Charlie

Why This Septuagenarian Is Investing in Peter Obi’s Presidency At 74, I have lived long enough to know the difference between politics as entertainment and politics as a matter of national survival. I have watched Nigeria move from promise to disappointment, from abundance to scarcity, from hope to cynicism. I have seen governments come and go, heard magnificent campaign promises, watched politicians reinvent themselves at election time, and witnessed citizens repeatedly vote for the same failed political formula while expecting a different outcome. That is why, as a septuagenarian, my support for Peter Obi's presidency is not an emotional investment. It is an investment in the possibility that Nigeria can still change the trajectory of its political leadership. I am not investing in a messiah. Nigeria does not need one. I am investing in competence, prudence, accountability, human capital and a different philosophy of governance. I Have Lived Long Enough to Know That Time Matters At my age, I cannot afford the luxury of pretending that Nigeria has unlimited time. The young can perhaps afford another decade of experimentation with incompetent leadership. My generation cannot. We have already spent decades watching Nigeria squander opportunities that other countries seized. We have seen countries that were behind us economically overtake us. We have watched nations without our oil, population, arable land and enormous human resources build functioning economies. The question, therefore, is no longer whether Nigeria has potential. The question is why we have consistently failed to convert that potential into prosperity. For me, one major answer is leadership. Why Obi? My attraction to Peter Obi is fundamentally about his apparent understanding that government is not a theatre for political grandeur; it is an instrument for improving the lives of citizens. His current campaign agenda places emphasis on education, healthcare, agriculture, energy, security, human capital development, production and institutional reform. He has also spoken repeatedly about reducing the cost of governance and insisting that public resources produce measurable value. Those are not glamorous promises. They are, however, the boring fundamentals upon which serious nations are built. And after decades of watching Nigeria chase political spectacle while neglecting fundamentals, I have become particularly interested in the boring stuff. Schools. Hospitals. Electricity. Roads. Agriculture. Manufacturing. Security. Jobs. Institutions. That is where national development actually happens. I Am Investing in a Philosophy, Not a Personality Peter Obi is not infallible. I do not subscribe to the idea that because I support a politician, I must defend everything he says or does. That is precisely the mentality Nigeria must escape. I will support Obi where I believe he is right, question him where I believe he is wrong and demand accountability if he eventually occupies Aso Rock. My support is therefore not a blank cheque. It is a conditional investment. The condition is simple: «Give Nigerians government that works, and Nigerians will judge you by the results.» Obi has also argued that four years should be sufficient for a serious leader to demonstrate whether his administration is capable of changing the country's direction. I find that proposition particularly compelling. Nigeria does not need another administration asking for eight years before Nigerians can see results. We have waited long enough. The Greatest Investment Must Be in Nigerians And a president who understands that public resources belong to the people can begin restoring something Nigeria desperately needs: trust. My Septuagenarian Investment So why is this septuagenarian investing in Peter Obi's presidency? Because after 74 years, I have learned that the most expensive thing a nation can lose is not money. It is time.