The nation has been brought
to her knees. Internally, the blaring
media testimony needs no augmentation. Beyond her borders, Nigeria is the tale
of citizens designated pariahs of the global community for whom special
dossiers are opened, and units of security agencies are specifically assigned.
Online transactions are programmed to reject basic usage once the word
‘Nigeria’ is inserted in the Data profile. There are few nation left, within or
outside the continental borders where – no matter the codeword – a Nigerian
‘room’ has not been designated. Her humanity litters the sand trails of the
Sahara, it lines the Mediterranean sea-bed with the bones of a desperate
generation, seeking ‘green pastures’.
Lines from my poems have been appropriated
and embossed as epitaphs on the tombstones of Nigerians washed up the isle of
Catania and accorded dignified burials by total strangers, certainly paid more
respect than Nigerians themselves consider due to their own humanity. Other
would-be migrants have been slaughtered by religious fundamentalists on the
shores of Tripoli, while waiting for their precarious crossing on suicidal
boats. Yet others end up as commodities in the slave markets of Libya and
Mauritania, hundreds recently rescued and airlifted – credit where credit is
due! – repatriated by government.
It was not always thus.
Numerous Nigerians believe that it need not remain so. There is always a choice
to be made outside any presumptuous orders – in reality associations guaranteed
to perpetuate social disorders and the politics of inequality.This is not the
thinking of any one individual but of a large section of this populace. If it
were not, there would not have been a record number of nearly a hundred
political groups aspiring to take over the reins of governance. We do not need
any instruction however to estimate that several of the aspiring groups are
mere plants, raised to sow confusion.It redounds to the credit of a few
individuals, including some of the candidates themselves, who embarked on
efforts to winnow down their own ranks, then seek a consensus candidate as
standard bearer for the battle against the two political behemoths.
They did not succeed, but
that is no cause for despair. They still deserve the gratitude of Nigerians for
their uniquely principled efforts.The CITIZEN FORUM – last heard of during the
time of the dictator, Sanni Abacha – was pulled out of retirement to join in
their effort to arrive at peer consensus. The Forum worked peripherally with
them. It made no attempt – I stress this – no attempt whatsoever to impose its
own preferences, but utilized material from the deliberations of at least four
such selection groups. It remained on the fringe, except on invitation. Our
mission today is simply to present the result of that effort by Citizen Forum
which, I am especially gratified to reveal, coincides with my own personal preference.
The CF conclusion is obviously not binding on other groups or individuals
involved in the exercise. May I take this opportunity to advise the public that
neither Citizen Forum nor myself, belongs to any Third Force or other Consensus
seeking councils by any other name. Please ignore any such attributions.
Over the past few months,
we studied the careers, experiences and track records of most of the
presidential aspirants, and most intensely those actually short-listed by the
opposition parties themselves. Like millions of Nigerians, we watched the
debates. I physically interacted with some of the acknowledged top contenders,
in some cases several times.We participated in HANDSHAKE ACROSS NIGERIA, where
some candidates presented their briefs. Among others, I delivered a keynote
address. We watched television interviews. We have exchanged notes with highly
respected international Civil Servants. The drive towards Consensus among these
dedicated groups sometimes took the form of test questionnaires to the
aspirants, including items such as: ‘Who among the contestants would you
choose, if you did not emerge as the ultimate preference?’
There was nothing
complicated about assessment parameters: mental preparedness, analytical
aptitude, response to the nation’s security challenges, economic grounding,
grasp of socio-political actualities, including a remedial concern with the
Nigerian image in foreign perception etc. etc.not forgetting a convincing
commitment to governance and resource decentralization – commonly referred to
as Restructuring. The Forum rejected retrograde propositions of a political
merry-go-round, which urge the electorate to choose this or that candidate in
order to ensure “our turn” at the next power incumbency.Overall, the exercise
was exacting but also – therapeutic. It proved yet again that there is
over-abundant leadership quality locked up in the nation, and that it is a
collective shortcoming that the political space has not been sufficiently
opened up to let soar such potential. Well, to cite the Chinese proverb: a
journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.
Let me reiterate: there is
over-abundant,but stifled leadership material, and there can be no excuse, now
that that potential of high quality is being manifested, for constricting the
political space in a population that is nudging two hundred million.And that
statement is of course specially addressed to those who took part in this
exercise, those who deliberated opted out of it, some of whom were assessed
anyway. Such potential compelled us to exercise utmost rigour in what proved to
be a most daunting exercise. The final determination however is – the
flag-bearer of the Young Progressive Party– Kingsley Moghalu.
I shall conclude with a
somewhat interesting aside. I met Moghalu again on Monday morning, February
4th, and informed him of the Forum’s decision. During our discussion, I
happened to ask him – what is the meaning of Moghalu. I was curious, because it
had taken quite some time along the way for me to know to which ethnic group
the name belonged. He replied, it means –“Evil Spirit, Leave me Be!” Then I
asked him for his other names and he spelt them out: “Actually my full names
are Kingsley Chieedu Ayodele Moghalu”. Eyebrows raised, I asked, How come,
Ayodele? A piquant revelation resulted:
“Oh, that came from Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. She was friends with my
father. Mrs. Kuti was my godmother, and she gave me the name Ayodele”.
I was learning this for the
first time. Moghalu’s CV is however in the public domain – his publications,
record, and vision. The above is just a side-note that contains its own mild,
thought provoking instruction, for those who care to examine the distractions
of ethnic equivocations, and the rigid mind-sets and stereotypes imposed on
products of circumstance.
That immediate task being
now completed, Civic Forum will now join forces with those who pray, “Evil
Spirit, leave us be!” – at least those who subscribe to the belief that
political elections are not a Do-or-Die Affair!
-Soyinka is the Convener,
CITIZEN FORUM 2019
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