Hope Osinbajo As The Moses Of Nigeria Will Rightly Strike The Rock? -By Isaac Asabor

If there is any politician that can be said to be in Nigeria’s political history been pressurized unprecedentedly to run for the presidency, he is unarguably the incumbent Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.  

A perusal of recent editions of most newspapers and online media platforms since the agitation for him to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari began would reveal various headlines that were cast in the following similitude:  “Businessmen, Northern coalition support Osinbajo for 2023”, “2023: Osinbajo hasn’t declared interest in presidential”, “2023 Presidency: Kano Rep declares support for Osinbajo, “2023 PRESIDENCY: Why Tinubu’s Declaration Won’t Stop …”, “2023: Arewa Consensus Assembly roots for Osinbajo and “Northern groups from across the region under the aegis of Arewa Consensus Assembly, met in Kaduna for a one day Northern Agenda conference, …”.

Other headlines that are equally revealing cut across, “Businessmen woo Osinbajo as campaign posters flood …”, “2023: Meddling with Osinbajo, Tinubu’s undeclared …” and other thought-provoking headlines that strongly suggest that the Vice President is under unprecedented pressure to succeed Buhari. As if the foregoing headlines are not enough indication of how pressurized he has being in the last few weeks, virtually every discussions in churches, beer parlors, offices; particularly in the newsroom revolve around his suitability for the presidential position.

At this juncture, one is tempted to ask, “Why would he not be considered to be suitable for the presidential position when he has the leadership qualities of Moses?  To those in the Christendom that are reading this piece, it is expedient to remind them that as a people-oriented leader that Moses’ only message to the stone-hearted Pharaoh was encapsulated in only four words; “Let my people go”. Apart from spearheading the deliverance of the Jews from the hands of the Egyptians, Moses, at various times stood for his people (the Jews) during the period Egypt was atrophied by plagues. He spiritually interceded for the Jews at the brink of the Red Sea and variously played similar roles when God blessed the Jews with manna, quails and water in the desert. Simply put, Moses was the messiah of the Jews. He saw their collective problem as his problem.

Against the backdrop of the foregoing, it is expedient to say that amid the challenges which Nigeria has been faced with in the last couple of years that Osinbajo has remained optimistic about the country emerging from its current challenges ‘a greater and more united Nigeria,’ and his message has been that ‘God’s promise of greatness for the country will certainly come to fruition.’

Given the foregoing view, one is compelled to at this juncture see Osinbajo as the Moses of Nigeria. Who else would have become the Moses of the Nigerian people at this time of being at crossroads if not for him, particularly as he is been seen in that light by pressurizing to succeed the President, come 2023?”

The book of Proverbs chapter 3 verse 27 says “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.” Furthermore, verse 28 says “Do not say to your neighbor, come back later, I’ll give it tomorrow, when you have it with you.” From the context of the foregoing scripture, Nigerians should support Osinbajo; both by pressurizing him to run despite the fact that his political mentor, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, has recently told the president that he will contest in the election. To my view, Osinbajo should not be advised to wait till after the next political dispensation as that would be a disservice to him. The electorate should not self-destructively gag their collective voice but should urge him to run the presidential race, just as they should not withhold their voter cards in his support when he eventually decide to run.

With a sense of equanimity, not few people at the moment need a Moses in the person of Osinbajo. They need a Moses that would impact the economy with his Midas touch. 

Without doubt, the foregoing viewpoint may be very difficult to share by not few Nigerians as they reasoned that he has throughout his role as a vice to the President been doing well to the admiration of the people.

To those that would argue along the foregoing perspective, they should not forget that in 2017 when the president went on an extended sick leave abroad that Osinbajo made wide use of the constitutional powers granted him as the country sought to avoid a debilitating power vacuum, even at a time when the country was confronting its first recession in 25 years. During the short period he deputized in the absence of the president, and on other occasions, the economy which he managed was adjudged to improve given the indices which people empirically gathered and announced.  Ostensibly appraising his performance during the president’s leave of absence, the Financial Times (FT) in one of its scintillating and incisive analysis titled, “Nigeria’s vice-president Yemi Osinbajo puts positive spin on economy” wrote, “Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria’s vice-president, has put a positive spin on his country’s tepid recovery from its worst recession in 25 years, highlighting the high level of foreign investment and its success in battling militants. To the common man, he was unarguably brash and audacious to opine that each time Osinbajo hold the forth for the president that the economy usually improved.

Indeed, the people need a Moses that is ready to be on bended knees and clasped hands in prayer for them at all times. They need a Moses that would always go with God the same way the biblical Moses always went about with his rod. Moses, as variously recorded in the bible, interceded for the Jews so much so that he became a mediator between God and the Jews. A school of thought has it that if not for Osinbajo’s prayers that Nigeria’s situation would have being worse than it is. Aptly put, those who know him and the wife say they are prayer warriors.

At a forum that may be likened to present day Town Hall event, Moses stood before the people as recorded in Exodus chapter 14 verse 13 to 14 and assured them “…Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still”. In the same Mosaic fashion, would it not have been nice to be seeing Osinbajo praying for Nigeria in the same setting, and assuring the people that they should not be worried anymore that he would personally press their case further, and that they should be still that the LORD would use him to restore their economy to them? At this juncture, not few critics of this piece would ask the question, “What makes him not to be doing the Town Hall Prayer session in this political dispensation?” The answer cannot be farfetched as he is not in total control of the economy and government as he is “merely” a vice president. Again, we should not be ignorant of the fact that God has the power to unlock the economy.   It is crucial to ask this question. Why? Because it is a great mystery.

In consideration of the foregoing view, it is expedient to ask, “Hope Osinbajo as the Moses of Nigeria, will not wrongfully strike the rock?”

For the sake of clarity, it is expedient to say that Moses’ moment of greatest failure came when the people of Israel resumed complaining, this time about food and water (Num. 20:1-5). Moses and Aaron decided to bring the complaint to the Lord, who commanded them to take their staff, and in the people’s presence command a rock to yield water enough for the people and their livestock (Num. 20:6-8). Moses did as the Lord instructed but added two flourishes of his own. First he rebuked the people, saying, “Listen, you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” Then he struck the rock twice with his staff. Water poured out in abundance (Num. 20:9-11), but the Lord was extremely displeased with Moses and Aaron.

Against the background of the foregoing, it is expedient to let him realize that not few Nigerians are on bended knees asking God to give him the grace to declare his ambition to become the country’s number one citizen come 2023. While it is accepted that he will eventually agree to declare his ambition to run for the presidency, it is also advisable to advise him that like Moses, he should obey what God told him by rightly striking the rock; that is by declaring his ambition to run, and consequently leading the people with fear of God without toeing Buhari’s the governance style of Buhari.