WHICH WAY TO GO

For the first time, I hope to be very brief with my piece. As an upcoming writer, I have always thought so much word would adequately convey my points; sometimes, it does help but on particular issues, it amounts to waste of time. One of such issues is that which bothers on Nigeria.
Now that I am writing about Nigeria again, I want to be brief so much so that what would really convey my point is the brevity and not necessarily the piece itself.
Enough said. Suddenly, the so much over advertised and over debated 50th anniversary celebration is here. To say a whooping 7 Billion Naira would go down the drain is another stale gist.
I am just as convinced as a lot of people out there that the said anniversary is a shameful display of bad leadership, corruption, and abuse of the rule of law.
So, why waste time?
I have engaged a couple of friends on facebook and other media sites on the possible outcome(s) of 2011; it has been very educative and broad. Nigerians are sharp analytically and brilliant. Oh Nigerians, what a people?! If only we could act as much as we speak.
My particular concern is the Presidential elections simply because of the characters seeking that exalted office.
None of the candidates has been spared in the course of this multi-perspective discourse by people. They all seem to have questions to answer.
While we are not God and we have no control over future events, it is permissible within the political scenarios to make calculative predictions based on public opinions, campaign strategies, manifestos (though they don't count) and many other factors and then focus on three or four likely candidates.
My four candidates in no particular order and reasons are:
Jonathan Ebele Goodluck (JEG): He is favored by the strength of incumbency, array of sychophants and goodwill-seeking governors and bootlickers.
He's financially competent based on his network, to power a strong campaign and effect proper mobilisation. Though he is viewed by some quarters as betraying the zonal arrangement, I don't share that point view.

Despite this, I have a personal misgiving for JEG and I am so unrepentant about it. He doesn't represent anything par say. He is not known with any particular principle, no style, just dry! Very soft, bereft of ideas and doesn't have any history of winning people's mandate. He has always reached the top by chance. What it takes to solve the problems of this country is way beyond chance but a well articulated workplan directed by a strong willed individual.
He also appears to me a puppet and an extension of the old syndicates who have held this country by her jugular. Some kind of marionette holding office in trust.
Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB): The self style evil genius is favoured by his clout, gut and agelong hold on the political nerve of this country. IBB also has enough money to mobilize every sort of machinery needed to give a strong fight. He is a beneficiary of the zoning agitation and also has on his team a list of top notch, all time corrupt public officers.
My view of him is, he is a familiar evil whose first opposition is his past. He masterminded so many unity-threatening policies that many Nigerian can't afford to overlook.
The best slogan I would suggest is "RETURNING TO REDEEM". That's about all he has left to do. One other thing that would give him a load of trouble is the party, PDP factor.
He is a major player on the list of over recycled leaders who appear to be richer than Nigeria.
Atiku Abubakar (AB): The Turaki Adamawa is also very rich owing to so many years of mismanagement in the Customs, 8 years as VP and some croonies doing his bidding. Like IBB, he is also a standing pro-zoning beneficiary.
He also seem to see more or better put has a well worked out plan than we think to have returned to PDP at a time like this. With the level of sympathy and warm reception he enjoyed with the then Action Congress, one would have expected he stayed back to consolidate.
For me, AB is as bad as those he tried to paint bad then; this unequivocally makes him very hard to trust, disloyal and hypocritical.
He is also a part of the cabal and cannot make a better leader in Nigeria.
Nuhu Ribadu (NR): The former EFCC no-nonsense tiny figure has very few but key things working for him. He has a publicly percieved impeccable anti-corruption record, that's one thing Nigerians are craving for. His sympathy soared to an amiable height when the Mike Okiro led-Nigeria Police rolled out its arsenal against this young man.
He also has a tremendous support of youths. Trust me, if the youths turn in their numbers as being mouthed on facebook especially, NR is unstoppable.
Please, note my bias, NR is my favourite.
For me, yes, I share his strong points too and would readily label his shortcomings at EFCC as inevitable human error!
However, I do not see NR as a magician who is going to turn Nigeria around at the flip of a magic wand just as my support for him doesn't extend to ACN automatically. It's to be negotiated. He only, to me, reprents a paradigm shift from the usual straight jacket (s)election process that revolves round some old but untiring individuals.
That is a proper step in the right direction; we would have successfully cut off the country from the grip of death. With this achieved, things can begin to be sorted in their right places.
My guess is, NR would run on the platform of ACN. If he does, we would be a little more than unrealistic to feel he would operate without the influences of the Lams, Akandes and Tinubus. This is to suggest that his leadership would have a taint of the usual political approach of nepotism and all.
The Buharis should take a well deserved rest and just respect himself. Chris Okotie, if he still hears God's voice as he claims, should check the voice again, it could be coming from a drunken friend in his backyard. Pat Utomi should manage his Lagos Business School and also start his education policies from LBS and make it affordable before aiming to manage the Nigeria education sector. Who else? I can't see.
2011 would definitely be interesting and also represent our chance of putting this country on a right track.
You may want to ask yourself again, which way to go?
I told you this would be very short, isn't it?
Happy birthday Nigeria.
N:B
Apart from the billion set aside for the independence day celebration, tax payer money has also being set aside to celebrate (im)Patience Jonathan's 50th birthday tagged 50 at 50.
Isn't that wonderful?
Hail 9ja!