But somehow, the entrenched, unscrupulous and scared-stiff bourgeoisie still manage to convince the suffering middle class (whatever is left of it in the dirt into which our country has sunk) and the down-trodden, that Sowore does not have experience. They didn’t have a problem with Yakubu Gowon becoming Head of State at the age of 32 and ruling Nigeria for nine years without a university degree or even its military equivalence.
Before you say two words about the need for things to change in Nigeria, frustrated Nigerians will run to their well-worn refrain: "We need a Rawlings Solution in Nigeria."
“Rawlings Solution”?
You want someone to get up, seize power from the corrupt politicians and summarily execute people?
Me I don't know about that o.
Actually, I do know about that.
I KNOW it is too late for it to work in Nigeria.
I KNOW there are too many potential victims in Nigeria - all those Senators and HoR members collecting soulless allowances and hundreds more queuing to join their ranks; all those Governors collecting billions in so-called security votes from budgets that can hardly pay salaries even if 100% of IGR was allocated to them; all those Ministers and Commissioners padding projects and budgets, and all those civil servants aiding politicians in stealing the country blind. It won’t work in Nigeria.
I KNOW it will set Nigeria back many decades.
I KNOW Nigeria is not Ghana and Nigerians are not Ghanaians.
I KNOW it is irresponsible talk.
And I KNOW it is treasonable.
What I also know is that right now, there is, at least, one presidential candidate (Omoyele Sowore) trying to do through the ballot box in 2019 what Rawlings did through the barrel of a gun in 1979. When Sowore first launched his campaign, the Nigerian bourgeoisie did not take him seriously. They called him all sorts of names.
“He’s a joke.”
“He doesn’t have a platform.”
“He doesn’t have experience.”
“He thinks this is campus (aluta) politics”
All of which were euphemisms for “we are not going to be able to profit off him’.
Of course, the man surreptitiously put together a political party and got it registered before the authorities could block him. Now, nobody can say he is a joke anymore. Or that he doesn’t have a platform.
But somehow, the entrenched, unscrupulous and scared-stiff bourgeoisie still manage to convince the suffering middle class (whatever is left of it in the dirt into which our country has sunk) and the down-trodden, that Sowore does not have experience. They didn’t have a problem with Yakubu Gowon becoming Head of State at the age of 32 and ruling Nigeria for nine years without a university degree or even its military equivalence. They didn’t have a problem with Murtala Muhammed becoming Head of State at 37, without a university degree or its military equivalence. And they didn’t have a problem with Muhammadu Buhari becoming Head of State at 41, without a university degree. In fact, they trooped out to jubilate when Buhari overthrew Shagari’s elected, civilian administration! All these people had no prior experience other than being able to fire a weapon.
Sowore is 47 years old, has an advanced degree, started and continues to run a very successful media outfit and is extensively well-informed on macro/micro geo-economic theories and their practical aspects. He can hold his own in front of the Alan Greenspans of the world. Yet, he is at home with the road-side pepper seller in any Nigerian village.
He is a “Youth”…what those of us so-called middle-classers had been clamoring for all this while. He not only declared his intent to run for President, he put his personal money where his mouth was. In order to not be beholden to Nigerian political godfathers; in order to not kiss their asses and feet; in order to not buy his way into relevance and thus stain himself like they all are, he chose to start afresh…from the ground, on a clean slate.
And to show Nigerians how much respect he has for them, he has crisscrossed the length and breadth of the country, going to its nooks and crannies. He has been on raggedy roads in the west, crossed rivers on dilapidated canoes in the south and braved the heat and dangers of the desolate, arid lands in the north. He has also traveled all around the world to speak to Nigerians and seek their support.
He has been on countless radio and TV stations. He has sat and stood for newspaper interviews…some planned, many others impromptu. He has been the most accessible candidate and a candidate for whom no question was off-limits.
No other candidate has put in 1/100th of the effort that Sowore has put in his quest to help save Nigeria. The only thing he has not done is throw money at people like your traditional politicians do.
But those clamoring for a sweeping, magical "Rawlings Solution" do not have faith in him; still do not take him seriously because they do not think he can win. In fact, they probably do not want him to win! Helping him to win will require them to get out there and vote…canvass to their friends and families to vote for him. And that is too much work for our lazy and cowardly middle class. It is much easier for them to settle for the artificial binary choices they created for themselves.
The most vociferous of them on social media and in beer parlors...the so-called uber-educated middle class...will not even vote because they can't be bothered by such a demeaning act. They’d rather be ensconced in their punditry cocoon, bloviating, pontificating, struggling to shove their hackneyed, esoteric, socio-economic theorems down the throats of their gullible followers.
Those who dare jump into the political fray (Reuben Abati, for example) jump into the camps of those whose foundations are crooked, tainted with the scourge of corruption, forever damaged and incapable of taking the drastic measures needed to salvage our country now.
Yet they crave a “Rawlings Solution”.
They prefer a bloody change.
From where do you they even want the "Solution" to start?
Well, I have some bad news for them:
There ain’t gonna be no freaking "Rawlings Solution" in Nigeria; not now, not for ever. That crap is universally out of fashion. Nobody is going to risk his/her life for you while you sit on your ass in your comfy homes with arms akimbo. Sowore is out there asking you to believe...to compare and to contrast. In fact, more than one person (Kingsley Moghalu, Obi Ezekwesili etc – all of them accomplished individuals) are out there, in this epoch-making period, asking you to look at them...to listen to them.
But no, you have relegated them to footnotes in our politics.
"She has no structure on ground."
"He is too rude."
"She has no money."
"He is too young."
You make up all kinds of excuses so you can take the easy way out.
Rather than be bold enough to face your demons and do something for your country, your family and yourself for a change, you are characteristically tucking your tails between your legs, capitulating as usual, and running from your responsibilities.
If you desire change...real change...you better start now respecting the hard but bloodless change being offered to you. Or forever shut up about some kind of “Rawlings Solution”.
By Abiodun Ladepo
Ibadan, Nigeria
[email protected]