The Change Rhetorics: What Manner Of Change? Written By Dr Terhemba Shija.

I have been stimulated by this robust discussion on the idea of change in this year's general elections and i realize that nearly all contributions so far are inherent with contradictions and other infelicities.

  
    1). If one argues that change in leadership at the state level should be predicated on generational shift  from the older from to younger, then it isn't logical for us to work hard to prevent the older generation as represented by GMB from torpedoing the administration  headed by a younger and more agile GEJ? Is age really the most important factor in selecting or electing a leader this year? If so, why not?

    2) Who says political  parties are  no longer platforms for change? Who says PDP and APC are essentially one and the same organisation owing to the absence of distinct ideologies and their ever fluid and itinerant membership roll ?  However, have we not yet noticed fundamental differences in the ideas propagated by both Buhari and Jonathan as they move their campaign teams from one state to the other? To me ,  Is Buhari not  canvassing for policies of greater government control of the economy as well as social services. Is he not tilting towards the left while Jonathan who has in the past six years  implemented policies of privatization and liberalization which aimed at  maintaining a smaller government, having a little to the right of the center?   If these distinctions  are noticeable , aren't such  issues not better parameters to judge the candidates?

    3) In any case, are we not  living in a  society where freely make their based on what  they feel constitutes change?  Can't  a candidate's ethnicity, religion age , geo-political origin, political  party  and  even gender in relation to this rivals be  relied upon by voters to enact a change? Isn't it logical to conclude that change in a highly interactive  and diversified like ours is obtainable through  the aggregations  of all these factors as well as unforeseen ones probably sanctioned by God.?
     4) In the meantime, have we forgotten so soon what the late politician and philosopher, Alhaji Umaro Dikko said about change in Nigeria's presidential  elections ? Do we still remember the fellow that Buhari's agents drugged, put in a wooden crate, loaded in the cargo compartment of an aircraft at Heathrow in the UK and attempted to fly out to Nigeria in 1985?  Didn't  he say that change in Nigeria can  only alternate between a ruling party ( then NPN) and the military? Can anybody in all honesty, contradict this logic today owing to the homogeneity of the membership of both APC and  the ruling party, PDP?  Out of the 30 governorship positions up for grabs next month, are there not 25 original members of the ruling party, PDP,  candidates on the ticket of APC? The Tambawals, the Ortoms, the  El Rufais  etc ? Haven't APC heavy weights like Nuhu Ribadu, Tom Ikimi, Daniel Saror. David Iornem,Joseph  Akaagerger etc not also cross carpeted to the ruling party? Haven't three former National chairmen of the PDP decamped to the APC along with the Speaker of HOR, many senators and members of Nass?  What then is really the difference between the PDP candidates and their counterparts in APC? Which party can really be held responsible for Nigeria's woes as both both parties are presently constituted and are preaching the gospel of change?

     5)In my candid opinion, the man who represents  change in all this  omnibus arrangement is the APC Presidential candidate   Gen Mohammadu Buhari, who in line with Umaro Dikko's enduring philosophy  is the worthy epitome of military dictatorship in the 21st century. He is quite distinctly a man with a military orientation and runs a nonconformist lifestyle that is unknown in Nigerian politics. 

I sincerely think  that the choice this year is between Militocrascy and Democracy or better still  between a stern military dictator with his apologists and  a liberal democrats and his teaming  indomitable supporters. 





Written By Dr Terhemba Shija
Makurdi Benue State.