By Emmanuel Aziken
Coming just after a visit to General Ibrahim Babangida, Mr Peter Obi at an early morning press conference on Thursday latched onto President Bola Tinubu in a way he has refrained from since the last presidential election campaign.
It was easy to speculate that the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate may have been emboldened by words of courage he picked up during his visit to Babangida.
However, President Tinubu is one who is not deterred by challengers as he is wont to do what pleases him irrespective of whose ox is gored.
Enlisting the help of one of the country’s most successful political adventurers to have come out of the military is also of little bother. Tinubu in his first incarnation was famed for his detestation of the military in power irrespective of what his critics claim as otherwise. He has carried that passion to his duties as chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS in his rejection of military coups in member countries.
Even more, is it any surprise that the Tinubu government is the first since the advent of the Fourth Republic not to have a retired or serving military officer in any serious position?
So, for Peter Obi aiming to draw courage or inspiration from Babangida in the coming 2027 war may be far-fetched if that is part of strategy to grab power and run away with it in 2027.
Famed as among the ‘owners’ of Nigeria, General Babangida alongside some three other Generals, namely Olusegun Obasanjo, Theophilus Danjuma, General Aliyu Gusau and lately Abdulsalami Abubakar were believed ‘ have foisted Atiku Abubakar on the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP ticket in 2019. Then, they were said to have positioned the former Customs man as their choice to push Muhammadu Buhari. The myth around them was solidified when to the shock of many, their emissary who arrived just before the PDP convention kicked off in Port-Harcourt successfully pulled the strings to humiliate Nyesom Wike in his backyard at Port-Harcourt where the convention took place.
Wike had pulled out all the stops to push his former friend, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal for the PDP ticket. But he was shocked on the convention night when Atiku to the shock of many emerged. However, the myth around the owners of Nigeria melted in the General Election when Buhari easily won for himself the presidential election.
So, Peter Obi consulting or receiving inspiration from Babangida may matter little to Tinubu.
But that does not remove from the substance of some issues Obi raised at the press conference.
Fundamental to those issues was his claim that the president is too far removed from the pains of the ordinary Nigerian.
Obi who won popularity among his supporters during the last campaign for his ability to use figures in pushing his claim and with it notoriety from his critics for supposedly churning fake figures was on point as concerning the ratio of Tinubu’s presence in Nigeria and abroad.
According to Peter Obi, President Tinubu has spent 180 of his 580 days in office abroad. That approximates to 31% of his time in office. In practical terms, it means that the president is spending one day out of every three days out of the country.
This is especially worrisome and is not a matter for politicising. The trips abroad are often couched as necessary to woo private investments into the country.
This narration betrays the fact that investments are not necessarily won by the personal visits of the president or his delegation but by the investment climate in the country.
Trade offices and diplomats from foreign countries in Nigeria are always available to tell their citizens and potential investors the truth about the prospects of committing investments into Nigeria.
It is best for President Tinubu to commit more of his days to Nigeria and with it the chances of working out the solutions to the multifarious issues bedevilIng the country.
The example of the late president of Tanzania, John Magufuli who only travelled once out of his country while he was president between 2015 and 2021 is exemplary. In the period GDP growth rate with the exception of one year hovered around 5%. It is telling that he stayed back and addressed the issues in his country that made room for foreign and local capital to be harnessed.
Obi may have spoken truth to power even if it is at the cost of more isolation from political actors who he claimed are afraid of relate with him because they fear losing out from the patronages of the APC government.
Obi was not specific in his charges especially as he alleged persecution from the agents of state. These are weighty allegations that some like us may see as political sophistry but if he is sure, he should boldly come out with the evidence. In that way, the democracy he is helping to build will be helped in addressing the malignancy that comes from one man rule.
Emmanuel Aziken is a columnist with Vanguard
