By Harold Chinonyerem
One of humanity’s greatest acts of patriotism took place at the battle of ‘Pons Sublicus’ in 508 BC. Thomas Babington Macaulay’s ballads; ‘Lays of Ancient Rome’ captures this bravado succinctly. Rome had been surrounded by the Etrucan army led by Lars Posena, king of Clusium, who was hell-bent on conquering Rome to restore the deposed monarch, Lucius Superbus. Having overrun the Roman guards, Posena needed to cross the ‘Pons Sublicus’ bridge to occupy Rome. The retreating Roman soldiers needed some time to cut the bridge to stop the invasion.
Amidst the chaos, a young soldier, Publius Horatius cried out: “To every man upon this earth, death cometh soon or late. And how can man die better than facing fearful odds, For the ashes of his fathers, And the temples of his Gods. “Haul down the bridge, Sir Consul, With all the speed ye may; I, with two more to help me, Will hold the foe in play. In yon strait path a thousand may well be stopped by three. Now who will stand on either hand, and keep the bridge with me? With that battle cry Horatius rallied Spurius Lartius and Herminius Aquilinus to join him in defending the bridge. They held the enemy off until the Roman forces destroyed the bridge, hence saving Rome from conquest.
Like Rome, Nigeria has been surrounded by enemy forces. Bandits, ethnic militias, kidnappers, unemployment, battered economy are some of the loyal forces of opposition troubling the nation. Thus, Nigeria needs ‘Team Horatius’; selfless men and women with the requisite expertise and capacity in statecraft to save her. The year 2023 offers the opportunity to hand over the ‘Pons Sublicus Bridge’ of Nigeria to the right man. Among those who have presented themselves for the presidency, four frontrunners have emerged. Their strengths and weaknesses are outlined below with a view to presenting the reader the opportunity to make an objective choice.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (APC): The APC flag-bearer has proven to be a very astute politician. From the ‘Chicago’ certificate saga that threatened to upstage his governorship reign in 1999 to becoming the Presidential Candidate of the ruling party 22 years after, Senator Tinubu has displayed great strategic instincts. He is credited with developing the blueprint for the infrastructural development of the new Lagos. With a huge war chest and the support of the ruling party, Asiwaju is a major contender. On the downside, many insist that his hey days are over. The baggage being projected by his opponents include corruption, ill-health, Muslim-Muslim ticket, unclear history of early life, alleged drug connections etc.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (PDP): This ex-Vice President has what it takes to become the next President. From the experience to the network to the war chest, Alhaji Abubakar has it all. Having contested several times since 1992, Abubakar has built political bridges nationwide. The fact that he amassed over 12 million votes in the 2019 elections is a confidence booster for his followers who believe that the absence of President Buhari’s name on the ballot will clear the way for him to win. However, like the APC candidate, Alhaji Abubakar is over 70. In addition, the crisis in his party and the togas of corruption and serial contestant has become a political baggage threatening to crash his ambition.
Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso (NNPP): The founder and leader of Kwakwansiya Movement has gradually translated to a rave in the North. With a cult-like following in the numerically advantaged North-Western zone of Nigeria, this former Kano State Governor is stealthily building an army that will definitely make a bold launch for the presidency in 2023.
His strong points include varied experiences as a governor, minister and senator and his good track records as Governor of Kano State. However, his perceived ethnocentric and religious exclusivity toga limits his chances.
Mr. Peter Obi: This former Anambra State governor who was just an average contestant a while ago has been thrown up by a harmony of forces into the political frontline of Africa’s biggest democracy. Anchored and projected by the ‘Obi-dients’, a group of fanatical youthful followers, Obi has become the ‘golden boy’ of the masses. His record as a frugal manager of resources as Governor of Anambra State has made many people believe that he is the right man for the job. His prudence, good health and age are his strengths. But in spite of his popularity, his opponents insist that he has no structures as well as the required reach and war chest to win.
The question every voter should ask himself/herself is; who among these men can save Nigeria. It is important that we get it right this time, otherwise the consequences would be damning.
In conclusion, I dare say that for Nigeria, the outcome of the choices of 2023 can best be described with a paraphrase of the opening paragraph of Charles Dickens ‘A Tale of Two Cities thus; it can be the best of times, it can be the worst of times. It can be the age of wisdom, it can be the age of foolishness. It can be the epoch of belief, it can be the epoch of incredulity. It can be the season of light, it can be the season of darkness. It can be the spring of hope, it can be the winter of despair. We can have everything before us, we can have nothing before us. We can all be going direct to heaven, we can all be going direct the other way.
The choice is ours. The die is cast and the chips are down. The question is; ‘who will bell the cat? Is it the sagacious Asiwaju, the formidable Atiku, the charismatic Kwakwansiya or the golden boy, Obi? Nigerians have the duty to choose ‘Who The Cap Fits… and the President, INEC, and other stakeholders are duty-bound to (quoting the words of Robert Nesta Marley) … Let Him Wear It’.
•Rev. Harold Chinonyerem writes in from Lagos.