Emma Asika Uchem

The 2019 elections in Nigeria are imminent. There are palpable frenzy and expectations in the air with a lot of horse trading going on, from the local governments to the states and up to the national level. The new menu in town is politics.

However, the politics and elections of 2019 are different in a lot of ways. This is because of the abysmal collapse of expectations and promises following the change of the baton of leadership in 2015. Indeed, the natural consequence of failed expectations is disappointment. Nigerians are rightly disappointment with the present power protocol owing to the kind of inertia which has greeted our economic progression.

Owing to the foregoing, Nigerians are wary of failed promises going to the polls next month. But things have changed and there is a silver lining in the horizon. The emergence of Atiku Abubakar and his running mate Peter Obi presents a fresh hope going forward. Although there are many who are quick to point out the failings of the PDP administration for sixteen years, the truth is that most of these criticisms pale into insignificance when the Nigeria of today is compared to Nigeria under PDP. To engage in these critical analyses, it is important we move away from blanket criticism and examine the indexes that define a bad government in respect of the economy.

When Obasanjo and Atiku came to power in 1999, Nigeria’s GDP was about $57 billion USD. While other countries matriculated to new beginnings and pursued a new world order, Nigeria was in the mire, grappling with minor issues of governance while the populace aimlessly groped in the dark, smattering from many years of the crucibles of military rule. Obasanjo made Atiku Abubakar the head of the economic team of that government and immediately, the business versatile Atiku went to work. Under his economic leadership, he diversified government’s interest which led to the resuscitation of various smaller enterprises which in turn revived the middle class in Nigeria. With an expanded economy, Nigeria’s GDP grew from $57 billion USD to $450 billion USD. The ingenuity of Atiku Abubakar as the head of the economic council of the administration identified the potential in many young men and therefore created a level playing ground where these young entrepreneurs flourished. Within this period, many young billionaires succeeded in Nigeria. The businesses created by these young billionaires employ thousands of Nigerians but unfortunately, these young billionaires and their business concerns are suffering under the current administration. This has led to massive downsizing of their workforce thereby creating unemployment. The Obasanjo/Atiku government innovatively set up different agencies to cater to the countries multiple and ever-expanding network of businesses while also checkmating financial abuses. Agencies like EFCC, ICPC, and FIRS were all created by the thinking and concerned administration. Those critical of the PDP years will agree that these agencies have had a profound impact on the Nigeria economy. Besides creating employment for millions of people, the establishment of these agencies has helped to ease the government’s policies on financial transactions and revenue accountabilities.

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After Obasanjo and Atiku, PDP retained power with Goodluck Jonathan at the helm of affairs. It is surprising that people are quick to malign PDP without engaging the real issues and examining the figures that determine a good or bad government. When PDP left office in 2015 Nigeria’s GDP was $500 billion USD, a remarkable improvement from the administration they succeeded. Also when PDP left office in 2015, Nigeria’s Corruption Index score, which measures corruption perception in any country, stood at 136 out of 164 an improvement from 158 during the years of Sani Abacha’s tyranny. In as much as it is not the concern of this writer to put the current administration on the spot, a comparison must be made. Since 2017, Nigeria’s GDP has dropped to $397 billion USD which is why the economy is in very bad shape and Nigeria’s new identity is poverty. In the first year of this administration, the Nigerian economy was depleted by a whopping $80 billion USD due to ignorance and lack of economic expertise in the corridors of power. Although this current APC administration makes a pretence of fighting corruption, our CPI, corruption perception index dropped by 12 points to 148, where then is the much-taunted fight against corruption?

In the current political reality, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are our best options for the presidency because they will provide the kind of leadership and economic revival which Nigeria desperately needs. Atiku understands contemporary world economy. He is intelligent and is at home with economic issues and how to improve the welfare of citizens. He has created jobs and currently pays salaries to over fifty thousand Nigerians every month under his employ. Atiku Abubakar understands political and economic challenges. Where he falls short, he has the humility to engage the best brains in the land for advice and improvement. That is the heart of a leader. Today, his policy documents and road map for a new Nigeria makes him the most qualified and favoured man for the elevated office of the presidency.

Atiku Abubakar is a totally detribalized Nigerian who is accepted and loved across Nigeria. The composition of his workforce in all his businesses shows a spread across Nigeria which, if examined as a microcosm of the larger Nigerian entity under him, then every ethnicity, interest, and group will benefit from his leadership. His choice of Peter Obi, the erudite scholar, and administrator is a most welcome development. Peter Obi is a man who has distinguished himself as a consummate administrator. His legacy in Anambra State is unrivalled. As a governor, he repaired Anambra State which was hitherto in the vicious grip of poverty, disrepair, and brigandage. These two gentlemen are what Nigeria needs.

Therefore, if Nigeria must work again, if Nigeria must move to new heights, if Nigeria must indeed divest itself of the unenviable paraphernalia of poverty, then Atiku/Obi are poised to take up the challenge and do a wonderful job of it. Without bias, let us answer the following questions before going to the polls next month. Why have many companies closed down and migrated to our West African neighbours? Why is there so much unemployment in the land? Why is our educational system in dire decay and moribund? Why are foreigners exiting the country with consistent determination? Why, for the first time in the history of this country has Nigeria become the headquarters of extreme poverty? It will only take people who are versed in business and economics, people who have recorded success at the private level, and people who understand the nuances of business to deliver Nigeria. In truth, if Atiku has achieved so much at the business level and affected the lives of people around him, if Peter Obi could transform Anambra State the way he did, then the two gentlemen are the best candidates for the coveted office of the presidency.

Uchem writes from Owerri