By Simon Njoku

On January 1, 2023, Nigerians joined the rest of the world to cross over from 2022 to 2023. And we all remain eternally grateful to God for this great feat.
However, for Nigerians, there remains another cross over to undertake, come February 25, 2023. This is the day Nigerians will troop to the polls to elect their new president, the successor to incumbent President Muhammad Buhari.

The three front runners in the Presidential race are the former Governor of Anambra State, His Excellency, Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Lagos State Governor who is flying the flag of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Vice President under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, flagbearer of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP). For most Nigerians, especially the youth, the last two who are in their 70s (Septuagenarians), represent the old order that must give way for the new. In this regard, the youth have been mobilizing support for Peter Obi, their choice candidate who is in his early 60s.

While Obi’s promise of moving the country from consumption to production has struck an important chord with the youth, the other two candidates are yet to be identified with any clear-cut promise to the populace. Their messages have tended to revolve around the usual refrain of making life better for Nigerians through employment generation and the provision of infrastructure. Their campaigns have fallen short of proffering needed socio-economic blueprints capable of lifting the nation out of its present socio-economic and political doldrums. But this is where Obi has excelled with his comparative economic analyses of countries that should serve as reference points for Nigeria. Importantly, he has been able to convince Nigerians how moving the country from a consumer nation to a producer nation can over time reduce the gap, if not put the nation on par, with all these nations. These include the Asian tigers – Japan, South Korea, Taiwan etc. He has stressed how his presidency would trigger an influx of foreign investments into Nigeria just like during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. To this effect, he has been assured of support by Diaspora Nigerians. This they averred during Obi’s tours to the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and some European countries.
His recent endorsement by Obasanjo has boosted Obi’s potential to deliver on his promise of moving Nigeria from a consumer to a producer nation. Obasanjo, going by his experience, is believed to have a good rapport with international investment/development partners and multilateral agencies. Obi himself, during his tenure as Anambra State Governor, demonstrated his understanding of the workings of these agencies and institutions and engaged them accordingly in the development of the state. Besides, as a successful international businessman, he knows where the notable foreign manufacturers we import from are and how to convince them to come down to Nigeria to invest and develop the country.

He did this as Anambra State Governor.
Moreover, he understands the major challenges of local investors and producers especially funding, electricity and good roads. He tacklethis head-on as Governor of Anambra State and will replicate his sterling performance if elected Nigerian president. The goal is to move Nigeria from its current miserable status of a dumping ground for global producers to a manufacturing hub and a net exporter of global goods and services thereby enhancing the country’s foreign exchange earnings and the value of the Naira.
In other words, Obi’s dispensation holds the promise and the hope of moving the nation out of this dark era of exacerbated economic and social malaise – unemployment, poverty, starvation, high inflationary trend, abysmally low standard of living, insecurity, business and career stagnation etc – foisted on the nation by the greedy politicians represented by the APC and PDP, into a luminous season of accelerated economic recovery translating to a boost in investment opportunities and job creation, higher level of security of lives and property and economic prosperity.

The good news is that Nigerians both the old and the young are queueing behind Obi confident that he will deliver on his promises.
Yet, there are those still on the valley of indecision who need to come to the mountain top to fly with the rest of the population.

Time without number, discerning minds have reiterated that Obi’s mission is being propelled by divine hands. Unlike in the past and as presently typified by the other two major candidates, when presidential candidates’ campaigns were bankrolled by the moneybag candidates themselves and their friends, in the case of Obi we see the masses contributing in one way or the other to keep his campaign running. In fact, the masses, the youth, own Obi’ s campaign. And having reached this crucial stage of the presidential campaign, all can see there is no going back, no retreat, no surrender!
Now, if we look deep enough and believe that Obi’s coming is divine, to deliver the nation from the evil grip of the powers and rulers of darkness – the greedy politicians and their collaborators – we should similarly believe that that divine hand propelling him will make all things come to pass when he is eventually enthroned as Nigerian president. For, as the Christian Scripture avers in Isaiah 41:17 -18: “When the poor and needy seek for water and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, l the Lord will hear them, l the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers in high places and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water and dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shit’tah tree and the Myrtle tree…”
In other words, when God leads, He makes a way for the led. He provides the means to accomplish the goals of the led.
Therefore, Nigerians need to come out of the wilderness of economic stagnation, political quagmire and social distress brought about by the PDP and APC and their candidates, into a new order of hope, progress and prosperity. And Obi is the face of this New Order in Nigeria. To fully access this New Nigeria of our dream, we have to cross the Rubicon on February 25, 2023. We have to massively vote for Labour Party’s Peter Obi. So, go get your PVC today, don’t sell it for a morsel of bread like Esau. On February 25, walk majestically with it to your polling station and vote for Peter Obi. Also, convince your family members and friends to do same to ensure Obi ascends to the Presidency. With that, you have crossed the Rubicon to a New Nigeria, a New Order with a promise for peace, progress, security, employment and prosperity.
God Bless Nigeria.

Simon Njoku, the Obidient.

We move! …forward.