The much-talked-about book Becoming President of Nigeria: A Citizen’s Guide written by public policy analyst Magnus Onyibe will be launched at the prestigious Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Center on Tuesday 10th May 2022 by 10 am. According to a statement, the book, which is coming at a time when political activities have started to gear up towards the 2023 general elections, is already resonating very well with politicians.
According to the author, the book’s purpose is to give hope to all Nigerians that any citizen, irrespective of their station in life, can become president, provided they meet the criteria set out in sections 40 and 131 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The author justified this assertion by reminding readers that out of the five presidents that emerged in Nigeria since independence, three were school teachers: Presidents Shehu Shagari, Umaru Yar’Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan. The remaining two, President Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari are former soldiers.
In the author’s view, the reality about the backgrounds of those who became president confirms that Nigeria is practicing democracy instead of aristocracy, oligarchy, or monarchy. The fact of democratic governance in Nigeria completely negates the assumption of autocratic leadership, which some Nigerians make due to some contradictions that pop up, from time to time in the management of the affairs of our country.
Mr. Onyibe revealed that the book is the first in a series of books aimed at providing enlightenment on democracy and governance. He has embarked upon this initiative to avail Nigerians of the knowledge that would empower them to take the initiative to become president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria if they remain tenacious and motivated long enough for their dream to become true.
In the author’s opinion, it is a positive development for an upward of 40 Nigerians to be jostling for the presidency in the 2023 election circle. This development is evidence that there is a rekindling of hope of most Nigerians in the efficacy of our electoral system that their votes would count in the forthcoming general elections. The reformed Electoral Act 2022 which was birthed under the watch of the current administration is largely responsible for boosting the confidence of Nigerians and raising their hope that any citizen can become president of Nigeria, fair and square.
Due to the phrasing of the book’s title, some readers may assume that it is a how-to manual of the sort that can be found on coffee tables. While the book offers a guide to the average citizen on becoming president of Nigeria, it does more than spell out a step-by-step process. It takes a deep dive into the history of Nigeria, starting with the amalgamation of the northern and southern protectorates in 1914. The author navigates through most of the challenges that the ethnic nationalities that make up the country have overcome together. He further highlights what the future portends if the multiple ethnic nationalities that make up the country unite to do the right thing.
In the book’s first chapter, the author hacks back to the era when trade was a unifying factor for the cooperation between northern and southern Nigeria. Onyibe also details how Nigeria can experience a national rebirth if the two main political parties, APC and PDP implement the recommendations of Nasir El Rufai-led committee of the APC and Bala Mohammed-led committee of the PDP.
To lend credence to the non-partisan nature of the launch of ”Becoming President of Nigeria,” the presidential candidates of all political parties for the 2023 general elections have been invited. Each of them will have an opportunity to send a goodwill message to their supporters and the people of Nigeria in general.