Ahead of the 2023 elections in Nigeria, a group of the All Progressives Congress (APC) members, under the aegis of Progressive Consolidation Group (PCG), has called on the leadership of the ruling party to adopt the incumbent Vice President of the country, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as its consensus candidate for the Presidential election.

According to them, Prof. Osinbajo was the most qualified person to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari after the expiration of his tenure come 2023.

The PCG, who held a rally in Ikeja, the capital city of Lagos State a few days ago, to receive the Vice President, urged the number two citizen to put himself forward for the presidential position, saying having Prof. Osinbajo as its sole candidate, would douse tension not only in the ruling party, but across the country.

Speaking at the rally, the PCG National Secretary, Dr. Eli Eberechukwu Dibia who spoke to journalists at the grand reception, said they had started mobilizing in all the 774 Local Government Areas across the Nigeria for the emergence of Prof. Osinbajo as APC sole Presidential candidate in the forthcoming 2023 elections.

He said, “His candidacy will douse the already accumulated tension across the six geopolitical zones, Osinbajo is a man of grace, humility, truth and the fear of God.”

Dr. Dibia further opined, “As a detribalized Nigerian, APC as a party should adopt Osinbajo as consensus candidate of the party and expect a seamless victory.”

He therefore described Prof. Osinbajo ‘as a dependable, transparent, competent and passionate Nigerian, who cares about the ordinary man and the youths’, saying the Vice-President ‘holds the best credentials to succeed President Buhari having worked with him as his deputy’.

The Group, whose members were dressed in T-shirts and Face-caps bearing the Vice President’s picture, staged what it described as ‘A Walk For Osinbajo’.

Speaking further, the PCG Leader said, “Today, over one million Nigerians have gathered here to celebrate a man of character, a man that we are very convinced that if he mounts the seat, Nigerians will have fresh air. He is cerebral, well tutored pastor and a man of God.”

On his part, the National Coordinator of the PCG, Hon. Hyacinth Turnel informed that the ‘Walk for Osinbajo’ was organised by professionals who believed in the ability of the Vice-President to deliver.

He said, “We the like-minds, gather here to at least show solidarity to our dear principal, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to run for the seat of the President. That is why we are here.”

While asked what makes him think the Vice-President had the capacity to run, he replied that Prof. Osinbajo had spearheaded some reforms in the government that were unknown to many Nigerians.

He therefore enthused that the emergence of Prof. Osinbajo as President Buhari’s successor would guarantee continuity, adding it was better to have someone that had learned how the process works than somebody that would come and start learning from the scratch.

“At least, he knows the challenges that we have in this country. So, we believe he will do his best to ensure that the challenges are tackled headlong.

When further asked what new thing the Vice-President would bring to the table, he said with Osinbajo at helm of affairs of the country, he would assemble the professionals that would work in the interest of the country.

One might ask, does Prof. Osinbajo really possess what it takes to lead Nigeria to the needed Promised Land? While such a question is tendered by a concerned Nigerian, someone on the other side might boldly answer that the middle-aged professor has the required requisite taking into cognizance his social, educational and professional backgrounds and antecedents.

However, like I earlier stated in my previous critique, at the moment, Nigeria as a country does not just need an eligible individual to succeed President Buhari come 2023, but one who truly feels the pains of the country’s populace.

Come to think of it, considering the fact that the PCG stated that Prof. Osinbajo was coming to continue from where President Buhari would stop in 2023, just as he (Osinbajo) rightly mentioned in his declaration speech a few days back, is indeed enough reason to worry.

The question is, where actually does he intend to continue from? Is it from the current state of the country’s education sector, or the present condition of the health sector? Does he intend to continue fighting corruption the same way it is being fought so far by the current administration?

Is Prof. Osinbajo planning to continue tackling insecurity exactly the same way and manner it’s being done at the moment? Does he intend to address the country’s economic status just as it’s being addressed by the current government? Only his person can tender the right answers to these genuine enquiries.

Too many questions indeed await his candidacy, especially when noted that he’s presently the Lieutenant to the man who has apparently turned the country’s economy upside down.

In 2017, Ms. Linda Ikeji, a Nigerian renowned blogger published on her popular news blogs and her other social media pages a false, malicious  and defamatory article against Mrs. Ajibola Ajayi. The post had quoted Mrs. Ajibola Ajayi to have purportedly described the protesting students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, as “a generation of mannerless children”.

In 2018, Mrs. Ajibola Ajayi brought up an action in court against Ms. Linda Ikeji for libel, false and malicious post, and defamation against her person.

On Tuesday, April 12, 2022, the court gave judgment in the claimant’s Favour and held that the publication made by Ms. Linda Ikeji in her news blogs and her other social media pages is false, malicious, libelous, and defamatory against the person of Mrs. Ajibola Ajayi.

The Court further held that the publication which was made available to readers worldwide had exposed the Claimant to ridicule and subjected her to attacks and unnecessary criticism by members of the public who read the offending article.

The Court awarded general and exemplary damages in the sum of N25,000,000.00 (Twenty-Five Million Naira) against Ms. Linda Ikeji and directed Ms. Ikeji to publish a written apology to the Claimant in three National tabloids.

It is pertinent to state here that it is the trite principle of law that libel is actionable per se. This case will go further to show netizens that actions have consequences. You can not just make a false or malicious post or make up some lies against another person and post on your blogs or your social media pages in the name of “cruise” or to drive traffic to your page. If you do so and the person takes a legal step against you, you will be liable for libel and you will pay for the damages.