As the road to 2023 gathers momentum, every patriot needs to lend a hand to who succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari among the throng of aspirants who have so far declared their interest in the race across the two dominant political parties – the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Of all the contenders and pretenders who have so far declared, it’s pertinent to say without equivocation that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo stands shoulders high, above every other aspirant in terms of the sterner stuff he is made up of, coupled with his illustrious pedigree and intimidating credentials.
Three days ago, his CV found its way into the country’s cyberspace. Days after, analysts, commentators and pundits have not stopped talking about the relevance of his academic prowess and public service experiential knowledge to nation-building, especially at this critical period when Nigeria needs a philosopher-king as its helmsman.
Although there are more than one thousand reasons Osinbajo should be elected our President in 2023, here are ten of the foremost reasons in no particular order of importance.
He is highly cerebral:
At the risk of sounding immodest, it’s safe to say that Osinbajo remains the most cerebral of the aspirants jostling to succeed President Buhari.
You may be wondering what being cerebral has to do with governance. Well, while about 25 per cent of governance is about the political will of the leader to perform, the rest 75 per cent of his actions or inactions are a product of his mental capacity and the cabinet he has.
For quite a while, Nigerians have been yearning for a philosopher-king to take over the mantle of leadership of the country. Right here before our very eyes, nature, nurture and providence have catapulted Osinbajo to this realm for us to choose him as our next President.
Requisite experiential knowledge
There’s little doubt that Osinbajo’s years of public service as a university teacher, private lawyer, special adviser to a former attorney-general of the federation, Prince Bola Ajibola, whom he later followed to the ICC, Hague, as Commissioner for Justice in Lagos where he made landmark contributions to restructuring the criminal justice system of the state aside from making Lagos judiciary one of the best in the country in terms of initiating progressive reforms and now the last seven years as Vice President have placed him on a pedestal far higher than that of his closest challenger to the coveted title. It’s needless to say that the Presidency is not for a rookie or a greenhorn. It’s a complex job for a tested and trusted hand.
The right mix of temperament and emotional intelligence
Aside from having prodigious mental capacity, Osinbajo’s temperament and a fair share of emotional intelligence are also admirable qualities that make him a standout choice for the number one job in the country.
Nigeria, as currently configured, can’t afford to have a President who is an impulsive and inflammable character with little or no capacity for reflection, introspection and critical engagement before approving a policy or endorsing a program for the country.
He’s a bridge builder
Other things being equal, if elected, Nigeria will have a President in Osinbajo in 2023 who is as cosmopolitan as it can be and will also readily mingle with rural dwellers without any strings attached.
We all must have seen several pictures and videos of how effortlessly anonymous Nigerians connect with him and the joy on their faces whenever he saunters into their neighbourhoods to feel their pulse on the direction the nation is heading.
He’s also a connector between the old who belong in the analogue spectrum but are full of residual wisdom and knowledge that can be used to steady the ship of a nation and also the digital young whose unique selling point is the deployment of cutting edge technologies and innovations to solve problems. You won’t believe that Osinbajo, at 65, is a digital native who also embodies native intelligence!
Contrary to wild speculations in the social media space that he’s a discriminatory person, VP Osinbajo is none of such characters his traducers portrays him to be. He mingles easily with Muslims as much as he is comfortable with people of other faiths, and even those who profess no faiths. He’s also not an ethnic bigot as claimed in some toxic quarters.
High sense of patriotism and nationalism
It cannot be overemphasized that Nigeria needs a patriot and nationalist who will always place the collective interests of the country far and above his interests and those of his clique of family members, acquaintances and associates.
Osinbajo believes in Nigeria and is unrepentantly loyal to its cause and course. His sense of patriotism, loyalty to the country and eyes for details played a vital role in his unravelling of the dubiousness and fraud in the P $ ID contract scam with the FG. But for his sense of patriotism, the country would have fallen into the scam and ended up coughing out some billions if not trillions of naira to settle.
His loyalty to the country also came to the fore the few times he served as the Acting President whenever his principal was away to nurse his ailing health. Despite pressure from some quarters to rock the boat and find a way to sidestep the President, he proved to be loyal and a stabilizing factor in the country, holding all the fault lines together.
His agility
Although the job of the President is not that of a roadside mechanic nor that of a boxer or a wrestler, it is nonetheless a highly demanding job that requires the person to be fit as a fiddle and mental alert 24/7. Those who are conversant with the Vp say he is always turbo-charged and restless when it comes to providing leadership that’s critical to nation-building. Call on him by 2 a.m to discuss the ‘state of the nation’ with him, you’ll be shocked that he will pick and respond. Leave a letter behind for him, and a few minutes later, you’ll get a response. That’s the sort of character Nigeria needs in 2023
His high power of articulation
Have you listened to VP Osinbajo speak either prepared or impromptu? You will be amazed at his uber power of articulation which is a necessary skill in multi-levelled negotiations. It’s also a necessary tool for group persuasion and crowd control and management. Every 21st century must aspire to have this skill which Professor Osinbajo has in abundance. Some commentators have already dubbed him the Nigerian Obama.
His undiluted integrity
Nigeria cannot afford not to have a President whose integrity is questionable. For Osinbajo, nothing is hidden about him. He’s an open book, available to be read by whoever is willing to do so. He is also a man of his words as his words are his bond. At a time when such a time-honoured value is missing among leaders, Nigeria will be blessed to have a President who is integrity-personified.
He is visionary
A nation without a national vision is dead or bound to wither off with time. It follows therefore that electing a visionary President will automatically mean that he’ll map out a vision and mission for the country which will be executed with precision for the benefit of all.
Any President who has no vision of what he wants to do in office will leave behind a legacy of failure and woes as his parting gift to the nation. Osinbajo is visionary and that vision will be translated into the collective good of the country if elected as President come 2023. Continue Reading
