BEFORE I continue, I will like to categorically state that this piece is no campaign for any candidate or the president himself. Having said that, let’s continue, I visited my hairdresser earlier last week, Thursday to be specific, and for the first time in years, the saloon was completely empty. Typically, Thursdays to Saturdays are her busiest days, so I usually go on Sundays to avoid these crowds but to my surprise that Thursday, the place was empty.
On that Thursday, I was the only customer, which led to some interesting conversation. Of course, there was no electricity, she only turned on her generator when necessary and switched it off right after. What really baffled me was watching her take her phone to charge at a nearby shop – those little container shops that charge phone – pay per hour. These days, when there are two or three people around, the conversation inevitably revolves around the government, fuel, cost of living and all that is bothers Nigerians today.
We started talking about presidential candidates, and I asked her who she was supporting. There was a moment of silence before she said that if someone born and raised outside the country were to run, win, and bring in a new cabinet, maybe, just maybe, we would finally see the change we all desire. Or maybe someone here who was born with a “silver spoon,” someone who has everything, would lead without greed. But she and I both knew that’s never going to happen.
Come to think of it, many of the leaders in this country come from modest backgrounds. They campaign by sharing their experiences of hunger, struggling to pay bills, and the pain of unemployment. As Nigerians, we often sympathize with those pitiful stories. We have this belief that the most beautiful things come from the most broken people, or at least that’s what we thought.
From those campaigning they have no money to buy nomination forms, to those telling us they had no shoes when going to school, to the one that said “Emilokan”, in fairness to him, that one didn’t promise a better Nigeria too many times. Oga just insisted its his turn.
It’s like once they step into that office, they undergo some kind of transformation, almost as if they’ve been baptized in “CRUEL” water. Suddenly, they’re completely different, and the person we see is nothing like the one we thought we knew and voted for.
Sitting at that saloon that Thursday, my mind wandered about how to get a better candidate come next election and I asked myself that same question, and I also asked my hairstylist, Which candidate should we support next election? Let’s not kid ourselves, the fight has always been between PDP and APP, PDP and ANPP, PDP and CPC, PDP and APC. It’s always been these two parties and rotated sets of candidates. Any other candidate/party is ‘follow the bandwagon’ with the contesting benefits.
This present administration is hardly going back to office by election but by “selection”, another four years of being financially drained to survive and squeezed like some bitter lemons is unthinkable from the way I see it, even though my publisher argued that this country is headed towards the right direction and Emilokan will sure get it right but sincerely I don’t see that happening and I sincerely don’t know the reason for his super optimism.
Is Atiku of the PDP your option? If you ask me, that option is far worst than the present administration. A businessman only counts gain not loss and it’s an established fact that Atiku is such businessman. Be rest assured all what was spent on campaigning all these years must be recouped somehow.
Someone who has run for President six times and lost each time, from 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023. And we all are expecting a change when he finally gets into office? As a Gen-Z would say, “dey play.”
Are you leaning towards LP? Seeing that they kind of had chances previously? What I’ve come to understand about this country is, some candidates will have to contest many times before the win comes, some will have to contest for like twenty years, let’s take Buhari as a case study here. Buhari is the most honest leader we have had in this country but the man was surrounded by selfish and greedy appointees – you can count on your fingertips, the credible appointees he had.
Is it NNPP with a million votes in Kano? What about beyond the borders of Kano? Even the geopolitical zones didn’t vote. It’s quite a puzzling, isn’t it? Kwankwaso can only be a good vice president, I don’t think the man has the national structure to be president yet.
Is it too early to start thinking about the next presidential candidate? Do you have one? Sentiments and personal gains aside. The earlier we start exploring our options, the better for us all.
I rest my case.
- Kabara, is a writer and public commentator. Her syndicated column, Voice, appears on News Point Nigeria newspaper on Mondays. She can be reached on hafceekay01@gmail.com.