By Donu Kogbara

AS the Peter Obi bandwagon gathers momentum, I am immensely irritated by status quo merchants who doggedly insist that significant change is impossible and keep dishing out pessimistic analyses of Obi’s chances of winning the presidential election.

One of my friends is convinced that Obi’s popularity is a mirage that only exists on “meaningless social media platforms” and says that Obi will be lucky to get two million votes at the end of the day.

Others say that the electoral vehicle he has chosen – the hitherto near-irrelevant and semi-comatose Labour Party – is too impecunious, too inexperienced, too sparsely populated, too lacking in geographical spread – too weak, in a nutshell – to compete with the two main parties.

I can understand all this scepticism. But it still annoys me!

Yes, injecting life into the Labour Party and beating seasoned billionaire candidates of long-established political parties will undoubtedly be an uphill task.

Yes, Tinubu and Atiku already have millions of fans, including state governors and federal level officials who have access to plenty of petrodollars that will come in handy when campaigning is in full swing.

Yes, Obi will definitely struggle to overcome the numerous advantages that APC and PDP enjoy as owners of wealthy, powerful, generously-funded, adequately-staffed nationwide structures. But dramatic change is never out of the question and is not as rare as the prophets of doom would have us believe.

In 2014, I decided to campaign for Buhari. My cousin urged me to abandon a decision she regarded as “nonsensical” because she was so sure that “an incumbent (the then President, Goodluck Jonathan) can NEVER lose an election in a country like Nigeria.”

Buhari won.

Many of us did not know that a Black man could be President of the United States in our lifetimes. But Barack Obama made it.

History and today’s world are full of Firsts…situations and individuals who prove that change is part of the human condition.

I will write about Obi at greater length soon. But for now, I just want those of you who are drawn towards him to know that your vote will NOT necessarily be wasted if you give it to him. The Bottom Line is DO NOT BE DECEIVED AND NEVER say “never”!

An eloquent viewpoint

DIKE Chukwumerije is a brilliant poet, thinker and writer. I recently read his comments on Nigeria and Peter Obi and they really struck a chord, so let me share them with you: 

Seven years ago, a group of politicians made a tactical move. They subsumed ambition, queued behind the one with the best chances, and used his popularity to storm the gates. They won. But their play was for long-term. So, in office, it did not matter to them what he did or did not do, he was a door-opener. For this, they kept mum through years of rising poverty and insecurity, just so – after him – they could take their turn.

I know. Many of you hate the state of things in the country today, but are star-struck fans of this type of politics. Like this, the person lamenting Owo in the morning, by evening, will be comoting cap for the deft moves of a master politician. Not strange at all, for even hostages have been known to fall in love with their abductors. Particularly the ones who are ‘kind’ and ‘considerate’. Who, while refusing to fund public education, will never fail to send you cash for your children’s school fees. Like this, the strategic use of philanthropy and nepotism by intentional politicians has many fans amongst us, its victims.

And, honestly, I understand. For success always has many admirers. And, around here, this is the only type of politics that actually seems to succeed. So much so, it routinely ropes in many, who tired of trying to do different, accept to play the game, hoping that, finally let in, they can force change – from within.

Like this, idealistic activists routinely turn into pragmatic politicians, to spend decades trafficking in patronage for hope of higher and higher office. Only that, I have never met a politician of this type whose original plans and passion for change survived this path to Power. For, in truth, this Politics is not designed for Governance. You see? Everyone ends up arriving with way too much baggage.

So, yes, it is the politics itself that needs to change. For as more and more people – attracted to its immediate effectiveness like moths to a light bulb – are seduced into playing it, more and more resources are re-routed to service it. Like this, 56 years ago, politicians were using 10% of public funds to oil their politics.

Today, billions have already been spent on an election that is still eight months away. Imagine? The need to re-coup GUARANTEES that the in-coming will NOT make decisive changes to the way Government currently works. For we cannot do both at once. We cannot play this type of politics and develop our country at the same time. It is not possible.

True change – not the counterfeit notes minted for us in 2015 – requires a new type of politics. And a new type of politics requires, not a new type of leader as such, but a new type of follower. For, ultimately, it is the reasons you give yourself for supporting a politician that determines the quality of politics, and therefore the quality of governance, in your country. You see? Practicing politicians, in need of votes, do not have the luxury of being themselves. No. They simply mirror the values of those who can elect them. Like this, the country you are looking at today is an accurate reflection, not of its leaders, but of those who proactively participate in the process of electing those leaders.

Yes, no doubt, from where we are now, the journey towards a country where less transactional and more governance-minded people have organized themselves into a potent electorate is a long one. But like every journey, it too must begin with a first step. And this is a first step. To make that committed decision to go out there and vote. And vote, not for who you think (looking at magnitude of their stature in the poisoned politics of today) can win, but for who you think (looking at the magnitude of the challenges we face as a nation) should. For me, in today’s contest, that person is Peter Obi.

And he will have my vote.

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