Friday 24 April 2015
Between Buhari And The Politicians
PENDULUM BY DELE MOMODU, Email: dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com
Fellow Nigerians, this is not an easy time in our country. The period of every transition from an outgoing ruling government to an incoming opposition administration anywhere in the world is always replete with soaking tension. This is exactly what has been going on since General Muhammadu Buhari defeated the incumbent President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan. For a start, thousands of government and political operatives are about to lose their jobs. On the other hand, millions of applicants, qualified and unqualified, are anxious and eager to replace those thousands. It is only natural that it would become a do or die affair for those who see the political stage as the only way to sustain or enhance themselves.
This is the season of the godfathers. I do not know how General Buhari plans to handle his first major test as a civilian President in waiting. The burden he is carrying now cannot be easy to contend with. It will not get easier when he is sworn in and becomes President because the weight of expectation would have increased multiple fold. Those days are gone when Nigerians kept their distance from politicians or failed to show active interest in who governed them. The manner the last election was won has made it mandatory for Nigerian leaders to realise that their citizen now plan to show more than cursory interest and concern about the colour of change they expect.
The challenges would be daunting but not insurmountable. My appeal goes to the APC as the new governing party. They should not waste this opportunity of a lifetime. Nigeria has been kind to most of them. It is time to pay Nigeria back with love and selflessness. Buhari and Osinbajo will succeed if their party can relax its grip and help the President-elect search for a great team instead of harassing him into picking the worst of choices. It is impossible to appoint all who are qualified for the available jobs not to mention asking that unqualified people be given work on the basis of nepotism, greed or naked ambition. Our leaders should learn to take every situation as it comes. If you get the job, do it well, and if you don’t get it, there are many other ways you can be useful to your nation other than being in power or along the corridors of power.
We must discourage the idea of thinking there is no life outside of government. Or that you can only make money when you are in government. We must understand that government should not be an avenue for making money but a place where you are called to service. In other countries distinguishing yourself in government is what opens the door afterwards to social acclaim and economic advancement. But first, you must have been capable before being chosen and then you must excel at the task that you are given to execute.
There is one vital point which must constantly be at the back of the mind of our incoming President in everything he does. Nigerians did not vote him simply for the sake of change. They voted for him because they want to see a real change. A change for the better. Nigerians whether at home or in the diaspora need a breath of clean air and they see Buhari as the catalyst for the kind of new revolution that they desire. It will be tantamount to a waste of their time and effort at the polls for Buhari and his team to do otherwise.
It is understandable if the power sharing formula is proving difficult and chaotic at this point in time but it must still be resolved speedily and amicably. We can all have our say, which is the hallmark of democracy, but we cannot all have our way. Now is the time for the President-elect to demonstrate the steel for which he is renowned and which was his major selling point to the electorate. General Buhari cannot fold his arms in frustration because the political class are doing as they are wont to do by protecting their corner. As the generalissimo, he should encourage and listen to strategy and tactics. However as the Boss he must know that he is the umpire upon whom the final decision rests. Ultimately, the buck stops with the Commander-in-Chief and the success or failure of his administration will be judged by what he does and not what others did.
For starters, the President-elect must let Nigerians know that he means business by the way he conducts himself during the transition period. He must demonstrate that he is prepared to hit the ground running from the first day of his administration by leading from the front even now. He is expected to act with military precision albeit in a civilian environment. This does not make him a dictator. He should not be afraid to be tough because he has been so labelled in the past. Those who voted for him want to see that hard part of him reflected in the government he heads. They believe that is the only way he can stem the cankerworms of graft, waste, profligacy and impunity destroying Nigeria at this time.
In this regard, all the solidarity visits must be toned down. They are beginning to be an unnecessary distraction gaining him little credit in the eyes of the scrutinising Nigerians. That is the way of the past and what Nigerians hoped would be curtailed if not eliminated by the tough unassuming General. The time has come to end the wild jubilations and face the brass tacks.
Secondly, the President must be quick in assembling and announcing his transition team. I shall reiterate my past my past suggestions about the principles that should underlie the composition of that team shortly.
Thirdly, the President must act resolutely with respect to what is becoming the intractable problem his Party has with zoning positions in the National Assembly and by extension his cabinet and government. He must not let the political class frustrate him at this early stage. General Buhari is a fair and principled man. He should let that guide him in his role as arbiter on this issue. Nigerians are beginning to get jittery because of the rumours flying around about the difficulty the APC is having about sharing offices all around.
