In a recent essay, somewhat similarly titled, I submitted that the February Presidential election in Nigeria was the opposition’s to lose. I reached that conclusion after an abridged examination of Nigeria’s extant economic and political profile under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan. Pointing to the President’s second pilgrimage to Israel, I satirically linked the wilderness experience of the Israelites of yore with the Nigerian experience under Jonathan for the past five and a half years.

Within the limits of time and space generally allowable for an essay of that nature, I summarized our president’s shortcomings in office. I then proceeded to advise that he (President Jonathan) calls to the divine for intervention on various levels. I reckoned that he will be needing the influence of the super-natural if he is to be returned to office after the elections in February 2015. The irony in my advice was not subtle. Given the president’s performance specifically, and the posture of his party (the PDP) generally, I do not wish Nigerian’s one more day of Dr. Jonathan or his party in the affairs of our central government after May 29 2015.

The premise of my conclusion was not fully expatiated in that essay. I reasoned that given the current state of affairs, Jonathan’s return to the presidency remains viable only to one extent. This being the failure of the opposition to articulate: his (Jonathan’s) failure, and their (the opposition’s) alternative proposition, to lead our country to a better place. As if to heed that warning, in their very first step toward triumphing at the polls next February, the opposition party—APC, pooled their resources and ingenuity. They bestowed to the nation a presidential nominating convention that was as transparent as it was successful and so doing, presented before us a contest largely between General Muhammadu Buhari and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. There are indications of one or more fringe candidates from a few of the several fringe parties within our polity.

No sooner had the dust settled on this landmark occurrence than the appointed and adopted surrogates went to town on Jonathan’s behalf. They have sought to remind us of the non-viability of a Buhari candidacy, nay presidency. Ours is a democracy and so within the ambits of the rules specified, such is fair game. But the questions raised by these proxies concerning Buhari’s and the APC’s quest to form the central government comes across as lazy and pedestrian. Surely for someone who is a well-known figure in the matters of governance in Nigeria, Buhari has more than an arms-length of public service records from which a debate on his candidacy can be formulated. He has been a governor, a minister and a head of state. He has also been chairman of NNPC and PTF at different times in the past. Instead, what these Jonathan champions have presented as debates can be summarized thus: Buhari is a religious and ethnic bigot that seeks power to further a narrow, and perhaps sectional, agenda. Buhari is in cahoots with extremists and fundamentalists and an unrepentant apologist for terror and terrorists.

For any discerning and politically in tune mind, it will be tempting to wave these spurious submissions away and refuse to descend to the level of their proponents in the space of our public debates. I have chosen not to for two reasons. First, the future of our nation is at stake and the risk of silence and inaction in the face of such senselessness and subterfuge moves to “divide and rule” might be too costly in the long run.  Second, prominent among such commentators are a few individuals that should know better. I speak here of persons that have been within the corridors of power in Nigeria and that have achieved ultimate academic and professional qualifications. If this wasn’t a serious matter, it would have been funny that such highly qualified persons have to be reminded that Nigeria is a constitutional democracy complete with checks and balances.

Neither a Buhari nor (God-forbid) a Shekau presidency within our democracy can go anywhere close to inflicting upon our nation any item on these supposed agenda they have dreamed up and are insistent on labelling on Buhari.

For those like me who have concluded on the Jonathan presidency, we have not taken a position because of his ethnicity, his religiosity or his shoeless upbringing. Neither have we done so because he reneged on his commitment to stay only one term in office. We have done so because of his record. We have examined his time in public office starting in 1999. He has been deputy governor, governor, vice president, acting president, and for the past three and a half years, president. For someone with such an extended time and exposure in high levels of governance in our nation, Jonathan’s failure to secure our nation, halt impunity, curb corruption and galvanize our nation into real economic growth leaves much to be desired.

Let us scrutinize and subject our leaders to very hard but meaningful questions. Let us say to those howling divisive innuendos that we can see and hear beyond their fear and hate and choose to be fearless and courageous. For the betterment of our nation, let us elevate our public discourse during this election season. It is our civic and patriotic duty to do so.

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.