Mindset Reset For A Restart -By Tony Osakpamwan Agbons

The political campaign season is up and running at a frenetic pace. Town Hall meetings, debates, and presentations by the leading political figures are in top gear. There are permutations, accusations, and counter accusations from all sides of the political divide. Propaganda and deception machines have been unleashed by some of the political parties to cajole hapless, innocent, and gullible citizens.  A major challenge in our political process has been that the right calibre of candidates does not emerge from the political parties. The leadership conundrum in Nigeria is at the political party level. Our political party system is set up to churn out mediocrity. It is a system created for moneybags and the highest bidders. It is a system that throws up the `worst of us` to lead the `best of us`.  Credible candidates must first emerge from the political parties for Nigerians to begin to have a political pulse again. There is no doubt that politics can be a dirty game, but in politics, lies the salvation of our shared nationhood. It is often said; “After God, the next most powerful force is Government”.

At the moment, the dynamics of Nigeria’s politics and political temperature has changed. The Nigerian people are awoke! There is a new vibe in town and the Nigerian people are wiser. The people are saying Enough is Enough. The current political vibration has come with a new lexicon never seen before in our political thesaurus. The word on the lips of majority of Nigerians across our population demographic is OBIDIENT. The phrase is loud and clear. Arise O Compatriots, Nigeria call obey! The long suffering people of Nigeria have woken up from their dream and inertia and ready to take the destiny of our nation in their own hands.

As seen in the recent permanent voters’ registration (PVC) exercise, the OBIdient movement was the stimulus for the surge. Many Nigerians (especially the youths) who hitherto showed apathy to elections came out in their droves to register across the country. The electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC was even overwhelmed at some point. INEC had to adjust their logistics to accommodate the surge. From that exercise, it is clear that there is a stimulant agitating the polity. That stimulant is Peter Gregory Obi, Obidient 1 of Nigeria. No ifs, no buts. But for Peter Obi, the choice before Nigerians for the office of President in 2023 would have been limited to just the geriatric duo of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Just imagine!

The Obidient movement is a phenomenon orchestrated by the people, and for the people. It is a bottom – up movement that is sending shivers down the spine of the analogue old-style political class/elites. They are scared of the momentum of the wildfire Obi-volution sweeping across the land. Unlike the old normal, the Obidient movement is organic, people driven and not money induced. Its principal, Mr Peter Obi has not dropped ‘shishi’ to facilitate the groundswell of support by ordinary Nigerian people. The mantra of the movement – ‘We nor dey give shishi’ is very loud and clear. The bravado, confidence, and creativity with which Obidients are churning out messages on both social media and on the ground is breath-taking.

The Obidient movement is driven by a buoyant number of Nigeria youths, professionals, students, market women and men, media influencers both in Nigeria and in the diaspora. These demographics have been the group previously showing apathy to politics and elections in the past. This time around they have thrown their ‘hats in the ring’ come rain, come shine. The unimaginable level of suffering and hardship in the land is unbearable. Nigerians want a change for a better life. They want a change in the status quo which Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed represents and brings to the table in abundance. This demographic has all the engine to take back Nigeria from the current analogue, geriatric political hawks bleeding our commonwealth. This demographic is tech savvy, smart, energetic, and innovative. They can see what obtains in other climes and want same replicated in Nigeria. No doubt they are going for the jugulars of the old recycling brigades at the February 2023 general elections. The old, recycled politicians are in for a rude awakening. The thermodynamics of the Nigerian polity has been agitated at the speed of youth. E go shock them!

The implications of the Obidients movement in our democratic firmament will be total and sweeping. The obidients duo – Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed are Grand Patrons of the National Association of Stinginess (NAS). They are frugal, and prudent in resource management. Stinginess is engraved in their DNA, and they don’t give ‘shishi’. Under their watch, no naira or kobo will fall. The unique selling proposition of the Obi-Datti ticket is their honesty, integrity, transparency, simplicity, antecedents, sense of purpose, clear message, track record of public service, connection to the ordinary people and can-do attitude.

In Obi-Datti, the average Nigerian sees one of their own. Although financially endowed Obi and Datti understand and feel the pains of the average Nigerian. They have consistently shown it in words, and body language. Everyday Nigerians can relate to them. Nigerians believe their words and can feel them. Peter Obi does not mince his words. His beautiful symphony of; “to move our country from a consumption to a production nation” resonates with majority of Nigerians. The Obidient movement has brought a new vibe and vigour to our politics and Nigerians can dare to dream again. The political apathy of the past has been put aside. We the people are now solidly primed, to ‘distil’ our civic responsibility from every ‘democratic contaminant’ in our ‘body polity’ to take back our country.

Nigerians are neither naive to think this distillation process will be a whizz in the park nor a mind revolution without a price. Rather, there is a growing critical mass, determined to take on the challenge to fight for the very soul of our Nation.  Alas, it must be clear to the old brigade that the suffering people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have seen a candidate they can connect with, relate to and trust. If you are one of those who think Nigeria is fine the way it is right now, then, you can make the easy choice to chill and do nothing. If on the flip side, you desire a better Nigeria for yourself, your children, and the generation yet unborn then the time to take on the tough and narrow road that leads to OBIdiency is now. Go get your PVC. It is our weapon of redemption from poverty, corruption, insecurity, bad governance, hunger, and frustration that our country has become. Fellow Nigerians, the time to stay awake and sustain the mindset reset to restart our country is NOW!

Dr Agbons is founder of the Institute of Good Governance @www.twin2.org