The lead up to the 2019 general elections have seen a clamour for the emergence of a new set of leaders in the political class from a section of Nigerians especially the youth population.

The ‘Not Too Young To Run’ movement among other things hoped to see the emergence of a new generation of leaders from within the ‘youths’- a new breed of leaders to oust the established order. The Not Too Young Run Bill eventually pulled through. We have since seen a set of progressives throw in the hat as viable alternatives in the race for the nation’s top job come February 16.

While some have argued whether or not these new set of leaders can truly pull off an upset in the presidential race, what no one can argue is that we have not had this level of disruption of the old order in the recent memory of elections in Nigeria. Some would even go as far as to say that some of the new faces in the contest are more qualified for the job than the candidates of the two dominant parties. Whether they can go all the way to upset the odds is another matter entirely.

There have been talks of a possible consensus candidate between the presidential candidates of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Kingsley Moghalu and the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Fela Durotoye. The emergence of common front would certainly have provided a stronger platform to challenge the old guard.

Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), recently restated his commitment to “coalition talks” if they arise.

Former Presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Obi Ezekwesili dropped out of the race to pledge her support for the coalition candidate expected to emerge. She said, “Nigeria and Nigerians deserve a new order of ethical, competent and capable leadership.

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka also made his position on the matter known while speaking recently at a function in Lagos. He said, “My position is simply that it is time for a totally new direction. And obviously, I’m not the only one, as I’m speaking, there is a coalition having its meeting in Lagos from which they hope to produce a consensus candidate.

“There is another group meeting in Abuja, also at the end would send us their consensus candidate. Things have been going on quietly in the background to try and change the direction of this nation in a very positive way, and to make the public understand that they do not have to be enslaved permanently to the old discredited order. It is my sole business in this election.

“I don’t believe in what is called negative vote which means, for me, throwing your vote in a wastebasket, I believe instead in a creative vote, not a protest vote, not a negative vote but a creative vote. And a creative vote means that the will to at least sow a seed through your vote that will germinate eventually. The pace of germination is beyond the control of everyone, but it is never too early to make a beginning. It has happened before in other societies. When a dark horse emerges from nowhere and trumps all the political juggernauts caterpillars and so on with their performers, worthless, their capacity for violence and treachery.”

With the elections just a few days away, it might just be a little too late for an alternative force to the established order to emerge from the consensus candidate but like the revered professor said a seed has been sown for the emergence of a new political class and sooner or later we can have a really viable alternative to challenge the old political class.