Omoyele Sowore (in blue native dress) praying at a mosque in Ibadan It was so easy for me to select the title of this piece. Truly, Sowore is the latest comedian in town.
People are praising his so-called audacity. You praise an energetic young man for wasting his time and energy? What I think is that his shows videos on the cyber space are really entertaining to many.
While we derive fun from them, we should as well advise him to properly channel his energy and define his purpose. We want to take back Nigeria is not a statement of purpose for someone who want to lead Nigeria.
So far, I haven’t seen how he has started differently from our deceitful politicians we complain about. His first points of call is at an Emir palace and a church. Before I could ask when he is visiting my mosque, I saw him in a video ‘praying’ with Muslim faithful at a mosque in Ibadan. Even Buhari did not do this early in his day in the wilderness, which still stands him out of the crowd.
How is Sowore’s approach of visiting religious houses different from Omisore eating two corns simultaneously on the street at the eve of electioneering in order to impress voters? So, Sowore has started with the same deceit of those he wants to put in prison. Even Buhari had to tone down on locking people up when it dawned on him he needed the thieves.
The issue with the likes of Sowore who think they have the medication to our malaise is that they think becoming the president is the only way to start solving the problem of Nigeria. It only tells you they are empty in thoughtfulness. For most of his video I have entertained myself with, I did not see anywhere he demonstrates that he knows what he is talking about.
All those Aluta-like talk to a handful of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube account holders in a hall cannot disrupt a local government election in Ondo state, let alone a presidential race. Believe you me, Ondo state, his home state, needs him more than the entire Nigeria.
Perhaps, his local government of origin need his solution most, provided he has any. Our know-it-all braggadocios never want to start it small on a local political space where he can be projected by his performance. No, they wake up from a dream one hot afternoon and wants to become President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Perhaps, it is this type of a hot-afternoon dream Dele Momodu had in 2011 that he wanted to become the President.
Nigeria Presidency is this cheap! Buhari toiled for thirteen uninterrupted years. Atiku has been scheming to become the President since 1992 and he has not rested. Even a sitting President had to beg a vice president to be able to do a second tenure as Nigeria President. And a former anti-corruption Czar who was just too naïve like any other political jester had to start reversing himself, praising those he once called the greatest thieves on earth, because he wanted to become President or Governor overnight. Get it right.
I am not denying the possibility of a young person becoming the President of Nigeria. Such a young person, and any Nigerian for that matter, needs to learn and have what it takes to become a President.
The current Indonesia President, 56-year-old Joko Widodo, should be a case study to our theatrical youths and adults who truly want to rule Nigeria. Joko Widodo is son of no one. But his work as a City Mayor projected him to the presidency. No, it is Obama and Macron, the latest poster boy for youthful leadership, our comedians brandish.
Even them, they didn’t wake up overnight to become the president of their countries. Go read about their lives. If Sowore is serious a bit, it should be that he starts this for an ambition he wishes to realize in ten years from now. And for him to realize this fast, he should continue this bragging for the next ten years, but with serious modifications that shows he understands Nigeria and her problem.
During this period, he is on ground advancing his ideals, demonstrating that his solution can solve problem and engaging the real victims of corruption and poverty.
These are the peasants of whom majority live outside the cities. Fiery talk to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube account holders will not make any impact even in the so-called disruption he wants to cause. Fiery speeches with substance has never won any one presidency anywhere, let alone one with so much vacuousness.
Presidents become fiery when they have ascended the seat. Wikipedia can help him on the political and leadership history of Rodrigo Duterte, the fiery-talking President of the Philippines. If actually Sowore wants to become President in 2019, he has started too late.
Besides, his approach is like he wants to do a 2nd term as UNILAG student union president. Even to achieve this, he needs to secure admission first either through JAMB or post-UME test. For now, Sowore is only trying to outdo Dr. Damages.
PoThose Facebook, Twitter and YouTube addicts who welcome him with posters at every of his comedic outing only increase his state of trance. May Allah spare our lives beyond 2030 (sic) A. S. M. Jimoh (anehi2008@gmail.com or On twitter: @anehi2008).
