An insider’s account of PACT (II)

This is an account of how the coming together of young presidential aspirants ran into troubled waters. However this does not stop the velocity of aspirants, it only increases it. At the Charly Boy meeting someone also suggested that the first thing is for all aspirants to obtain their party candidacy and then return for proper discussions.

As at the next meeting on the 9th of August, 2018 some of the members notably Eragbe Anselm, Jaiye Gaskiya, myself and the representative from Dr Nicholas Felix repeated the need for aspirants to obtain their party candidacy. Mr Gaskiya threatened to walk away if such processes are not followed. I also told the house I align with Gaskiya. Mr Byron also chimed in on the group WhatsApp forum to that effect, apart from advising the group should go slow on the emphasis on youths and the need to be more inclusive.

The chief drivers of the process were of the view that we should choose the consensus candidate among us rather than take it to the public. They also insisted that a decision should be finally reached on the 30th of August, 2018 and they got a majority vote behind them. At that point I was out. I did not attend the meeting of 16th of August for this reason and after following through the discussions on the WhatsApp group, I left on the 23rd of August 2018. Before leaving I repeated my concerns. There was a deficit of participation, inclusiveness, commitment (because many of the aspirants had nothing to lose), and I saw an apparent desire to avoid an open debate. In considering criteria for prequalification, I recall asking that it should matter whether someone had written articles or books about the Nigerian question and/or proffered ways forward in cogent manner. That too was stepped down. I felt at that point that we were actively potentially working to position more lightweights who hadn’t given the Nigerian question any deep thought, a shot at the presidency - at the expense of those who had better to offer.

I received a couple of calls from members of this group in the days after I left, which I respectfully answered. I always felt a bit lost in the meeting or that some of us knew just a little bit more than others. It felt like one was being blindsided or railroaded and with my current experience as a party chairman, I know better than to walk into a sucker punch. I looked at the permutations and there was no way the outcomes will be fair, chiefly because the small numbers swung the odds massively in favour of some people who had closer relationship than with others. For example, three of the members of the group were from a singular political party, ANN, and we were actively building this group when we heard that they boycotted their party convention at which one Mr Olawepo-Hashim took the party over. I recall telling them that if they all lost in the process we were working on, Mr Hashim will never step down on the basis of the meeting we were having. So what was the point? Even I did not have the mandate of my party to commit them at that meeting and I do have another aspirant within my party to contend with. There was even a very interesting situation where Alhaji Alkali, an aspirant on the platform of APC joined the group and would usually belittle other parties. I asked him at plenary one day if he would tell President Buhari to step down in case he lost to another consensus candidate. We had too many people who were sure they will not obtain their party candidacy at all, now becoming kingmakers and having every opportunity to sideswipe anyone they felt was formidable. Kingsley Curiously Kingsley Moghalu who in my view has vast experience and resources at his disposal was ambushed in this group. I heard from usually unreliable sources that he was promised by a few guys that he had the candidacy in the bag only for guys to move against him. I haven’t confirmed this. But he has the battle of his life in his hands right now. I note that being a political party chairman prepares one for many things and is way ahead of experiences in the private sector. For one, anyone involved in politics should be very careful to trust so soon. Also, in my view, when one desires a post too badly, it is also quite dangerous and makes one vulnerable. Vulnerability is not an asset in politics. The “NOW NOW!” Mentality In my view, we oughtn’t be in much of a hurry and the youths of Nigeria have entered a typical cul-de-sac because we have attempted to handle a very serious situation in a cavalier manner. This is our future in our hands but we went and adopted a microwave approach. This is a fatal flaw of the young and indeed a reason why older people are ahead. But the situation is not irredeemable. In this politics, we have to be extra careful and have to consider every step of the chess game very carefully. Just because our friends on Twitter, WhatsApp and Facebook are fervently demanding for that ‘consensus candidate’ “now now!” does not mean we should suspend our thinking cap and rush out somebody. We should appeal for patience and take our time to ensure a very transparent process. All is not lost. We can even redo this process with a view to coming out with a consensus candidate in January - as I had been advising. Let us drag the usually disinterested Nigerian youths into it a bit deeper. Let them feel the heat. Let them get involved. Let them know that for something this important, they have to sweat, they have to think, they have to struggle. Let it even cost the youth some coins. Critiquing on social media is not enough. Let’s get in the trenches.

For me, no matter the shenanigans of politics, honesty always trumps. Yes, honesty is the king of all political strategies. Honesty, and an innocent, incorruptible mind. They stand out in a clime like ours.