Clearly Nigerians are now seriously marching towards the 2019 general elections scheduled to hold in February.
The parties have conducted their primaries, though there are lingering issues arising from the conduct of the exercise in some parties.
And Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has foreclosed the issue of candidates following its steadfast stand on the expiry of the October 7, deadline for conclusion of primaries.
Within the time stipulated by INEC, President Muhammadu Buhari emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was elected as the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, when the party held its convention in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. Between the two leading contenders for the position of president of Nigeria, Atiku has garnered a lot of interest because of the stand he took on the burning issue of restructure.
He has consistently reaffirmed that stand. As a Nigerian I am also interested in restructuring and actively rooting for it. But there is a cogent question I believe that other Nigerians must demand an answer to: Nigerians and the media must ask Atiku to explain in clear language the type of restructuring he is talking about. He must be specific and lay out the details so that Nigerians can thoroughly interrogate the specifics and be sure that we are on the same page with him.
Then and only then can we wholeheartedly support his aspiration, convinced that he would deliver on this when he is elected.
He must state the Big How of achieving the restructuring he his espousing.
That is the fundamental starting point. In 2015, APC bamboozled us with Change, and we got caught up in it without asking what kind of change. Now we know better.
Nigerians have been deceived for too long. Enough is enough. Atiku should speak up now!
Credit: Romanus Idiroko