This is the second presidential election since 2003 whereby I have played no role.
Other than my occasional biased group chats and Facebook posts, by commission or omission, neither myself nor anyone from my camp was involved for or against any of the candidates in the current election cycle.
Dr. Michael Omotosho, my aburo Tope Jesse, etc, were all spectators except my daughter, Bar. (Mrs) Yeyeoba Odunola Sandra Ogunmola, who decided to ‘elope’ with Sowore. Our typical boots on the ground were not laced in any unit, ward, or anywhere in Ondo State and nationally. Like millions of Nigerians, we merely watched from the sideline, and the experience though unusual has been an interesting one.
D-Day is this week. We have had an extraordinary experience wherein the public speeches of the principal political actors in a government formed by the ruling party, have strongly supported the candidate of the ruling party – whereas their body language and faux pas have been precariously against that candidate.
For instance, how does triggering intense public anger and hatred against the ruling party weeks and days before an election translate to a popular vote for that party? They have simply been removing specks from the candidate’s eyes with fingers smeared with pepper paste!
Yet, there are developments to celebrate in this election cycle. One such is the possibility of a truly pan-Nigerian candidate. The man Peter Obi, warts and all, captured the imagination of the ordinary Nigerian better than any other candidate in this election. I constantly do grassroots opinion sampling weeks to general elections.
He has polled better with ordinary Nigerians in many parts of Southern Nigeria and the North Central where he currently enjoys fever-pitch support among the mekunus.
What I do not know is the capacity of his handlers and troops to convert such unprecedented goodwill to election victory and hold their ground or manage rapidly evolving and erratic activities on D-Day to translate his popularity into an election triumph.
