SIR: Why are concerns over ethnicity, region and religion the nominators of conversation on the 2023 elections? Why are these societal retardants the leading matters of debate on the elections? In every election cycle, these misnomers have become the fundamental benchmark for selecting leaders by political parties and for electing the same by citizens?
Are we predestined to remain on this primrose path? Is there no hope for a change? Why are conversations not primarily on proven administrative competence, but on which region, ethnic group and religion the next president must come from?
Yes, even if consideration should be given for the ethnic and religious backgrounds of the next president, this should only be secondary. The priority should be on who can deliver the goods for all Nigerians? Who are those candidates that can nurse and heal a divided Nigeria back to health? Who are those candidates with more than smattering knowledge of everything – security and economy especially? And these individuals must have proved their worth, capacity, character and competence in previous offices. Antecedents matter.
While we fixate over primordial concerns, we lose sight of the most important matters. We dispense too much energy on trivialities, and leaving little to interrogate those who have come forward to represent us.
Many Nigerians, regardless of ethnicity and religion, belong in the axis of competence. Political parties should zone presidential ticket to this “region”. Character, antecedents, history of demonstrated patriotism and respect for diversity, proven leadership competence should be the leading issues as we head for the 2023 elections.
There is a winning argument for inclusion as regards zoning of political offices, but in our case, it appears zoning is just an end and not a means to better governance.
Even if ethnicity, region and religion are to be criteria for selecting Nigeria’s next president for the sake of ‘justice, equity and fairness’ as propounded by those calling for an orbiting in the geography of power, this should not take precedence over the principal issues of leadership.
If we want to do better, we must know better. Making the 2023 elections about an ethnic group or region is reinventing a bogey. We should elevate our thinking and conversations beyond the crude and primitive.
- Fredrick Nwabufo,
<fredricknwabufo@yahoo.com>