It has been said that Tinubu never loses elections. It has also been said that Peter Obi eventually wins through the judiciary. One of the great attributes of perennial winners in life like the Messis and Ronaldos in our era, is that they hate losing passionately and love winning intensely. Behind their winning streak is a dogged personality that enables them to fight to the very end repeatedly. Winning the last FIFA World Cup is a classic example of this phenomenon. Messi had to come out from retirement to win the only great trophy that had eluded him. Ronaldo, who has been written off from international football, is back again seeking to even the score with Messi. This perseverance is a quality most men with dictatorial tendencies from Vladimir Putin to Bola Ahmed Tinubu have, and often good and reasonable politicians like Peter Obi and Goodluck Jonathan lack. It took the intervention and support of this breed of personalities with dictatorial tendencies fused with perserverance to get Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Ebelle Jonathan elected.
Today, Peter Obi is faced with the choice of either persevering or procrastinating. By persevering we fight the good fight until the battle and war is won. By procrastinating we withdraw to maybe fight another day without any detailed contingency plan on how to win the next time. Peter Obi’s antecedence shows that he has perseverance without dictatorial tendencies. Nevertheless, he would need extra effort and strategies this time. This is because one can arguably say the foundations of Nigeria were rigged before independence. Even the few times good men have won elections in Nigeria or ruled as Head of State, it has been because they signed a deal with the devil or a demon. Chris Ngige and Yakubu Gowon are good examples. It seems it is only the evil and unreasonable that are ready to pay the price of leadership in Nigeria. It seems they are the ones that are ready to put in the work repeatedly without diminishing efforts. Buhari’s emergence as President is an example.
If you are out there seeking an elective position in Nigeria or anything in life whether in politics, business, or sports, know the race is a marathon. And only those who persevere emerge victorious eventually. As reported recently while responding to questions relating to Tinubu’s inauguration, Peter Obi said he would not back down in the fight to secure “his mandate”. “I didn’t start this journey in a single day; I knew it’s not going to be easy. The inauguration will strengthen me. I know how dampened you are that your effort did not come the way you wished. We are in a battle with an entrenched establishment. We are in a long battle. Even me, I know that the journey ahead is tough; they will make allegations, blackmail, and all sorts of things, but I am ready.” Reading this I became hopeful believing that Peter Obi is ready to fight the good fight of faith to emancipate Nigeria and Nigerians from the claws of the evil and unreasonable.
Ata Ukuta – Editor, Towncryyers