The presidential candidate of the Accord Party, 39-year-old Christopher Imumolen, adjudged to be the youngest of all the 18 candidates contesting the 2023 presidential election, seems determined to challenge the old political order and cause a paradigm shift for more youth-driven governance in the country’s political system.
Although Imumolen’s name does not ring a bell in the country’s political milieu, the young presidential candidate, however, believes he has what it takes to give the ‘big four’ – Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – a big fight in the contest for the country’s number one seat.
In May 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the “Not- Too-Young-To-Run” bill into law. The signing of the bill into law opened up the political space for young Nigerians to aspire to various political offices in the country.
The bill was passed by the National Assembly to alter sections 65, 106, 131 and 177 of the constitution.
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It was to reduce the age qualification for president from 40 to 30, governorship from 35 to 30, senatorial candidates from 35 to 30, House of Representatives membership from 30 to 25 and State House of Assembly from 30 to 25.
Leveraging this, Imumolen secured the ticket of the Accord Party to run for the presidency in 2023. He was declared the winner of the party’s ticket at the presidential primary election held in Abuja on June 4. He won the exercise by voice vote after the second contender in the race stepped down for him.
Muhammad Nalado, the national chairman of the party, described the election of Imumolen as a “sign of victory.”
But how far can Imumolen go in his quest for the country’s number one political office? Does he have the needed political clout, nationwide political structures/followership, and above all, deep financial muscle to outwit the “big four” in the forthcoming election?
These are critical questions pundits say are very important to determine whether Imumolen is a ‘contender’ or just a ‘pretender’ in the 2023 presidential race.
The man, Imumolen
Christopher Irene Imumolen is an indigene of Esan West, Ekpoma, Uhiele, Ehanlen in Edo State. He started his working career as a plant engineer at BOC Gases Nigeria Plc in February 2005.
In 2009, he went on to establish the Joint Professional Training and Support International Incorporated (JPTS), an educational body, which is said to have trained over 30,000 certified professionals.
Years after establishing the JPTS, the Accord Party flag-bearer, in 2014 proceeded to establish the UNIC Foundation, an empowerment and employment scheme that envisions the goal of supporting four million Nigerian businesses every year with grants and granting reliefs and scholarships to widows and students respectively.
He later progressed to become the president of the Onshore Offshore Oil and Gas Professionals. He was also at a point appointed as the senior technical adviser to the Akwa-Ibom State Government on Oil and Gas matters.
His education
He studied at the University of Benin, the University of Lagos and the Pan-American University of Nigeria, amongst other professional institutions.
Imumolen holds two PhDs in Engineering Research and Educational Management, with a third one in view. He also possesses three master’s degrees and a bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering, with over 20 globally recognised certifications.
Leveraging on youth population
The Accord Party presidential candidate said that being a youth himself, he would leverage on that to get the support of the teeming Nigerian youth who constitute the bulk of registered voters.
He said his status as a youth made him eminently qualified to solve the many and varied problems affecting youths in Nigeria, maintaining that no one can know the psychology and unique peculiarities of the youth more than a youth.
He believes it is time Nigerian youths stopped recycling older politicians and support one of their own to bring about a paradigm shift in the country’s democracy.
He said he did not find funny, attempts by some of his fellow contestants who are trying to create the impression that they are youths when they are not.
Imumolen added that it would be a “colossal error” by the youth to be “hoodwinked” into endorsing such candidates.
“The clamour by the younger segment of the population for a president of a youth extraction probably led to some persons migrating to other parties and attempting to dress in the garbs of youths. But we all know that once a person grows past a certain age bracket he can no longer be referred to as a youth.
“So, strictly following that analogy, I can unabashedly say that I am the only authentic youth going into the 2023 presidential election. I need to make this categorically clear to sensitise the youth.
“Beyond making that clarification, I want to let the youth know that I represent their voices; I am the one who knows their problems, and therefore, naturally positioned to solve them.
“They should know that this is a unique opportunity to make a bold statement about the much sought-after paradigm shift in the power equation of this country.
“I want them to know that being in the most active and largest segment of the population; they hold the ace as regards wresting power from the older generation that haven’t offered them anything for decades,” he said.
Edge over other candidates
Imumolen believes he has attributes that place him above his opponents in the 2023 elections.
He said he had “the x-factor” when it comes to how much they (candidates) have impacted on society, developmental initiatives and human capacity building.
The Accord Party flag bearer cited the huge sacrifices he has made in more than a decade, launching and sustaining programmes that have helped to add value to the lives of Nigerians.
He said, “I have been, more or less, like a social entrepreneur in the last 15 years. I have been around, working tirelessly to improve the lives of Nigerians in different areas.
“Everybody running this race with me will only tell you what they did when they were in government with funds from government coffers. But hardly can these same people tell you what they have done with monies from their pockets since they left office. This is where I have the edge over all of them.”
Winning without structures?
In Nigeria’s politics, having a well-spread political structure with a solid support base and followers is very critical to winning any election, more importantly, presidential.
But notwithstanding the optimism Professor Imumolen is exuding about his presidential ambition, analysts believe he does not have the needed national political structure and clout that would enable him make any significant impact in the contest.
The Accord Party’s platform on which he is contesting is not as widely spread in structure as those of the other ‘top contenders’ in the race.
While he believes that being a youth is an added advantage for him, the reality today shows that the youth are more obsessed with the presidential candidates of other political parties such as Obi, Tinubu, Atiku and Kwankwaso, both online and offline.
A political analyst and lecturer in the Department of History at the Sokoto State University, Dr Godwin Onuh Odeh, said that while he cherished the courage of Imumolen in seeking the presidency, he believed he would have started his ambition from the grassroots by contesting for state assembly election or House of Representatives before moving for a higher position.
“You are supposed to begin your political journey from the bottom to top and not from top to bottom. Going for a position you know you cannot make any significant impact does not make sense. Some of these guys are only interested in updating their profiles as one-time presidential candidates. Some just want to use it as a bargaining chip for political appointments.
“Leadership is like going to school; if you have not been tutored in the acts of leadership, you cannot go far. Although the Not-too-young-run bill has been passed, young people need to begin their political pursuit from the grassroots before aspiring higher. Politics is about the grassroots,” he said.
Challenging the ‘money bags’
Nigeria’s politics is heavily ‘monetised’ and it takes someone with a heavy financial war chest to be able to successfully run a presidential campaign that can lead to victory.
Besides the financial strength of the presidential candidate, there must be other influential personalities within the party and even outside, who must throw in their resources and be ready to work for the victory of the candidate.
Analysts are wondering if Imumolen has got such financial muscle and influential personalities or ‘godfathers’ that would push his presidential aspiration to reality.
As the February 25, 2023 presidential election inches closer, only time will tell how far Imumolen can go in his quest for the country’s top political job.