Yes, there is a motley crowd of politicians, strange bed-fellows, making up the Party but the generality of Nigerians voted for the Party largely because of the mature and tolerant way it handled its primaries without rancour or bitterness. Now is not the time for the APC to waste the goodwill and excitement generated by the clamour for change. Its failure to come to agreement on what should be a simple matter is denting its image and making outsiders think that indeed nothing may change. Those who never wished them well are already hoping things would fall apart sooner than later. God forbid.
In assembling a vibrant, skilled and visionary team to tackle the daunting challenges ahead, General Buhari must perform several balancing and dextrous acts akin to that of a deft ball juggler. He has successfully performed the first act in his choice of Vice-President. Prof Yemi Osinbajo is generally accepted as a perfect counter foil to the President’s age. In addition he is a celebrated and highly accomplished and acclaimed professional with the same stern, exacting, and disciplined outlook to life as President Buhari. The combination promised by that ticket endeared both to their teeming supporters. If their right or left eyes would make them to sin they might have to pluck it. When the chips are down, Nigerians are not going to listen to whimsical excuses.
The first balancing act that the President must now deal with in the medley of his frontline team is how to balance the age of his cabinet. It is only natural that the General will want to include some old hands in his cabinet. These are his contemporaries whom he has probably worked with in the past and knows that he can trust them. It is unnatural to expect him to work only with young men and women. He will only succeed if he has some people of his generation that he can turn to not just for the serious business of governance but also for the equally important down – time and relaxation mode. Besides those of his generation will have the added advantage that being in the twilight of their lives you can expect that they will not have the kind of inordinate aggrandizing spirit and greedy proclivity that younger folks may sometimes have. Also they will be able to look him in the eye and tell the truth which younger members of his team may not be able to do either out of respect or fear of stalling their career progression. The important thing is that the President-elect should know that such old hands should be in a tiny minority of his cabinet otherwise the younger generation may tune off.
It is beginning to look like APC is not gender friendly where women are concerned and this perception must be reversed immediately. Nigeria is blessed with enough competent, capable and honourable women who can wholly constitute a cabinet if given the chance. Several of such women graced the outgoing government at one time or another. It will be recalled that one of the positive spins during the election campaign was how the Government of President Jonathan was comprised of at least 30 per cent women. Being gender unfriendly in relation to women also raises the haunting spectre of religion which General Buhari must strenuously avoid. I would suggest that the President-elect ensures that he provides for significant representation of women in his cabinet not just because of their gender but because of their ability and credibility.
Just like I have advocated that there must be a small dose of old hands in President Buhari’s government, so also must President Buhari make provision for youth. President Buhari is in a prime position to know and appreciate what I am talking about because he was such a youth in the past who was given the opportunity of being in government and eventually leading this country. People of his generation served meritoriously as central figures in government in their twenties and thirties so what has gone wrong today? I am assured that the youth of today are certainly better equipped than those of that generation because of the technological advancements that have occurred since then and so should be equally if not better able to serve competently in any government .
The incoming President must also ensure that his government is not populated by the political elite alone. Any government which seeks to succeed anywhere in the world must create room for a lot of technocrats and specialists in their field to occupy cabinet positions and not merely act as advisers. I am confident that it is this kind of change that Nigerians desire to see in the composition of the new cabinet. Policy, strategy, vision and altruism are not the usual attributes of most politicians. They are frequently more self-centred and their excesses will need to be curbed by technocrats who are simply keen on seeing the successful outcome of what they envisioned and implemented. The political jobbers should understand from Buhari that the clime has changed and whilst they will be accommodated in the scheme of things it will not be at the expense of the Nation which is waiting on him to perform.
Finally, General Buhari must not make the mistake of the immediate past government by appearing to take on the mantle of President of only one section of Nigeria where he comes from. Notwithstanding that a particular part of Nigeria failed to support him in the election, he contested for and won the election as the President of a unified Nigeria. He should never forget this and must do everything to ensure that he is not seen as parochial either in terms of ethnicity or, equally importantly, on the basis of religion. The religious issue is probably even more important given the hate campaign mounted against him as a purported Islamic fundamentalist before the elections. His kinsmen and religious faithful must support him in this regard by not demanding of him any preferential treatment in his conduct of the affairs of the Nigerian State. What General Buhari must promote at all times is the secularity which is enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution. He must strive to douse the embers of distrust which has seemingly eaten deep into the social fabric.
