Pegasus Reporters Issues on the Wing
“Therefore, as politicians continue to plot and plan, APC shouldn’t forget that the goal is to retain power beyond 2023. Politics is about disagreement, agreement, negotiation and renegotiation. While some believe Osinbajo will give a pleasurable presidency, others think of Tinubu as the only man whose presidency will give the long-awaited El Dorado”
*Vice President Y. Osinbajo hugs his mentor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
PEGASUS REPORTERS, LAGOS | MARCH 9, 2022
From the body language, it seems, though not too clear, that the presidency is uninterested in Tinubu’s Presidential aspiration. The point is, in case my assumption is correct, how do they intend to go about the truncation of Asiwaju’s ambition without it counting against the victory of APC at the general elections, thereby causing disappointment for the millions of the party faithful?
For the exigency of time, my soft spot for the APC, and the party’s national convention coming up by this month-end, this piece became necessary because as they say; “to be forewarned is to be forearmed.” 2023 is dicey!
In the face of political skulduggery ongoing, the APC must walk on eggshells to avoid treating unseemly the Jagaban of Borgu Kingdom, Asiwaju BAT and save the party the avoidable use of his spoiler card in the 2023 election.
To be Frank, and without sounding in smoke and mirrors, Asiwaju BAT, as it were, is now idiomatically a Mouse standing on the clay pot of the APC or a Mosquito standing on the testicles of the party. Either way, he must be handled with care.
The 2023 election will no longer be business as usual. The new Electoral Act Amendment Bill signed into law by President Buhari would be a game-changer. Because with it, going forward our elections ceases to be about a party in power or power of incumbency. It will now be on One Man, One Vote, And One Woman One Vote.
Speaking based on the pulse of the party’s members, the political division that awaits the post-party convention of the APC spells doom. The vainglory and overweening attitude of the members belonging to different camps especially those who believed whether rightly or wrongly that they have the backing of the presidency will amount to nothing if Asiwaju is not properly managed.
In today’s Nigeria, the number of people in possession of PVCs stands at 72 Million with the North in possession of 40 Million. If 2023 was one of the elections held from 1999 to 2019, one will confidently say that the fate of who becomes President Buhari’s successor lies in the North. But with the new electoral law, it will be difficult or near impossible for anyone to assume that.
Back in days when electoral malpractices and election rigging was the order of the day, these 40 Million Northern PVC holders will have to live and cast their vote on election day without being sick or dead. But with the new electoral law, the story has so changed that only votes by those accredited will be considered valid.
And as stated in the new electoral law;
1. Clause 51 says, the total number of accredited voters will become a factor in determining overvoting at the election tribunal.
2. Clause 65 states that INEC can review elections declared under duress.
3. Clause 47 gives legislative backing for smart card readers and any other voter accreditation technology that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deploys.
Based on the above three points, I really don’t have to be one of the seven members of the Supreme Court Justices to tell any politician who cares to know that any election result declared in 2023 that’s not in agreement with the total number of accredited voters— not registered voters— will be seen through the lens of electoral malpractices. It simply means that the elections will no longer be rigged based on the numbers of registered voters.
Therefore, as politicians continue to plot and plan, APC shouldn’t forget that the goal is to retain power beyond 2023. Politics is about disagreement, agreement, negotiation and renegotiation. While some believe Osinbajo will give a pleasurable presidency, others think of Tinubu as the only man whose presidency will give the long-awaited El Dorado.
Both men are two wonderful aspirants but unfortunately, APC can’t fly them at the same time. This is why I said APC can not have its cake and eat it come 2023. And that’s where the wisdom of the party elders will come in handy.
It must be eyes on the ball as we game on, and the APC must not dismiss the realignment and regrouping of the opposition until INEC says it over.
Ahmed Gudman says he’s an Unofficial National Advisor of All Progressive Congress
What’s your view? Tell us you were here by replying to this story in the comment section below. You can share it, too.
Pegasus Reporters: making news that reaches your audience | Advertise with us!|Join our readers’ list on Telegram (+234 813 308 8344) Follow us on Twitter @pegasusreporters | We are on Facebook; The PegasusReporters | Chat with the Editor on WhatsApp (+234 815 444 5334) |Contact the Editor or send your articles to pegasusreporters@gmail.com
Read Our Preceding Post: Russia-Ukraine: To Settle The Ukraine Crisis, Start At The End – Henry Kissinger
