In one of his seminal essays on Nigeria’s 2007 elections, Chris Ngwodo warned progressive Nigerians of complacency and political apathy. He went further to claim albeit wrongly (in my view) that the traditional power base is justified in their pursuit of power whether legitimately or otherwise.

On the first count of complacency and political apathy he was dead on. In as much as it is politically incorrect to agree with an ideological adversary, I would submit that Chris Ngwodo was right about the progressive movement in Nigeria.

In the summer of 2006 when Dr. Patrick Utomi began his conversation with Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora, he raised fundamental questions about the responsibilities of the state and her citizens. He opined at every campaign stop about the need for Nigerians to be given a fair chance to succeed. That rather than a hand out, what the citizen needs is a helping hand.

He traveled from Warri to Ibadan, Kano, Sokoto, Enugu to Portharcourt and so many places in between, all these while Nigerian’s current President, Umaru Musa Yar adua was not even contemplating a run for Aso rock. Let me be clear, Utomi’s 2007 presidential bid was not an historical accident, he was prepared, he has an impeccable understanding of the issues, used a large chunk of his own personal fortune and mustered all the energy that was available to a man fighting an uphill task.

It is not certain what would have happened if the Nigerian business and political elites, the organized labor and the disenchanted had rallied round his candidacy. Perhaps Umaru Musa Yar adua and Obasanjo would have been forced to explain their positions, perhaps the candidacy would have brought so much excitement to average Nigerians June 12 1993 would have being a child’s play, the candidacy could also have brought significant changes in the down ticket, by this, I mean the senate, house of representatives, the gubernatorial races etc, better candidates would have emerged through this process. It is sad that a year into the life of this administration, the fate of the senate president and other principal officers of the national assembly still hangs in the balance. The 2007 election, like the 2003 election before it did not produce the best we could offer. Again, the people’s business is stalled by a crisis of legitimacy, this is a direct result of a lack of viable political platform to compete with the prevailing hegemony. The feeble attempt by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was only that, feeble.

We are left with only what could have been, what if vice president Atiku, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, General Buhari et al had coalesced behind Dr. Utomi’s candidacy? With their incredible following among Nigerians, can you imagine the power of millions of people asking for change? ( To borrow Barack’s own words).

On their part, the Nigerian progressive societies made up of the Nigerian emerging middle class, corporate CEOs, the academia, the press, the civil society and the organized labor showed little or no interest in the Utomi candidacy. Here is a candidate that speaks to their concern and their plight. When Utomi speaks about the need to arrest our slide to Somalia ( a metaphoric suggestion of a state of lawlessness and chaos ) he couldn’t have being more right, yet these group of Nigerians that could have propelled his candidacy have worked themselves into a state of apathy. I am amazed that in a relatively highly literate society such as Nigeria, many have ceded the political space to dimwit individuals, allowing charlatans and marabouts to preside over the affairs of the single most important black nation. Now, Dr. Reuben Abati was two years late in acknowledging the Utomi phenomena.

While the United States democracy that threw up Obama may be 200 years ahead of Nigeria, this 21^st century is a different kind of era, Nigeria can not afford to continue to under employ its best and brightest. In a nation where most citizens live on less than a dollar a day, there are ample reasons to be worried.

While Nigerians bask in the success of Barack Obama, it is time for average Nigerians to start playing active role in Nigeria’s politics. We may have lost the opportunity in 2007 but in 2011, we all should say never again. Nigerians should say never to ill prepared councilmen and women, local government chairmen/women, state representatives, federal legislators and President. The only way this can happen is for progressive Nigerians to come together, have a clearly defined objective and rally around a common purpose. Affordable healthcare, mandatory k-12 public education for young Nigerians, social security to avert poverty in old age and a level playing field for all Nigerians to succeed in whatever endeavor they choose.

Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia contributes this piece from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Can be reached at abdu_mumi@yahoo.co.uk

Robot  # 1 | 07.06.2008 01:41

In one of his seminal essays on Nigeria’s 2007 elections, Chris Ngwodo warned progressive Ni...Read the full article.

pappilo  # 2 | 07.06.2008 02:01

Thank you very much Pat Utomi was the only credible candidate in the last elections. and please spare me all that crap about no experience and he stole from VW blah blah blah. We however dont know the calibre of people he would have surrounded himself with, had he won the elections

akar ninzo  # 3 | 07.06.2008 02:48

Good Piece, some food for thought 1. platform 2. party machinery 3. Resources 4. voters 5. the state 6. the candidate 7. Political dexterity All these played a crucial role to make Obama click! Unfortunately for our own "Obama", virtually all these characteristics were against him, except probably, point number six.