Even if nobody expects a miracle from the General people are expecting a difference for the better. If that is all he achieves in the short run, Nigerians will be patient and reasonable. The accomplishments which he would work for, and that which the citizens ostensibly crave shall ultimately come in the fullness of time.
So help us God.
The Dialectic of Hosa Okunbor's Politics and Ethnic Consideration.
Francis Ehigiator
The 2015 general elections have come and gone, but the ripples of victory and defeat that they have generated across the country have been so profound that they are yet to settle. For the first time in the annals of presidential elections in Nigeria, an incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan, was defeated by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.
This has forced spontaneous realignments across the political landscape with a good number of politicians switching platforms. While a few gladiators dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC and vice versa before the March 28, 2015 presidential election, there was a gale of movements from the PDP to the APC after the defeat of President Jonathan in that election. Some founding leaders and members of the PDP who had benefited so much from the party in terms of elective and appointive positions left the party without as much as a whimper.
With eyes, possibly fixed on the sharing of national cake in Abuja, principles took a whimsical flight. It was all a parade of absurdities and ideological somersaults for those who claimed to be guided by some form of political ideology. The development left those (especially businessmen) who have hugely invested their hard-earned resources in the development of the PDP and in support of elective office-seeking members, without getting anything in return, in a reasonable position to undertake a post-mortem and reach a decision on what next step to take.
This is the position in which the political drum major and PDP leader in Edo South senatorial zone, where I come from, Captain Hosa Okunbo, found himself immediately after the March 28, 2015 Presidential and National Assembly elections. I am aware that Okunbo is a solid businessman in the billionaire league; he is, according to media reports, a good friend of President Goodluck Jonathan. This perhaps explains his decision to withdraw his support for the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Edo state in 2011 and give the same to President Jonathan and his PDP.
Okunbo had stuck out his neck for his friend (Jonathan) in the March 28 presidential election in spite of pressure from many of his kinsmen and women to act like typical businessmen who would sponsor candidates of both the ruling and the opposition parties in the same election(s). He had chosen to act differently, preferring to publicly identify with the PDP and thus expose himself to the vagaries of the tension of political goals and objectives.
His investments in the actualisation of the second term aspiration of Jonathan yielded results in Edo state. He was able to deliver his Edo south zone with the highest voting population to Jonathan. He won three of the four House of Representatives seats fair and square while the APC won the fourth in a controversial manner. Overall, Jonathan won Edo State but the victory was not enough to give him a countrywide presidential election victory. The new realities that crystallised after the March 28 presidential election were a mixed bag of sort: Jonathan and PDP lost the Federal Government; the PDP is not the government in control of Edo State; and interestingly, a Bini son, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, is National Chairman of the APC, whose party has just won the presidential election. What this presents to all Binis, although those in the PDP may not like it, is that their own is holding the most powerful and influential position in the ruling party whose government will swing into action on May 29, this year.
This development and other forward-looking considerations coalesced into the strategic move by Okunbo to review his political beliefs, decide to support his brother, Odigie-Oyegun, to be able to win all the State House of Assembly seats in the April 11 elections. If Okunbo had wanted to go the whole hog, he would have won the seats for the PDP, but the question is, of what benefits will that be for a Bini ethnic nation in desperate quest for national accommodation and integration? He would have worked against the very objective of Bini development, liberation and transformation that he has over the years espoused, and for which he has exposed himself politically for possible “vicious attacks”. Now, an APC government is stepping in the saddle on May 29 while an APC government is already in place in Edo State. So, what else is there to fight for other than for all Binis to align with the present realities?
Okunbo, from all indications, has keyed into these realities by supporting the electoral victory of Binis into the State Legislature on the APC platform. Indeed, with the role he played in the April 11 State House of Assembly elections, I believe it is time Okunbo rose above political differences to strengthen his commitment to the liberation and transformation of Benin ethnic nationality in the context of national politics.
