Come tomorrow, Saturday February 25, Nigerians will go to the polls to vote a new President. According to keen political watchers and polls released since the commencement of campaigns, the election is a three horse race between, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the new entrant with a lot of youth following Peter Gregory Obi of Labour Party (LP).
Since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared September 28, 2022, for political parties to begin campaigning, the ratings of Peter Obi of the LP, has surged and is on the cusp of history should he upset both the candidates of the APC and PDP.
Since 1999, when Nigeria ushered in the current dispensation, power has changed hands between the PDP and the APC. This is the reason why the emergence of Peter Obi’s Labour Party, which resonates with many youths, is seen as paradigm shift to the old order.
18 candidates will be on the ballot vying to lead the country for the next four years.
Ghana and the rest of Africa, especially West Africa, is keenly watching what is going to happen in Nigeria, as any negative fallout that will mar the election and destabilize the country, has the tendency to affect the rest of Africa.
Ghana, has over the years, enjoyed a cordial relationship with Nigeria and Nigerians, we are partners in so many things and so Ghana stands to lose more than any other African country, should the most populous nation in Africa, tear itself apart.
As a newspaper, we are not declaring for any candidate, the only constant that is important on Saturday is the nation Nigeria. When Nigeria wins, the rest of Africa wins.
To the contestants, especially the leading three, they are only two outcomes in every contest, you are either win or lose. Whatever the outcome they should accept the results in good faith, as that is the will of the people.
Violence is and has never been a solution and so any aggrieved party after the elections, should not resort to the street to seek redress, but the law courts.
The electorates, on their part, must eschew all selfish, sectional and parochial considerations in choosing the next leaders, but to choose those who have the right values. They should remember that a wrong choice could be disasterous for the country.
We wish Nigeria and all the contestants the best of luck. May the best candidate win.
