When Governor Ayodele Fayose made known his intention to run for the highest political office in Nigeria, lots of people thought it is one of the usual idiosyncrasies that we know him for. Even up till this moment, many still feel that Fayose’s dream can only be captured with Ola Rotimi’s seminar work, ‘our Husband has run mad again’. But, alas if you think Fayose is out of his senses, then you can as well decide to remain uninterested until the same forces that worked for the Trumps of this world, throws Fayose up as our President.

Would it be interesting to know it is possible Governor Fayose started this out as a joke, as something not exactly serious nor achievable, but on realising our reactions, and the docility cum cowardice of other credible politicians, he decided to go all out with his intention.

There is a silent agreement among all other politicians especially those of the southern extraction that the post of the president for the 2019 election has been zoned to the North, for this reason, they have remained quiet.

There is nowhere in the constitution where zoning was mentioned or considered as a criterion for people to contest election. It is this vicious circle of distorted perception that is exactly responsible for the poor quality of leaders that we have produced especially at the Presidency. And then we are about making the same mistake by assuming that Fayose is a joke.

It is not possible to contest in 2019 especially for politicians from the South and should not even be attempted because in our minds, the North must produce the president, and if they are not prepared, we would hand pick anyone with a white ‘babariga’. How do we explain the fact that it is only Fayose who has been bold enough to set up a 2019 campaign platform two years before the period? How do we explain the fact that he is the only one who has taken advantage of the present political quagmire to sell his candidature for the 2019 presidential election?

Perhaps we have been deluded into believing that he would not get anywhere and for that reason the best and the best remain quiet by celebrating cowardice in docility. There are more credible and qualified people who all have what it takes to rule the country in 2019, it is not bad to break out of the shackles of the unconstitutional convention that has not helped the polity in any way.

Fayose could end up becoming President, the joke could end up becoming real if other qualified politicians keep watching while he launches his campaign engine and perfect his political wizardry. At least he is the first politician to ‘declare’ his intent and save us from insinuation. Fortune they say favours the bold.

Those highly qualified politicians who keep mute owing to zoning while Fayose kickstarts his campaign should know that in battle it is the cowards who run the most risks; bravery is a rampart of defense.

Editor