2023: The President Nigeria Needs: A Quick Look at Some of the Top Contenders

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Who is the next president Nigeria needs? At a time when recession, terrorism, inflation, corruption, and police brutality are some of the issues rocking the country, elections are only a few months away.

It is without doubt that Nigeria remains the world’s largest black population, Africa’s largest economy, and, to name a few, Africa’s largest oil producer, with over 2 million barrels produced per day. Yet she is also the host of one of Africa’s strongest terrorist units, Boko Haram, and continually experiences increasing levels of banditry, crime, and terrorism every year.

It is a sad situation in the country as economic hardship continues to pull down small-scale businesses and cause unemployment amongst its teeming youth, who are desperately eager to earn a living and survive in a catastrophic environment that has no respect for citizenship or patriotism.

And while all these might seem like all the issues Nigeria is currently facing, they do not even measure up to half of her problems, as academic teachers are constantly on strike, electricity is not stable and most road infrastructures are bad, not to mention that the rate of unemployment is increasing every quarter. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) as of January 2022 stated that unemployment in the country had increased to 33.3%, with youth unemployment capped at 53.4%.

With all these impeding issues affecting the country, elections are around the corner and dubious amounts of political actors are declaring interests in numbers that would make it seem like the bar has been lowered and standards reduced for who can become the president Nigeria needs, while many are hoping for a leader with the right mindset and capacity strong and efficient enough to pull the largest black population on earth out of the “quicksand” she is currently drowning in.

Many others are left in a state of disarray with a very cogent question in their hearts, “Who is the president Nigeria needs right now?”

While it may be important to note that there are over five major presidential candidates vying for the office of the first citizen of the country, it will be a mirage for many hopeful Nigerians if some of these candidates are not evaluated based on major criteria, so stick with me as we analyze some of Nigeria’s prominent presidential bidders

A Quick Look at Some of the Top Contenders

Peter Obi

The President Nigeria Needs

Peter Obi is the former governor of Anambra state and a former chairman of the Board of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He is fondly known as “OKWUTE,” meaning “rock,” and is renowned for his impressive educational background. Obi declared his ambition to run for the post of President on the 24th of March 2022 and has since been soliciting support from Nigerians to achieve his ambition. Here’s a quick review of Peter Obi’s profile.

Party: The People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
Tribe: Igbo
Religion: Christian
Age: 60

Experience

Peter Obi was a former governor of Anambra state and was also the chairman of some companies and organizations, namely, Fidelity Bank Plc, Guardian Express Mortgage Bank, Ltd, Board of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Future Views Securities, Ltd, Paymaster Nigeria Plc, Next International (Nigeria) Ltd, Chams Nigeria Plc, Emerging Capital Ltd, Card Centre Plc, and a member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG).

Weakness

  • Lacks a political structure.
  • Lacks a strong followership base.
  • Lacks party structure.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a former governor of Lagos state and is popular for his sobriquet, “Jagaban,” or the Asiwaju of Lagos. Bola Tinubu is renowned for his political achievements in Lagos State, both as a governor and a senator when he represented the Lagos West Senatorial District. He is also respected for his long political career and also as a businessman. Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared his ambition to becomes Nigeria’s President on the 10th of January 2022 and has been seen making different strategic moves to ensure he achieves his ambition. Let’s have a quick review of Bola Tinubu.

Party: All Progressive Congress (APC)
Tribe: Yoruba
Religion: Muslim
Age: 70

Experience

Bola Ahmed Tinubu was a former governor of Lagos State, a former senator, a former chairman of the National Assembly’s Senate Committee on Banking, Finance, Appropriation, and Currency, a founding member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), the political organization that supported the winning candidate in the June 12, 1993 election, a founding member of the now defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, and currently the national leader of the All Progressive Congress.

Weakness

  • Health Issues
  • (Age) He is perceived as being too old to rule.
  • He is feared for tyranny.

