No one piece is understood in the same manner by everyone. And so, Dr. Tivlumum Nyitse, Bingham University, Abuja Mass Communications academic, argues in this rejoinder to a previous piece in Intervention (Mapping the Post-Atiku/Buhari Judicial Tussle) that Igbo Presidency was not given the prominence it should have got in the piece in question. In other words, Dr. Nyitse joins voices such as Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa, Senator Shehu Sani and Engineer Mohammed Abba-Gana in endorsing the Igbo Presidency, come 2023. His short piece:
I have read yours on “Mapping the post -Atiku/Buhari Judicial Tussle’ in Intervention and I have noticed that your treatment of the subject matter lacks balance and is not based on any solid assessment of Nigerian political dance steps, historically but mere speculations that may not stand the test of time.
The seat for the king of Nigeria
Igbo APC leaders put heads together with the incumbent. Who knows what might have been discussed and the expected outcome in 2023?
Some of the characters you’ve mentioned in your analysis do not, in the first place, have any political capital to fall back on even when they have the temerity to rear their heads to contest for Nigeria’s presidency. Some of the governors you mentioned cannot win even a Senatorial election in the states if the election is conducted within the accepted best practice norms. Some could not have defeated rambunctious incumbents without back-up from you know-where. With the exception of Goodluck Jonathan, several of those you mentioned have also not demonstrated sufficient political savvy to play at the national stage and can best be seen as provincial champions.
For the 2023 presidency to be meaningfully discussed and analysed, the Igbo factor in the determination of the presidency must be placed at front burner for reasons of altruism and enduring existence of the Nigerian project.
As to whether Atiku will be willing or be drafted to run in 2023, that will be determined by the dynamics and interplay of political energy of the time. But if we are to go by what’s happening in the USA now where people over 80 are running for the American presidency, then we may be in for surprises, come 2023. Let me stop for now. But just know that most of these permutations are only for academic purposes as they may not even be in contention at all or defy all logic should they be.
