The Centrist War in February -By Hon. Obahiagbon

Politics is a leveler. It brings the well-educated, cultivated and urbane person in contact with the ill-mannered, uncouth, illiterate and moronic personae into the ring. And that is exactly the lugubrious situation we have found ourselves in Nigeria since our 1960 flag independence. All sorts of people are confronting the public with all manners of theories, thinking and permutations.

Everyone has suddenly become a pundit and so, reason has taken flight. You can call your opponent anything. You can even command God or Satan to kill your opponent so that your party can win. A governor can now even throw caution to Ashkelon by wishing a presidential aspirant, death. It is politics. Especially, the Nigerian brand. It condoles no rules of decency. It is a “rofo-rofo” fight. “Bolekejah” is the natural response.

​But politics is also a game for the strategist, the thinker, the organiser, and of course, the fertile and brilliant minds while not ruling out the thugs, the point-men, the button-men. We are all doing politics. But politics is a game for realists, idealists and dreamers alike. It is a game of numbers. The many, the merrier. And we are in Nigeria.

​The 2015 presidential election campaigns and unfolding events in the last couple of weeks are simply sublime and ridiculous. Some of the events are very entertaining. But in this game, some must lose and some most win.

​But the facts of the 2015 presidential campaigns are that the struggle for power in today’s Nigeria’s political landscape is basically an intra-class struggle as left forces that would have been canvassing alternative socio-political and economic system totally opposed to the present neocolonial dependent capitalist system are in retreat, if not totally eclipsing. And so, the field is left open for centrists of the left and centrists of the right. But, the odds favour the All Progressives Congress (APC) which took a great deal of effort, resources and time to build a coalition, which is now a behemoth, a movement waiting to redefine Nigeria in the history of progressive politics.

​The APC, of course, is left of the centre in the ideological spectrum. The core of the party coming from the foremost progressive wing of the Nigerian ruling class, famous for its political progressivism. The core progressive elements and leaders of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria–the likes of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Ogbeni Rauf Arigbesola, Babatunde Fashola, Lai Mohammed, Chief Bisi Akande, and numerous others, have demonstrated progressive politics since the return of democratic rule in 1999. These progressive elements, who today shape the political direction of the South-west zone forged a great coalition with the progressive elements in the South-south zone such as the fire spitting and fearless Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomole, the inimitable Rotimi Amaechi, and the spartan Chief Odigie Oyegun etc, with a progressive linkage to the South-east  Zone, with leaders like Ogbonaya Onu, Chris Ngige, Rochas Okorocha and other great progressives from the Igbo nationality.

To crown the new political direction, these progressive minds linked up with the progressive wing of the political class in the North-west, North-east, and the North-central Zones such as Chief Audu Ogbe, Senator Bukola Saraki, Malam El Rufai, Governor Kwankwanso and a host of others. The very focused political behemoth that came out from the coalition of the ACN, ANPP, APGA and CPC is the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Now, there is going to be a shift from the ultra–conservative centre-right control of the Nigerian state since independence. The point should be made that some progressive elements who had opportunity to exercise executive powers, starting from Chief Obafemi Awolowo to the Fasholas, Oshiomholes, Aregbosolas, Kwankawasos, Amaechi’s of today have demonstrated that power can be used for the upliftment and development of the citizens. These progressive elements have demonstrated that governance can be creative and lives can be transmogrified. Today, the governance in all the APC states are creative, progressive and people-centred. In Edo State, for example, governance is people-centred, creative and courageous. The development that has taken place in Edo State since Oshiomhole assumed office is outstanding. The progressives focus on the people and are able to do so because they are more enlightened, and are prepared to disseminate such enlightenments and progress to the people.

At the centre the progressives are set to bring about social welfare to the citizens, and transform their lives. The progressives will promote mass education, create opportunities for all citizens and make life better for all. The progressives will create wealth and ensure its fair distribution to all citizens. ​Today, the PDP conservative centre-right government has dragged the country to a failed state status. For the PDP leaders, political power is to advance and deepen primitive accumulation. They exercise power without accountability. They play god and use power to serve their stomachs. Afterall, their national chairman once went to mountain Olympus from where he stigmatised his party as one of  monkey they work, baboon they chop. Above all, they are bereft of good ideas which can serve the general interest. Ideas which promote narrow interest of capital accumulation continue to dominate the public space. They cannot transform the country. On matters of defence and foreign policy, we are living witnesses to how the PDP has brought Nigeria to its knees.

​The progressives who have demonstrated that power can be used for development and transformation in the various states where the APC is in power should naturally run the country if the country is to develop. APC governors have shown that development is possible.

Today, Nigerians need to benefit from the genuine development agenda of the progressives at the centre. The Buhari presidency will guarantee good governance, development and genuine transformation. Given the calibre of fertile, cultivated and social democratic ideologues in the leadership of the APC, it is obvious that there is light at the end of the tunnel. General Buhari/Professor Osibanjo presidency will bring about the Pax Nigeriana of our dreams.