Atiku Abubakar

Atiku Abubakar

Atiku Abubakar is a former governor of Adamawa state and the 11th vice president of Nigeria under the Olusegun Obasanjo-led administration. He is renowned for his business strides as well as his contributions to education in Nigeria. Atiku Abubakar declared his intention to run for president on March 23rd, 2022 and has since been in consultation with necessary stakeholders in various regions of the country. Here’s a quick review of Atiku Abubakar.

Party: The People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
Tribe: Fulani
Religion: Muslim
Age: 75

Experience

Atiku Abubakar is a former governor of Adamawa state, a former vice president of Nigeria, a former tax officer in the regional Ministry of Finance, a former deputy director of the Nigeria Customs Services, A co-founder of Intels Nigeria Limited, founder of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), and a former founding member and national vice-chairman of the now defunct Peoples Front of Nigeria (PFN), which later merged with the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Weakness

  • Health issues.
  • (Age) He is perceived as being too old to rule.
  • He is perceived to be corrupt.

Nyesom Wike

Nyesom Wike

Ezenwo Nyesom Wike is the 6th and current governor of Rivers State. He is a Nigerian politician and a renowned lawyer. He is renowned and appraised for his developmental strides in Rivers State and his contributions to the Niger Delta region of the country. On the 27th of March 2022, Nyesom Wike declared his ambition to become president during a visit to the Benue state government house in Markurdi. Here’s a quick review of Ezenwo Nyesom Wike.

Party: The People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
Tribe: Ikwerre
Religion: Christian
Age: 59

Experience

Nyesom Wike is the current governor of Rivers State, former executive Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area (LGA), former African representative in the Commonwealth Local Governments Forum, former Chief of staff at Rivers State Government House, former Minister of State for Education, and former Minister of Education of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Weakness

  • Have a lot of political enemies.
  • Feared for tyranny.
  • A strong critique

Yahaya Bello

Yahaya Bello

Yahaya Adoza Bello is the current governor of Kogi state. He is renowned as the youngest governor in Nigeria and the only state governor to be born after the Nigerian Civil War. On April 2, 2022, Bello declared his intention to run as president.

Party: All Progressive Congress
Tribe: Ebira
Religion: Muslim
Age: 46

Experience

Yahaya Adoza Bello is currently the governor of Kogi state, also the former managing director of FairPlus International Ltd.,  former head of the accounting department, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

Weakness

  • He has little political experience.
  • Has no political relevance outside Kogi.
  • A strong critique

Yemi Osinbajo

Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo is the current vice president of Nigeria and a professor of law as well as a senior advocate of Nigeria. He is renowned for his excellent oratory skills and his impressive academic background. Yemi Osinbajo declared his intention to replace his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari on the 11th of April 2022, he has since consulted with governors on the platform of the All progressive congress as well as national house of assembly members to express his will to contest the forthcoming elections.

Party: All Progressive Congress (APC)
Tribe: Yoruba
Religion: Christian
Age: 65

Experience

Yemi Osinbajo is currently the vice president of Nigeria. He was a former legal adviser to Prince Bola Ajibola, who was the then Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Osinbajo was a former Attorney-General of Lagos State, a former Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, a former member of the United Nations Secretary General’s Committee of Experts on Conduct and Discipline of UN Peacekeeping Personnel around the globe, and a professor of law at the department of public law, University of Lagos.

Weakness

  • Have no party structure.
  • Perceived to be too inert

Amaechi Rotimi Chibuike

Amaechi Rotimi Chibuike

Rotimi Amaechi is a former governor of Rivers State and is currently the minister of transportation. He is renowned for his developmental strides in Rivers State while he was governor. He officially declared his intention to run for president on April 9th, 2022. Here’s a quick review of Amaechi.

Party: All Progressive Congress (APC)
Tribe: Ikwerre
Religion: Christian
Age: 56

Experience

Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi is a former governor of River State, current minister of transport, a former president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), a former speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and a former chairman of Nigeria’s Conference of Speakers of State Assemblies.

