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CONFIDENCE is a common denominator most politicians have in quantum. They are always confident that they can achieve the impossible with regards to winning elections no matter the enormity of the odds against them. Even when some politicians are conscious of the political landmines on their way, which will detonate and negate their political ambition, they are still confident that they can navigate through to attain political heights. Even in any contest that obviously weighs against them, they will look anybody in the face and say they are sure of victory. When they contest and fail woefully, they will sing a new song of being rigged out and some of them will head to courts to regain a victory, which in most cases remain elusive. But a politician will not be a politician without that very necessary confidence attribute.

If you are in doubt, check out most prominent politicians in the country. Those, who have contested one office or the other and failed woefully still warm up confidently to successfully try another round of contest. Some politicians even contest for more than four times before they could achieve their ambition. Some still fail after trying countless times. Such people are called perennial candidates – those who repeatedly run for public office with a record of success that is infrequent, if at all. According to Wikipedia, “perennial candidates are often either members of non-major political parties or have political opinions that are not mainstream. They may run without any serious hope of gaining office, but in order to promote their views or themselves instead. They may also overestimate their chances for election or have little in the way of campaigning skill or voter appeal.”

The world is full of perennial candidates. John Turmel is, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the most persistent perennial candidate, having run 77 and lost in 76 elections (the other being a by-election that was cancelled by a general election call).  In the Republic of Benin, Bruno Amoussou, leader of the Social Democratic Party, ran for president four times (1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006). Brazilian Enéas Carneiro ran for President three times (1989, 1994, 1998). He had promised never to run for any other office, but decided to run for Mayor of São Paulo in 2000. He was not elected, but in 2002 he ran for Congressman, when he was elected with 1.4 million votes (the highest number of votes that a Brazilian Congressman ever received). He was reelected in 2006 but died the next year. So also did Lula da Silva of Brazil ran for the Presidency in 1989, 1994 and 1998, achieving the second largest number of votes on each occasion. He won in 2002, and was reelected in 2006.

In the Gambia, Sheriff Mustapha Dibba, leader of the National Convention Party, ran for President four times (1982, 1987, 1992 and 2001). Ousainou Darboe, leader of the United Democratic Party, has run for President four times (1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011). In Ghana, Edward Mahama, leader of the People’s National Convention, ran for President four times (1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008). In France, Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front Party, had been a candidate five times (1974, 1988, 1995, 2002 and 2007) in the French Presidential elections. Zambian Godfrey Miyanda, leader of the Heritage Party, has run for President four times (2001, 2006, 2008 and 2011). One thing that is also common to perennial candidates is that after failing to win for some time, majority of the voters do not take them serious. But that does not stop them from taking themselves serious and believing that they will win next time. That worked for Da Silva.

Back home in Nigeria, Mohammadu Buhari, former head of state, has joined the rank of perennial candidates confident that he will win the presidential election next time around. He has contested three times already and warming up for a fourth time come the 2015 presidential race. He belonged to a fringe political Party – CPC, whose supporters are mostly based in Northern Nigeria. But his party is joining the APC merger which hopes to wrestle power from the People’s Democratic Party in the next election, If he emerges as the APC candidate, will Buhari succeed in his fourth presidential run? The answer is in the cover story of this week’s issue entitled: Buhari’s Undying Presidential Ambition: The Odds Against Him. It was aptly crafted by Olu Ojewale, general editor. You will be happy reading the story.

Maureen Chigbo
Editor

— May 6, 2013 @ 01:00 GMT