How Gov. Yahaya Bello countered Peter Obi’s views on 2023 presidency

Ahead of the 2023 general election, many notable individuals, political analysts as well as aspirants have continued to admonish the Nigerian populace on what to look out for, in choosing president Muhammadu Buhari’s successor. One of these admonitions, recently came from former Anambra state governor and a presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Peter Obi.

According to Obi, as reported by various national dailies, Nigerians should focus on doing a thorough background check on the aspiring candidates, especially as it regards what they have done in the past. Visibly, the candidates’ achievements in the past should be a major criterion in Obi’s argument. However, in a swift albeit inadvertent response, another presidential aspirant and the current governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello countered this view, while stating that the most important thing is what the candidate is doing at the moment. In a recent report by the Vanguard newspaper, Governor Bello while speaking on his chances, argued that it is not about what the candidates have done in the past but their relevance in today’s Nigeria. The question is; which is more important: long experience and past achievements as suggested by Obi or current visible performance as argued by Governor Yahaya Bello?

While his stance may be controversial, there may yet be a merit in the Kogi state governor’s argument. Judging from the fact that the likes of Peter Obi, Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and others have been out of the political leadership space for awhile, will it be safe for Nigerians to trust them with Presidency (despite their enormous experience and achievements); especially considering the dynamics of the country’s current problems? Surely, a candidate who is already directly and positively involved in the process of proffering solution to the nation’s problems may be the best option.

Nevertheless, the importance of experience and a good track record cannot be waved off. Perhaps, Nigerians must look out for a candidate with experience, notable past achievements as well as a grounded and active knowledge of the nation’s current problems. The question is; Can the nation find such a candidate among these current aspirants?

As it stands, Nigerians cannot afford to not get it right in 2023.