges he has faced and he knows those who can rise above those challenges. He is the leader of the party and of the nation. Our party should therefore show the character of fairness by listening to the President who is known to be unimpeachably committed to the greatness of our nation through the manifesto of the party that rescued Nigeria from the hard clutches of kleptomaniac leadership in 2015.

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It is never in doubt that Mr President is an adherent of democratic ethos, therefore, his recommendation will be subject to debate and consideration by the different organs of the party. Despite being a former military leader, President Muhammadu Buhari has distinguished himself as an undoubted consensus builder, pulling through hitherto politically difficult negotiations and bringing minds into agreement for the common purpose of building a great nation. He is for no particular person because he is for everybody. He is in the league of leaders who earn respect on the podium of integrity. He can be trusted with the onerous task of recommending a suitable success who will advance the progressives strides.

In our various states, the Governors are the leaders of the party. They are at a vintage position to secure their second term effortlessly or determine who succeeds them. While some Governors keep their plans to their chests, others come out openly to announce their preferred successors. Many of them have justifiable reasons for their choices. They want a better successor who will build on their achievements. If the Governors could do it, why not the President?

The undercurrent hysteria that has greeted the President’s position is a reflection of the political hypocrisy in our polity. Some of the people who hailed the choice of Sen. Abdullahi Adamu a few months ago are the same condemning, albeit secretly, the thinking of Mr President to have a say in who succeeds him. Many of those sponsoring the hues secretly have installed their successors in the state or got an almost free ticket for their second terms or to the Senate.

The bloom era of our party is over. From 2023, we must deliver the fruits of the labour we have put in since 2015. Nigerians want to see an end to insecurity, ethnic tension, poverty, medical tourism abroad, incessant industrial action in the academic world, power failure and other maladies bedeviling our nation. We have a President who will look out for a successor to harvest what he has planted for the past seven years. No one has better information on all the gladiators than Mr President. He knows the contenders even more than they know themselves.

The President is not planning to ‘appoint’ his successor. All he wants to do is recommend a candidate who in his words, “can win election”. There are people who cannot win election but they can procure tickets. We need someone with the tenacity of purpose and capable of winning the 2023 Presidential election. Whoever emerges as the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress will still have to slug out with the candidates of the other political parties before the Nigerian electorate.

As a keen follower of President Muhammadu Buhari, I have no doubt that the President would not want to oversee a presidential primary where the winner would be determined by his or her financial warchest. The president was not rich in 2015 and 2019, yet the Nigerian people voted for him against those who have stolen enough for their 3rd generation. The MKO Abiola Stadium dollar rain should not be allowed to happen in a party whose cardinal ideology is anti corruption.

Even in more established democracies of the world, incumbent Presidents play a key role in identifying, developing and supporting their successors. It is a culture supported by the drive for sustainability and excellence.

Who can win the Presidential election for our dear party? Is APC in control of your state? What percentage votes have you given to APC in all elections? How many legislators do we have in your state? How appealing are you to the heavy voting demographics of Nigeria? How much of you is out there for the people to see and appraise? Do you have the physical and mental vigor to cope with what will be the most engaging campaign in recent circles? How much of a bridge builder are you? What has been your ant corruption track record? What have you done with previous opportunities? Will Nigerians be confident you can secure and unite them?

These are the issues Mr President will probably consider in deciding his possible successor. In the spirit of aequitas, it is important to allow Mr President play a big role in deciding who the presidential candidate of his people should be. And going by the reputation of Mr President, we believe in his sense of judgement.

With the situation in our party where both the leaders and the intermediate leaders are all jostling for the presidency, there is a huge responsibility on the President’s shoulders to melt the ice with the heat of justice and fairness in order not to leave our party in a fractious and chaotic state ahead of an election we must win for the Nigerian people.

May we have a peaceful convention.

*Fanwo is a Lokoja-based chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Star