A Coalition and Its Confusion

A Coalition and Its Confusion

Public Affairs Analyst, Mr. Patrick  Ogu, has warned opposition politicians to refrain from using media platforms to criticise colleagues with Presidential Ambition.

This tendency to paint the entire political class as evil and Obi as the only saint in their midst isn’t helping the opposition or even the man himself.

What’s more, this theory of a decent man surrounded by devils has been used to rationalise so many leadership failures that Nigerians now see it as a red flag.

I know this isn’t what many want to hear, but the quality of public discourse within the so-called coalition shows we still don’t have an opposition serious enough to wrestle power from an entrenched ruling party.

Instead of discussing strategies to produce a winning team, opposition politicians are instead using media space to condemn fellow politicians for nursing presidential ambitions, as if that amounts to a crime.

For others, the pastime is to sing the praises of one candidate while demonising the others, again, as if an opposition with only one clean politician is good enough to be trusted with the presidency.

This opposition must be reminded that, if Nigeria’s saviour isn’t coming from outer space, then he must first pass through this corrupt system and get to power before reforming it. So what we need to salvage Nigeria isn’t a saint surrounded by devils because that won’t work.

Instead, we need only a committed group ready to collaborate with the best available ideas in the belief that no one knows it all. Coalition leaders and supporters must show discipline in words and actions, otherwise their fragile unity may not take them far in what’s clearly an endurance race.

Mr. Patrick Ogu is a public affairs analyst and a social commentator. He writes from Lagos, South West, Nigeria and can be reached on 08035735944