With the 2015 general election scheduled in a matter of weeks, the Nigerian political turf has witnessed what could easily pass for a movie script straight out of Hollywood. From the unimaginable to the downright ridiculous, the populace has had to watch these political manoeuvrings, fireworks, calculations and deft moves from the two top contenders of the most coveted seat in the land.

There has never been any election in Nigeria’s modern history that has garnered so much attention that the anticipation is almost palpable. The reason is not farfetched; our democracy is maturing and Nigerians will no longer allow their destinies to be manipulated unworthy few.

ANDREW ESSIEN, in this piece, delves into the fascinating features of the Jonathan, Buhari campaigns.

It is to be expected that the race for the presidency is a keenly contested one, with the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan, fighting tooth and nail to retain and, indeed, consolidate his grip on power and Gen Muhammadu Buhari continuing to try his luck with the electorate as a veritable alternative to the 16-year not-so- stellar rule of the PDP-led government.

In accordance with constitutional demands, the PDP and the APC came up with their presidential flag bearers as a first step to the inevitable “clash” on Election Day and, as expected, the process towards arriving at these flag bearers was anything but easy. The primaries that threw up these candidates have nonetheless ‘brightened’ the campaigns.

President Jonathan, no doubt, is the man to beat in this year’s presidential election. The power of incumbency lies with him; he is like a defending champion returning to defend his title.

Despite the fanfare which brought a wide range of party supporters and loyalists to the national secretariat of the PDP on Thursday, October 30, where President Goodluck Jonathan officially commenced his re-election bid, the adoption of the president as the sole presidential candidate by the party’s high and mighty, saw the popping up of fault-lines’’ within the party as aggrieved members cried foul, with two other party faithful paying the huge presidential nomination forms fees and questioning the very essence of their rights to aspire as legitimate members of the PDP.

Dr Abdul Jhalil Tafawa Balewa, the son of Nigeria’s former prime minister’s lone voice rose stridently against a process that closed the door against other members of the purported largest political party on the continent of Africa. He described President Jonathan’s adoption as shameful and undemocratic and all hell was let loose. He later sang a different tune and withdrew.

The second, Prof. Akasoba Duke-Abiola, a female presidential aspirant from Kalabari in Rivers State, accused the leadership of the PDP of shutting the door against their ambition by deliberately refusing to make nomination forms available despite the fact that they had made payments in line with the guidelines of the party.

To many, the allegation that the PDP printed only one nomination form for the selection process of its presidential candidate was a very disturbing precedence for a party that had over the years showcased the beauty of candidate selection through rigorous presidential conventions. The frenzy to enforce a sole presidential candidate in the name of consensus can hardly be celebrated as a step in democratic consolidation.

PDP national chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, and other members of the party’s leadership were of the opinion that the president was a formidable force and would pull more weight in favour of the party than the political ‘feather weights’ who signified interest in picking the nomination forms.

With that, President Jonathan was said to be the choice of an overwhelming majority of PDP’s stakeholders and members and was thus unveiled as the party’s presidential flag bearer. He is the most powerful politician at present, being the president and commander-in-chief, and to defeat him will require the mobilization of the whole country in neutralizing the rigging machine often associated with his political party.

On the other hand, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is still the only presidential candidate that gives the ruling party sleepless nights because of his reputation as an honest and disciplined leader. Importantly, his influence and credibility still plays a vital role in the weight that the opposition pulls and he seems to be the most influential man from the north whose voice still echoes power.

Buhari is a very well respected former head of state with a reputation of being straighter than an arrow. His greatest strength is that he is very popular with the masses and this has proved to be an asset as he criss-crosses the country to canvass for votes.

After a long drawn campaign, Gen Buhari won the APC presidential primary to fly the party’s flag, beating four others fair and square. What would have thrown a spanner in the works in the rancour-free exercise almost played out when the Delta and Bayelsa states’ delegates’ lists were tampered with by mischievous persons who were later caught.

It was gathered that a last-minute effort to resolve the contest in a consensual manner failed as one of the aspirants insisted that the primary must go on after three others had earlier reportedly agreed to step down for Buhari. Notwithstanding their earlier disagreements, the aspirants displayed comradeship when giving their last remarks, with all of them commending the process and congratulating and pledging their support to Buhari, save one. .

The selection of the vice presidential candidate did not, however, come that smoothly. It not only took over a week of intense intrigues and horse-trading, it nearly took the shine off the peaceful conduct of the primaries that threw up Gen Buhari.

Ahead of the formal announcement of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as the running mate, APC’s political landscape had been enraptured, with keen interests by geopolitical interest groups positioning themselves for the position.

With Buhari’s emergence, the matter of balancing the ticket naturally became an issue of great consideration owing to the fact that impressions were created of Buhari as an Islamic extremist – even if no one had faulted him beyond the normal obligation to his Islamic faith.

Following his victory, Buhari gave the APC national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, the right to bring a running mate. Associates of the APC leader will later disclose that Tinubu was really tempted and hence sought to put himself forward for consideration despite his Islamic faith, but many of the associates dissuaded him. Even outside his inner political circle, there were many others who also resisted the suggestion of a Muslim-Muslim ticket and warned that it would undo the party at the poll.

Against all odds, Prof Osibanjo was seen as an asset, with the backing of the Tinubu machinery and the tens of millions of the influential flock of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, where Osibanjo is a senior pastor.

Some critics of the APC leader were quick to allege that the choice of Osibanjo was proposed to weaken Buhari and allow the PDP to return to power, but such insinuations were bereft of rational thinking and, as such, were of no consequence.

Without doubt, the 2015 general elections will be a defining moment in our nation’s history and evolution with the hopes of a smooth transition for the fourth consecutive time since 1999. And with the campaign train on the move, a lot more fireworks are surely expected to light up and brighten the campaign trail.

First published on Leadership newspaper

Views expressed are solely that of the author and do not represent the views of www.omojuwa.com and its associates