"Long Journey And Side Attractions To 2023"

Long Journey and side Attractions to 2023

The journey to 2023 has commenced despite the fact that we still have more than 1100 days ahead of us. But just like Ekiti State Govenor, Dr Kayode Fayemi earlier prayed in one of his interviews on Channels TV, “may God keep us all till then”.

Different intrigues have started playing out ahead of 2023, starting from Arewa lecture in Kaduna state where Fayemi was a guest speaker, and in the just concluded NANS election where Fayemi’s name was mentioned more than the contestants, and then later to the recent interview on Channels TV.

These and many more of Fayemi's activities have generated so many opinions about the governor in both the Northern and Southern part of the country. And believe me, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

The question as to who qualifies for the number one office in the country. Section 131 of the 1999 constitution states that a person may be qualified for election of the office of the president if:

1. They are a citizen of Nigeria by birth;
2. They have attained the age of thirty five years;
3. They are a member of a political party and are sponsored by that political party;
4. They have been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.

From the foregoing, anybody who meets these conditions is a potential aspirant for the position of president.
In terms of preparedness for the 2023 polls, both PDP and APC have been working around the word "Zoning", which both have said is not a written arrangement in their Constitutions but it must be respected. While the PDP is looking towards the north in desperation to get back the lost glory of their party, the APC is looking at the fairness of power rotation as Buhari, a Northerner, is the first president the party had produced. Majority of leaders of the party have however been clamouring for power to shift to the South.

South? Yes South! Which part of the South? Considering its cordial relationship with the North, population and political sagacity, Southwest is the most favourable geopolitical zone in the contest to come, little wonder then that some have started with South West Agenda.

South West Nigeria is one of the geopolitical zones of Nigeria, consisting of Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states.
It is majorly a Yoruba speaking area, although there are different dialects even within the same state (Wikipedia). Of the Six states, Ogun state, on the one hand, has been majorly favoured having produced President, Vice President and Speaker of the House of Representatives while on the other hand, the best Ekiti has ever produced is the NGF Chairman in person of Dr Kayode Fayemi.

While Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s name is being peddled around for the 2023 polls by his followers, the Jagaban of Borgu has never publicly shown or denied interest in the said office. The mention of Fayemi has sent shivers into some camps as the Chairman of the Governors Forum keeps taking notable steps that have attracted both knocks and accolades. Notwithstanding, he is qualified for the position of president come 2023.

Nigeria being a very religious country has seen the Yoruba Christians sending signals for their turn for the top seat, which according to some analysts is the best for APC, as majority of the Northerners are Muslims. If any South Westerner is to be picked today, religion would be a major factor and a Christian will be most favourable. Asiwaju is a Muslim but he could be converted to Christianity overnight to make the ticket an easy goal for him. If Fayemi, a catholic eventually shows interest, he would enjoy the overwhelming support from the North because it will also pave way for a Muslim Vice President which the northerners are most likely going to favour.

Yesterday some notable Ekiti men took the very bold decision of launching South West Agenda, another moves that is worthy of applaud and as well has kept Ekiti in limelight of political discourse. While some sees it as an act of betrayal of their origin, some others see it as a high level of political consciousness in Ekiti.

For no reason will any Yoruba man support anything outside theirs which will make PDP a great loser; the two leading names in APC are from Ekiti and Lagos state (Southwest, Nigeria), whosoever the permutations favours as a Yoruba man gets my support. If today Kayode Fayemi declares to contest, I will never use left hand to describe my father's house. As an Ijero man, Fayemi will get my backing and so will it be for other Ekiti Indigenes who launched SWAGA yesterday. As the coast becomes clearer by the day, I pray that more Yoruba men indicate interest; this will make the other geopolitical zones know that we are very much ready for the contest and nobody from the zone has the exclusive incontestable right to the APC Presidential ticket.

Gabriel Adesoji. (AngelGabby)
Writes from Ado-Ekiti

source http://www.nairaland.com/6318038/long-journey-side-attractions-2023