SHEKARAU’S CANDIDACY: AN ALTERNATIVE TO A BLOODY REVOLUTION

Followers all over the world are now initiating change in both the private and public sectors. It is no wonder why Americans, with the help of their Youths defied all expectations and voted 46 years old Barrack Obama to become the 44th and First Black President of the United States.

A few months ago, Britain got its youngest Prime Minister almost 200years after. The President of Belgium was just 40 years old when he was voted into power earlier last year. Here in Africa, Ivorian electorate sang a song of change when they voted massively for Quattara as against incumbent President Gbagbo. A few days ago, a revolution in Tunisia sent the 23 years old iron-fisted administration of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali packing. The list goes on and on.

It is believed that the reason for this trend is that we have more followers who are more politically enlightened, educated and who really want to impact their world by making the right choices. Others argue that there is more awareness and participation in the electoral process on the side the Youths who are generally the larger chunk of most population.

Whichever is the case, one thing is for sure, it’s all about change, it’s all about progress, it’s all about moving forward and it’s not about recycling leaders, it’s about bringing people with new and better ideas onboard!

In Nigeria today, the major gladiators seeking to be elected as President are persons who are supposed to be elder statesmen, doing the kind of work, Mandela, Jimmy Carter, Clinton etc are doing for their country. Candidates like Buhari was Head of State from 1983 – 85, IBB was Military President from 1985 – 1993 before stepping aside, Atiku was OBJ’s Vice, for 8 years.

As a kid in elementary school then, whenever I sing the national anthem and got to the point “our heroes past” I actually see some of their pictures flash through the eyes of my mind. I wonder why they have refused to accept that they are past leaders. That their time has past. Now is the time for change. The time for new idea. Thanks though, most of them didn’t make it in their party’s primaries.

Recycling of leaders has become a very sad reference point for us here in Nigeria. I have not yet started my sojourn on this earth by the time Obasanjo handed power to Shagari in his first outing as Military President of Nigeria. I wasn’t even aware that Buhari staged a coup against Shagari and forcefully collected his democratically given mandate because I have not gotten to the age of reasoning.

I was so young I didn’t know that IBB taught Buhari a lesson in coup d’état by staging one to oust him, in fact I thought it was a routine military exercise then! I just finished secondary school when OBJ roared back the second time as civilian President with Atiku as his vice. Having served out their terms in office, I was thinking their will be a level playing field to accommodate new leaders with new ideas.

I was damn wrong! Most of our past leaders have refused to agree that we are in a new era. One then wonder what they still want to achieve? Is their anything they forgot at Aso Rock?

Having gotten to the position of President, Head of State or Vice President, it is suppose to be the defining moment which one needs to show his patriotism and selflessness to his nation. However none of the above candidates is in the mould of Mandela, perhaps the only person I know his country would allow to be President even for a lifetime, but off course it’s not because of his greed but for his record and selflessness.

A few months ago, two Nigeria elder statesmen (Gen. T. Y. Danjuma and Professor Ben Nwabueze) agreed Nigeria needs a revolution, however they couldn’t agree whether it should be bloody or bloodless. This brings us to the questions; what really is a revolution? A revolution is a rebellion or revolt against an oppressor, a tormentor or an illegitimate usurper, usually against current or past government and leaders.

Revolution could also be defying old or odd ways and embracing new and smart ways. In other words, it could be a deviation from an old idea to a new and better one. A most recent example is happening in Tunisia.


What of Bloody Revolution? The difference is that it usually culminates in the killing of the tormentor or oppressor. In as much as I agree with the two elders that Nigeria needs a revolution, I elect to tow the line of Gen. T. Y. Danjuma who averred that the revolution should be bloodless.

However, in the alternative, yes there is an alternative; electing a credible leader is it. Electing a leader with traceable and proven integrity, a leader with unblemished credential and democratic fidelity, a leader who will rollback poverty in Nigeria, a leader who will uplift the standard of living in our country and give hope to the Nigerian families, a leaders who will not neglect the work force of this country, a leader who will guarantee the independence of the judiciary, because that is our last hope.

We need to vote a leader who will make the required sacrifice to save us all- a leader who will put an end to the spate in religion, ethnic and sectarian strife, a leader who will hear the cry of our children dying of cholera, meningitis and other diseases and act immediately and effectively, a leader who will save our children from Lead poisoning and other avoidable deaths.

We need a true leader who will put an end to the senseless kidnappings and return peace to the Niger Delta area. We need a leader who will restore our past glory in food production. We need a leader who is more tolerant, accepting, kind, patients, peaceful and thoughtful, we need a leader who is competent and accountable to only the electorate and not god-fathers. A listening leader is what we need and importantly, a leader with the fear of God.

Malam Dr. Ibrahim Shekarau has all the mentioned qualities above. Shekarau is a leader that has been tested, trusted and proven. Subject is one leader with traceable and proven integrity whom nothing questionable has been detected in his antecedences since his incursion into the Nigerian controversial political terrain.

A good follower of history since 1999 would agree with me that Dr. Ibrahim Shekarau was the first truly elected governor who came from nowhere in 2003 to dislodge a powerful sitting governor in one of the most popular and political enlightened state in Nigeria. A feat he repeated in 2007.

Shekarau is a leader with unalloyed integrity and respect for human life-he was able to curb senseless and usually fatal riots in Kano. He is a leader who upholds the rule of law. I therefore recommend Dr. Ibrahim Shekarau to us. I urge you my fellow countrymen and women, it is high time, we the Nigerian-FOLLOWERS especially the youths-take our common destiny in our own hands and work out strategies to oust bad leaders virally infecting our political system.

There are other ways to achieve this other than a bloody revolution as suggested by Professor Ben Nwabueze. One way which is painless and easy is through the ballot. Yes your vote can do it. Shekarau will safe us a bloody revolution, he is the alternative.