A former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has advised Nigerian voters to cast ballots with their brains and not their stomachs, to install the right leadership in 2023.
Daniel spoke at the 4th Annual Lecture of SWAAYA Limited, the Publisher of Freedom Online in Lagos, where former governors Ahmed Makarfi and Peter Obi, of Kaduna and Anambra respectively, were also present.
Delivering a keynote address at the event, Daniel said that the future of Nigeria was bright, with right leadership, decisions and policies.
He described vote buying as the menace threatening the nation’s democracy.
According to him, everyone knows what the problems facing Nigeria are, but what is missing are people to provide solutions to the problems.
“We all know what the problems are and we also appear to know what the solutions are, but it appears the persons who will provide the solution is what I think is missing.
“It is impossible to sell an item and still dictate to the buyer how to use it. Once the vote is purchased and sold, you cannot ask how they use what you have sold.
“Nigerians have to realise that the only way to see a developed Nigeria is to ensure that they vote with their brains and not their stomach.
“A night with hunger, I believe, is far better than four years of pains and struggle,” Daniel said.
The former governor, who noted that nobody could save Nigeria except Nigerians, said that for Nigeria to rise and shine there was need for unity and right leadership.
“The next elections offer us an opportunity to rewrite the destiny of this country, the decision we make next year will be with us for arguably another eight years.
“That is also enough to make the country better or to make it worse.
“Indeed, I can say the future of Nigeria is bright. With the right decisions and policies, we can change the narratives and the state of our nation currently to an enviable position within the shortest possible time,” he said.
According to him, despite the nation’s current challenges, the international community still believes in enormous possibilities Nigeria can drive, if it gets its house together.
“We have to stop dreaming of a better Nigeria and start work towards achieving one.
“It is not enough to have passion or vision; without a roadmap dutifully followed, we will never leave the trenches,” he said.
The Chairman of the occasion, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, noted that there was hope and a bright future for the nation, provided Nigerians join hands together to do the right thing and put right leadership in place.
“The process of the leadership recruitment process should begin before the 2023 general election takes place
“When we have a good leadership in 2023, what needs to be done and how it is to be done will be done.
“It is important that by 2023, we will usher in good leadership that will be responsible for all the needs of this country,” Makarfi said.
On vote buying during elections, Makarfi urged Nigerians to vote their mind, not minding whatever politicians offered them to buy their conscience.
In his remarks, a former governor of Anambra, Peter Obi, decried the problems of insecurity, poverty, unemployment, rising debt, energy among others.
He said that much should be done to put the country on the path of growth and development through right leadership.
Obi, the Special Guest Speaker at the event, said Nigeria was not doing fine, when compared with some other African countries.
“We have everything but we lack leadership. Poor leadership can destroy all.
“The recruitment process of leadership is bad, the quality of leadership is poor and selection process is poor.
“Let us all get involved and ask questions. We have no other country, we must collectively get involved,” he said.
Obi said that Nigerians must hire best people who would invest in health, education and pull people out of poverty to manage their affairs.
The Guest of Honour and former Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, said that Nigeria had dwelt so much on its past rather than focusing on the future.
“We have dwelt so much on our yesterday even though we cannot do anything about it.
“We should focus less on the event of yesterday and begin to place emphasis on how we can secure our tomorrow,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria needs a shared vision and unity of purpose to build a nation everyone is yearnings for.
Former Deputy National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, called for a value system that would give every Nigerian a sense of belonging.
George, the Special Guest of Honour, was represented by his Media Aide, Uthman Shodipe.
He called for justice, fairness and selfless leadership, saying Nigeria must not fail but triumph beyond the current tides.
The Special Guest, Prof. Akinyemi Onigbinde, emphasised that Nigerian Structural System needed to be tinkered with, for the nation to move forward.
He said that a situation where most issues were put in exclusive list was not helpful.
The Royal Father of the Day, Chief Gani Adams, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, said that only restructuring that would allow regionalism could save the country from a bleak future.
“If we don’t do that, we will be running from pillar to post,” Adams said.
Earlier in his welcome address, Managing Director/ Editor -in-Chief, Freedom Online, Gabriel Akinadewo, said Nigeria was yet to draw a line between politics and governance.
He said warned that Nigerians must stop playing politics with development.
The event was graced with various media giants and publishers among whom were the President of Nigeria Guild of Editors, Mustapha Isah; the President of the Guild of Online Publishers (GOCOP), Maureen Chigbo, and the Lagos State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Adeleye Ajayi.
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