YUAN  # 4 | 07.06.2008 03:44

How are we sure that Pat Utomi with all his academic credential to his advantage and his gift of rhetoric would have translated those qualities to good governance? The Nigerian state is a difficult one to govern. There are forces of corruption within the polity that Utomi himself may fall for if he had been elected. We were all happy that UMY at least had passed through University with the hope that we would see some differences in his approaches to issues but we are yet to be convinced now if he is different from previous uneducated leader( rulers). In Nigeria , high level of Education has not been translated yet to good governance by our politician for the people . Do you remember Professor Tunde Adeniran Former Education Minister ( Prof of International Relations) he was booted out as minister in OBJ govt for un-disclosed corruption case but was later posted as ambassador to Germany.. This can only happen in Nigeria. Do you remember Professor Adenike Grange who is a professor of Pediatrics I read somewhere that Iyabo Obasanjo also has a PhD. Just to mention few.

Akpu-Nku  # 5 | 07.06.2008 06:15

=YUAN;4295052176>How are we sure that Pat Utomi with all his academic credential to his advantage and his gift of rhetoric would have translated those qualities to good governance? The Nigerian state is a difficult one to govern. There are forces of corruption within the polity that Utomi himself may fall for if he had been elected. We were all happy that UMY at least had passed through University with the hope that we would see some differences in his approaches to issues but we are yet to be convinced now if he is different from previous uneducated leader( rulers). In Nigeria , high level of Education has not been translated yet to good governance by our politician for the people . Do you remember Professor Tunde Adeniran Former Education Minister ( Prof of International Relations) he was booted out as minister in OBJ govt for un-disclosed corruption case but was later posted as ambassador to Germany.. This can only happen in Nigeria. Do you remember Professor Adenike Grange who is a professor of Pediatrics I read somewhere that Iyabo Obasanjo also has a PhD. Just to mention few. YAUN, And what do you suggest genius? The same status quo, I suppose, eh Yaun? Have you actually tried an elected individual to lead Nigeria before and not the usual imposed journeymen we have had as the norm? Why don't you say what you have in mind- really, and stop giving ambigious excuses and smarmy prevarication?

RAYNOSA  # 6 | 07.06.2008 06:16

One thing I am not a writer but in recent times i have begin to think most of these writers lack ORIGINALITY. They simply wait for things to happen else were before they translate it to NIGERIAN setting.You begin to read topics such as 1.Kosovo Independence way forward for Biafra,Odua,NigerDelta,Arewa etc,etc,etc 2.Nigerian Obama 3.Nigeria a failed state I was waiting to read Iraqi invasion the way forward for Nigeria. For all i care Pat Utomi is a symbol of failure,he claim to have managerial skill yet could not manage and organise a political campaign successfully.Then how do you expect him to manage the affair of Nigeria. He failed to make use of the resources available at his disposals,Nigerian politics is not about talk-talk. The writer should advise Pat Utomi to go back to the drawing board if want to be relevant in the Nigerian Politics. I have written to his campaign team about this you don't get a response even to acknowledge the receipt of the letter. yet he wants to be President OBAMA and.......................................................PAT UTOMI are poles...................APART. Thanks

gwobezentashi  # 7 | 07.06.2008 06:59

The bottom line Mallam Ajia is it matters not whether in your view Utomi was the best candidate. What matters is the choice of the majority of the people. Unfortunately, Obasanjo and his INEC machinery did not permit the people's expression of preference to be validated. So we will never know who would have won and by how much. Since then, INEC has become sleeker at undermining the people's expression of their preferences and no credible election can hold in Nigeria under our current institutions. Ruse of Law or not. Durable democracy is built on a foundation of the will of the people. Until that is possible, we will continue to fit and start. If Utomi were truly an Obama, his impact in 2007 would have created a groundswell, a movement that would have overwhelmed the entrenched rigging infrastructure to enable the people's say to prevail. So no be dogon turenci kawai na him be Obama. It is capturing the mood of the people and providing the belief for the disenfranchised that their moment has truly come. Aluta! Gwobezentashi