Weakness

  • Currently seen as incompetent.
  • Perceived to be corrupt.

The President Nigeria Needs: the qualities required

The race to become the next president of Nigeria is intensifying. There are, of course, a large number of contenders and the campaign is intense. However, what makes the contest particularly difficult is that it comes at a time when the country is facing many challenges.

The right leadership is needed to steer the country through these difficult times, and whoever replaces Muhammadu Buhari as president will need substantial political and leadership skills to keep the country moving forward.

There are a number of qualities that the next president of Nigeria will need to have. They include:

A leader who can unite the country.

This is a time when the country needs unity more than ever. The country currently is being torn apart by religious and ethnic conflicts. The next president will need to bring these back under control and ensure that all Nigerians feel safe and secure.

A president who can provide sufficient leadership and vision

There are many challenges facing the country, from rising unemployment and rising inflation to a growing terrorist threat. This president will need to be clear about how they want to address these issues and provide leadership that ensures the country moves forward.

A president who knows how to manage the country’s resources.

This president will need to ensure that oil revenue is spent wisely and that other resources, such as foreign aid, are used to benefit all Nigerians.

A president who can manage the current political environment.

This president will need to navigate Nigeria’s complex political environment, which can be unpredictable and can quickly change with the winds of public opinion.

What the President Needs

The qualities listed above will help the next president of Nigeria steer the country through difficult times. However, they will not be enough if the president does not have the political skills necessary to lead. The next president will need to have the ability to manage the country’s politics and not be challenged by the critics and selfish witch-hunting of the opposition party.

Political Skills

The president Nigeria needs will need to have the political skills necessary to lead the country. This will include leading the country through difficult times and seasons, managing the relationship with members of the opposition, and bringing the country together during times of crisis. He will also need to lead the country through political divisions and debates around legislation.

Strategic Thinking

A good president should be able to think strategically, particularly when facing a crisis or a challenge. This is when a president with good political skills will not be enough. A good president should not only be politically skilled but also be able to think out of the box, and should be able to look at a situation from all angles. This is particularly important in times of crisis or conflict, when a good leader is needed to analyse the situation and come up with a solution that benefits all Nigerians.

Economic development

The next president will need to ensure that the country’s economy develops sustainably. This will require the next president to have good economic and financial management skills. This will also require the next president to have a good understanding of how to create a good business climate for investors and to create an investment climate that is conducive to investment.

Corruption and Good governance

This president will need to have a strong corruption and governance agenda. This could be achieved through the implementation of the anti-corruption strategy and the creation of an effective governance structure. This will require the next president to have a clear strategy on how to tackle corruption in all levels of government and to make governance a priority.

Rising unemployment

One of the biggest challenges facing the next president will be the rising unemployment in the country. This is likely to be one of the key challenges facing the next administration, given the increasing unemployment rate. The president will need to have a clear strategy to address this issue.

Infrastructure and transportation

The current president has identified infrastructure and transportation as two key areas for the next administration. The next president will need to have a strong plan on how to address these issues. This will require the incoming president to have good plans on how to develop the country’s infrastructure and transportation, as well as to establish a good regulatory framework.

Pro-poor and Developmental Agenda

Finally, the next president of Nigeria will need to have a developmental and pro-poor agenda. This will ensure that the benefits of growth and development are shared by all Nigerians, instead of benefiting a select few. This will be particularly important during times of economic crisis, when the country is likely to face international censure if it fails to address the needs of all people in the country.

 My final thoughts

The next president of Nigeria will need substantial political and leadership skills to keep the country moving forward. Whoever replaces Muhammadu Buhari as president will need to bring the country together, provide services to the poor, and develop a clear economic development plan. They will also need a clear vision for the country, and a political strategy to deal with the 2023 elections.

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