Atiku, Obi, Tinubu – Show Respect As Campaigns Heat Up

People, remember: make your point and do not insult Atiku, Obi, Tinubu, etc on our feed. They deserve our respect because at least they offered themselves to be evaluated for service. I block those who insult these men, mindlessly. There is no problem if you have your candidate; feel free to make the case for him. But no insults. At the end, only one will win – and I expect everyone to come together to support that person. That is how it works.

Politics drives the economy and no matter how placed you are, it affects you. So, my postulation is simple: do not disconnect. If you do, you do not advance the nation. Yes, at least #vote. Just vote; no need to do anything more where you cannot.

As the nation moves into the injury time before the elections, show civility. If the system becomes more civil, many will be attracted into the fray. I enjoyed my campaign while a student in FUTO when I campaigned and won, becoming the Director of Research, SEEES. So far, President Buhari has done a decent job by providing a largely level playing ground. The old demons of harassment have not been common. We hope he keeps that momentum so that at the end, Nigerians will elect a new leader.

Obi. Atiku. Tinubu. #Respect because one will be sworn in come May! It is #open . Vote NOT fight.

The Pundits: Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso do not have nationwide political structures like their APC (Tinubu) and PDP (Atiku) counterparts.

My Response: Mobile internet is reducing information asymmetry as more voters can bypass the filters and intermediaries to get information from the sources. The existence of information asymmetry makes market systems imperfect.  In politics, it does the same thing – imperfect electoral systems.

But in 2023, Nigeria will have the first mobile internet era election. This is the first app utility-anchored national election. I am not arguing that decades-old political  structures are not important, my point is that disintermediation (cutting out intermediaries) is evident, and general voters have access to more information about candidates now, to make decisions independently, out of the influence of political bundlers and brokers.

Comment on Feed

Comment: Being politically correct in your post. Even though I don’t support insults but then take a stand. Don’t just say Nigerians go vote. Vote who???? Is there any one of these guys you can not sincerely tell their stories. Nigerians please vote right otherwise you get yourself into another 8 years of hell here on earth. My candid advice. Prof, if we’re not careful Nigeria will keep going messy rout as long as good men like you continue to stand aloof on the fence on Nigeria’s leadership question. Peace.

My Response: When PhD students come to my lab, we do not give them answers. We provide tools to discover a future unborn. If you follow my posts, my desire is that you use the perspectives to make your personal call on events in business, commerce and politics. To write for Harvard Business Review, we have an honour and that honour is sacred because Harvard is like the bible of business which many swear on. Who I endorse is less important than helping people reach personal decisions because I am an intellectual, not a politician.

Of course, this does not mean that I cannot try to make a call on who I think may win, but that does mean an endorsement. In 2019, I wrote that Buhari will win, but I did not endorse him as my call was an intellectual outcome. I predicted that Governor Umahi of Ebonyi will win and within months leave PDP for APC; those were intellectual calls.

So, if you read that I write that Obi, Atiku, Tinubu, etc will win, do not take it as an endorsement. Seems complex….it sure does.

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