By Chisom Asogwa
Nigeria is the most populous black nation on earth and the 8th most populous in the world after china, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan and Russia.
It is no news that it is also adequately blessed with a wide variety of natural resources ranging from petroleum to precious metals.
It also not breaking news that its leaders mismanage these resources and with Nigeria’s vast deposit of natural resources, the Nigerian economy is almost crippled. Before now, with the ‘Not too young to run bill’ passed by the senate, Nigerians have been quite optimistic about the approaching 2019 presidential elections.
As a multi faceted society, the presidential elections always pose the possibility of a leader from the vast ethnic groups across the country.
The three majority groups Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba are always are the fore front of this war.
The issue of ethnicity in leadership is a very sensitive one and is not at all new to Nigeria. It is in fact an issue predominant in Africa.
This is evident in the war between the Hutu and Tutsi people of Rwanda, Katanga (now Zaire) break away struggle from Congo, Biafran war in Nigeria, Somalia’s attempt to take the Ogaden from Ethiopia, South Sudan’s 17years struggle to break away from the North and in the end settled for autonomy in 1972. The list still goes on.
Currently in Nigeria, we have parties that are based on ethnicity and not ideologies. We are not to blame; ethnicity is an integral part of the African political DNA.
The people tend to perceive that whoever is in power (taking cognizance of the fact that a Nigerian president has 80% of the ruling power) has the ability to make things better for his constituency.
The power to move infrastructures, investments, and federal headquarters lies in the presidency.
One might think that what we need then is a leader who has the nation’s interest at heart regardless of ethnicity or political dispensation but where pray thee do we find this white horse?
Up until this moment, Here is a thread of everyone that has so far declared their intent to run for the presidency in 2019.
- Kingsley Moghalu
-55 years old
-Professor of Practice in International Business and Public Policy at Tufts University
-Attended UNN and LSE (Ph.D)
-President of the Institute of Governance and Economic Transformation
-Former United Nations official
-Former CBN deputy governor
- Fela Durotoye
-46 years old
-Public speaker and business strategist
-BSc. Computer Science and Economics, and MBA/MSc. Business Strategy from Obafemi Awolowo University
-Look up the Mushin Makeover Project
- Donald Duke
-56 years old
-LLB from Ahmadu Bello University, LLM from the University of Pennsylvania
-Former Commissioner for Finance and Planning
-Former Governor of Cross River
-Initiated the Tinapa Free Zone & Resort, and the Calabar Carnival
- Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies
-55 years old
-Professor of Language and Communication Arts at the Rivers State University of Education
-Degrees from the Universities of Ilorin, Port Harcourt, and Northwestern University
-Founded the Agape Bible Church
- Muhammadu Buhari
-75 years old
-Current President of Nigeria
-Left secondary school to the army at age 19
-Military Head of State from 1983-1985
-Somehow we put him back in office
-Has so far spent a sixth of his presidency on sick leave
- Remi Sonaiya
-63 years old
-Retired professor of French Language and Applied Linguistics at Obafemi Awolowo University
-Degrees from Obafemi Awolowo University and Cornell University
-Was the only female candidate in the 2015 presidential election
- Thomas-Wilson Ikubese
-47 years old
-Chief Medical Director of Sckye Hospital and Diagnostics Limited
-Attended the University of Benin School of Medicine and Surgery
-Also a poet, motivational speaker, radio and television presenter
- Omoyele Sowore
-47 years old
-Founder and owner of Sahara Reporters
-Degrees from the University of Lagos and Columbia University
-Lecturer at the City University of New York and the School of Arts, New York
-Also a writer, public speaker, and human rights activist
- Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr
-47 years old
-Chairman/CEO Pointsman Projects Ltd
-Principal Counsel Grand House of Law
-Degrees from University of Nigeria LL.B Hons.
-B.L Nigeria Law School
-Ph.D Honoris Causa
-Professor of Political Science and Public Administration Honoris Causa
-Ran for President in 2011 at 40 making him the youngest Presidential Candidate in Nigeria’s democratic history.
-Convener COUNTRYFIRST MOVEMENT
- Enyinnaya Nnaemeka Nwosu
-40 years old
-Former lecturer at West George College
-Degrees from Asia State University and Robert Gordon University
-Worked with the Royal Bank of Scotland, SERCO Group, the Legal Aid Agency, and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals in the UK
- Ahmed Buhari
-40 years old
-CEO of Skylar Inc.
-Degrees from the Federal University of Technology, and Cavendish College, London.
- Adesanya Fegbenro-Bryon
-59 years old
-Chairman/CEO of Mothergold Limited, Chief Responsibility Officer for Mothergold Consulting
-Degrees from the University of Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University
-Former regional coordinator for the Department for International Development
- Mathias Tsado
-41 years old
-CEO of Matstrutt Nigeria Ltd.
-BSc. Mech. Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Minna
-Set up the Hope Platform Initiative
-Say he can provide Nigerians with 16-18 hours of constant power within his first 2-3 years in office
- Eniola Ojajuni
-39 years old (Turning 40 this year)
-Businessman and consultant on imports, exports, and investments
-LLB from Lagos State University, MBA from Ghana Business School
-Previously ran for the Lagos State House of Assembly and the Governorship of Ondo
- Olu James Omosule
-48 years old
-Attended the City University of New York before dropping out to take care of his ill grandmother
-Former Chief Officer for Scope America Outreach in the US
-Served as General Manager for several US firms
- Tope Fasua
-47 years old
-CEO of Global Analytics Consulting Ltd.
-Degrees from Ondo State University, London Business School, and Harvard Business School
-National Chairman of the Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP)
-Also a newspaper columnist and TV analyst
- Sule Lamido
-69 years old
-Attended Barewa College
-Former Governor of Jigawa from 2007-2015
-Former foreign minister from 1999-2003
-Briefly jailed and stood trial with his two sons in 2015 for embezzling state funds, blamed his enemies
- Atiku Abubakar
-71 years old
-Attended Ahmadu Bello University
-Former Vice President from 1999-2007
-Founder/co-founder of Intels, Adama Beverages Ltd., and the American University of Nigeria
-Making his 4th presidential bid under his 4th political party since 1992
-He said he is not desperate to becoming Nigeria president contrary to opinions held by some
- Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed
-48 years old
-Degrees from the University of Westminster (BSc & PhD)
-Former senator representing Kaduna North
-MD of Baze Research and Data Services Ltd.
-Founder and Co-Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja
- Iyorwuese Hagher
-68 years old
-Attended Ahmadu Bello University
-Pro-Chancellor of Afe-Babalola University
-Former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico (2004-2007), and Canada (2008-2012)
-Founder of the Africa Leadership Institute USA
-Also a playwright, poet, and activist
- Charles Udeogaranya
-46 years old
-Former Lagos State chairman of the defunct African Renaissance Party
-Now a chieftain of the APC
- Peter Ayodele Fayose
-57 years old
-Current Governor of Ekiti
-Impeached as Governor in his first term in 2006
-Caught in a 37-minute audio recording of a “vote-rigging meeting” for the Ekiti elections in 2014
-Also in 2014, EFCC froze 4 accounts he used to launder ₦4.7billion
-Somehow still governor today, even though his rigging was caught on tape.
-Somehow was allowed to run after being impeached in 2006.
-Has a HND from The Polytechnic, Ibadan.