Prof. Adesuyi Leslie Ajayi writes:
The VP is usually chosen by the President on merit. He/She is not occupying anyone’s position. The Nigerian VP has more intellectual endowment, superior pedigree and moral heft than other contestants in his party.
He represents the best in the ethos of Obafemi Awolowo school of politics in word and deed.
He has the high regard of foreign global leaders.
In the US presidential system that Nigeria copied, the VP is the “heir apparent”and has the ” right of first refusal ” to run for president and succeed his boss.
Below is a list of US VPs who contested for or won the US presidency in the last 80 years.
- Harry S Truman * Democratic D . President ( 1945 – 52)
- Richard M Nixon. Lost 1960. Republican. Won in 1968 ( 1968- 74)
- Hubert Humphrey . Democratic . 1968 . Lost to Nixon
- Gerald Ford . Republican . Lost to Jimmy Carter in 1976.
- George H W Bush . Republican . Defeated Michael Dukakis in 1988.
- Albert Gore Junior ( Democratic ) lost to George W Bush following the 5-4 Supreme court decision on Florida recount in 2000.
- Joseph R Biden . Democrat. Won 2020 election. May have contested in 2016 , if not for his bereavement.
The manufacturers of our presidential system tend to present the VP as their presidential candidate subsequently, because he is the most cognizant of and prepared for the job requirements and a heart beat from the president.
We import foreign processes, products and protocols, but never follow the manufacturers manual. We improvise dumbed down and watered down perversions in most things , and here we are today.
Most successful presidents tend to prefer their VPs to succeed them in the US the manufacturer of the presidential system of democracy.
