2019: Need for alliance of young progressives
With the general elections barely 7 months away, Nigeria is at a crossroads again as Nigerians prepare to head to the polls to cast votes for the selection of another set of leaders for the next 4-year term of political leadership.
The options before us are as diverse as they are polarized. On one hand, we have the recycled groups of politicians who have failed the country since its independence and, on the other hand, a group of young and vibrant progressive candidates determined to earn the mandate of the people for the entrenchment of true, viable political leadership at the topmost level.
For one thing, the members of the old guard who have run this country to the ground have lost the trust and confidence of every well-meaning Nigerian. There is no gainsaying that their decades of recycled, bad leadership have been riddled with self-enrichment and convenient alliances to the detriment of the well-being of the Nigerian people.
The results of this situation so far are clear for Nigerians to see; insecurity, unemployment, poverty, high cost of living, political suppression, all to negative, unprecedented global levels. Hence, the burning need for a true change in the course of events that is felt by most Nigerians which has inspired a wave of young progressive political candidates who have joined the fray in vying for the seat of the presidency come 2019.
But the question of the viability of these candidates to upturn the status quo cannot sidestep. These young progressives are up against an old and formidable political establishment that has deep pockets and structures across the system which they have cultivated and maintained for decades using stupendous wealth amassed from political prebendalism.
Yet the task before these young candidates is not insurmountable. The power of the people can always prevail as they have shown in unpredictable electoral outcomes across the globe in recent years. If they play the right political cards in the few months ahead, the Nigerian presidency is certainly not beyond their reach. By this I mean the formation of an equally formidable alliance of young progressive candidates such as Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, Omoyele Sowore, Fela Durotoye, Ahmed Buhari, and others.
A strong alliance of these currently improbable winners will not only send a message of disruption of the status quo, but also galvanize enough well-meaning Nigerians around a candidate and party whose eventual success will set this country on the muchneeded track of long-term national development.
More importantly, an alliance under the umbrella of the party - Young Progressive Party - and the candidacy of Prof. Kingsley Moghalu will be of crucial strength for these fresh progressives in the 2019 elections. In a period where Nigerians are clamouring for new leadership yet one with the relevant experience as regards nation-building and development, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu seems the perfect fit for these dual criteria.
Nigeria currently faces the three burning issues of rampant insecurity, political corruption, and a debilitating economy. Firstly, the middle belt and northern regions, the rate of killings by insurgent herdsmen has skyrocketed with no end in sight. The situation is almost out of control under the present government with no comprehensive plan to tackle this menace. Secondly, our economy is still recovering from the consequences of an avoidable recession it fell into few years ago. The unprecedented loss of jobs and an unemployment rate of over 18% has meant that more and more Nigerians have sunk below the poverty line. This situation is a landmine that poised to explode soon enough. Lastly, the political corruption of our ruling class has persisted despite the media justice campaigns of the current administration.
With his experience from the Nigerian financial sector since his return to Nigeria, however, especially serving as the CBN Deputy-Governor, and being a crucial part of the economic team that helped steer the Nigerian economy back on track following the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, Prof. Moghalu’s knowledge of political economy as he has espoused in his book titled BUILD, INNOVATE & GROW is what we need to steer the affairs of Nigeria especially in these times of serious economic uncertainties.
His 17-year period with the United Nations in the areas of nation building and reconciliation is equally vital for healing what appears to be an increasingly divided Nigeria mired in ethnic, regional and religious cracks. Given his experience successfully working on fractured countries around the world as well as holding key positions in the areas of strategic planning and development financing, Prof. Moghalu has the relevant credentials for leading similarminded progressives towards a presidential electoral victory come 2019.
Consequently, not only is an alliance of the new progressive candidates critical at this juncture for establishing a real chance at securing power from the Nigerian political establishment, but an alliance under the candidacy of Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, the candidate with the features and track record Nigeria requires, is the best course of action for both the candidates and for Nigeria at large.
It is not just advisable but also imperative that all the new, young and progressive presidential candidates come together in the coming months before the election and form this crucial merger that will save this country from the shackles of establishment, recycled politicians and the current state of widespread disappointment felt amongst Nigerians towards our socio-political and economic situation.
Yahaya Umar writes from Niger State