YUAN  # 8 | 07.06.2008 07:26

=Akpu-Nku;4295052218>YAUN, And what do you suggest genius? The same status quo, I suppose, eh Yaun? Have you actually tried an elected individual to lead Nigeria before and not the usual imposed journeymen we have had as the norm? Why don't you say what you have in mind- really, and stop giving ambigious excuses and smarmy prevarication? You got me wrong. I am not canvassing for the maintenance of the Status quo. We definitely need to move forward too so change is inevitable. We have serious problem with party machinery in Nigeria. We have serious problem with our Electoral system too. A lot of changes have to be made before someone like Utomi will win Election in Nigeria no matter how good he is. It is undisputable that Utomi has a good credential to be our president, but will he operate alone if he eventually wins? The system as a whole condoles and aid corruption and that was why the two university professors I mentioned earlier became victim of the corrupt system. The present INEC as constituted cannot and will not conduct any presidential election that any other party in Nigeria will win except the Ruling party (PDP)

felix  # 9 | 07.06.2008 07:32

=RAYNOSA;4295052219> One thing I am not a writer but in recent times i have begin to think most of these writers lack ORIGINALITY. They simply wait for things to happen else were before they translate it to NIGERIAN setting.You begin to read topics such as 1.Kosovo Independence way forward for Biafra,Odua,NigerDelta,Arewa etc,etc,etc 2.Nigerian Obama 3.Nigeria a failed state I was waiting to read Iraqi invasion the way forward for Nigeria. For all i care Pat Utomi is a symbol of failure,he claim to have managerial skill yet could not manage and organise a political campaign successfully.Then how do you expect him to manage the affair of Nigeria. He failed to make use of the resources available at his disposals,Nigerian politics is not about talk-talk. The writer should advise Pat Utomi to go back to the drawing board if want to be relevant in the Nigerian Politics. I have written to his campaign team about this you don't get a response even to acknowledge the receipt of the letter. yet he wants to be President OBAMA and.......................................................PAT UTOMI are poles...................APART. Thanks In your hasty attempt to dismiss the effort of those who tried, you were'nt even gracious enough to credit Utomis campaign with some respect for standing up against what could go down in history as the most ruthless campaign waged by an incumbent to install a surrogate in the history of Africas totured encounter with democracy.....As far as you are concerned Utomi should have singlehandedly confronted and destroyed Obasanjos do or die brigade while you sit in the comfort of your home pounding away at the keyboard,smoke puffing off your ears...Nigeria belongs only to Utomi abi? Loqaucious RAYNOSA is from Niger republic??? You think Obamas effort could have gotten this far without the active support of Americans who beleive in change? So who is doing the talk - talk ??? Utomi who dared or you who has been waiting for him to fail since the days of Adam just to say to him: you are a "fairlure"??? Give that man some CREDIT for trying against all odds, because nomatter how you twist it , what is "poles .........APART is" not Utomi and Obama unless Obama droped from the moon as you are hitting your head all over the wall to insunuate, rather what is poles apart is the remarkable differences between Nigerias politics and American politics coupled with the fact that we still have to deal with the irritating cynicism/sarcasm from your types which doesnt help matters... We are atalking of an election where peoples head where blown off for daring to oppose the moving train called PDP and you are talking about using "resources availabe" to turn water into wine..Cant you see the gaping disconnect?

Akpu-Nku  # 10 | 07.06.2008 07:50

=YUAN;4295052237>You got me wrong. I am not canvassing for the maintenance of the Status quo. We definitely need to move forward too so change is inevitable. We have serious problem with party machinery in Nigeria. We have serious problem with our Electoral system too. A lot of changes have to be made before someone like Utomi will win Election in Nigeria no matter how good he is. It is undisputable that Utomi has a good credential to be our president, but will he operate alone if he eventually wins? The system as a whole condoles and aid corruption and that was why the two university professors I mentioned earlier became victim of the corrupt system. The present INEC as constituted cannot and will not conduct any presidential election that any other party in Nigeria will win except the Ruling party (PDP) YAUN And your solution is?

---

The conversation continues in our forum. Click here to read all comments

---