Having staked his reputation and business interests by not only exposing himself to politics but also taking up the position of PDP Edo South Senatorial Leader for the sole purpose of offering a strong voice and representation to the Binis (who has been largely short-changed and marginalised in terms of strategic appointments) in the Federal Government, all Binis irrespective of their political affiliations and tendencies should rally round Okunbo to accelerate the actualisation of the Benin agenda for rapid integration, accommodation, infrastructure development and transformation.
This is the only workable and viable option that the Binis must embrace under the fast-consolidating leadership of Okunbo working in concert with Odigie-Oyegun and other well-meaning Bini leaders.
– Ehigiator, a public affairs commentator, contributed this piece from Benin City
ThisDay
Monday 13 April 2015
Highlights of the approach of General Muhammadu Buhari's Incoming Government.
At the LBS breakfast session held last week, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Director of Policies for APC, stood in for GMB.
He talked about the following issues:
1. 1.The cardinal agenda of the government and their over-arching themes will be SECURITY, CORRUPTION and UN-EMPLOYMENT; they believe that corruption has a very strong negative link to both security and un-employment.
2. There will be no real action until around October, partly because the 2015 budget is GEJ’s and may be fully approved in April; the new government will seek to align the electoral and fiscal calendars to avoid this type of problem in future
3. A cabinet will be announced very quickly, within one week of inauguration; anyone with a whiff of corruption or other tainting will not be on the cabinet; GMB’s body language will reflect zero tolerance for corruption
4. Emphasized that the APC is not a conclave of cardinals but includes the good, the bad and the ugly; in Nigeria, the bad and the ugly can be the biggest electoral assets but GMB’s government will not interfere with law enforcement agencies or the judiciary even if APC members are involved
5. The VP elect, did a lot of work as commissioner of justice in LASG and will bring this to a major revamp of the judiciary to complement anti-corruption drive and the rule of law; he will also anchor the economic committee
6. The new government will continue with some of the programmes in the GEJ administration, which were successful, for example Agriculture, but there will be a stronger collaboration between FGN and the states
7. A very LEAN government is the focus; this will involve resolving overlapping and redundant MDAs; largely in line with the Steve Oronsaye presidential committee report; this report was available to GEJ’s government but the will to implement it was absent
8. Rather than strengthen key anti-corruption agencies like EFCC, ICPC and SFI, these are likely to be consolidated and a single entity will be made more effective
9. Believe that CBN is getting over-burdened by developmental finance issues, at the expense of its core objectives; this will be changed
10. Subsidy on petroleum products will certainly go and the industry will be reformed as a matter of priority in order to attract new investments
11. While power reform has been commendable, and will continue, the approach will change. Transmission will be deregulated, regionalized and privatized in order to break down centralized transmission; issues of gas supply to Gencos will be addressed but the new government believes that DISCOs are the biggest bottlenecks presently; the government plan to add-on 4,000 MW of power every year and expect that output will be a minimum of 12,000 MW at the end of term of this mandate
12. Think tank detailed work indicate that N3 trillion in savings can come out of plugged leakages; believe that the employment drive will be private sector led
13. The government will allow market forces to prevail, including foreign exchange; debunked the view that GMB will use fiat to fix the exchange rate; however the government will keenly seek to protect the more economically vulnerable segments of the society
14. There will be tightening of the tax noose but no tax rate hikes/FIRS will be strengthened and the LASG IGR template will be adopted at the national level
15. While the infrastructure gap requires huge capital outlay which the government does not have, a master-plan will be developed; a situation where the recurrent budget is almost 80% and capital budget only 20% is not acceptable…(it does not appear detailed work has been done here….for example, they believe that un-employment is partly due to lack of skilled labour and hope to more actively engage the academic community to train for these skills…..but the tertiary institutions will need to be massively upgraded before they can compete )
16. Advised that we read the APC manifesto, available on the website and also, the Steve Oronsaye reports
Friday 10 April 2015
We Chose Buhari To Salvage Nigeria - Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, while addressing a crowd of APC supporters at the party’s presidential rally in Lagos, said he sacrificed his presidential ambition for Buhari… Who would help save Nigeria. According to Tinubu:
“People define patriotism as putting the country first but this is what the ‘Poverty Development Party’ refuses to understand. We chose Buhari not because Bola Tinubu is not interested in the Presidency. I am capable, competent, qualified, younger and richer but there comes a time that people must make sacrifices for their nation.
“I prayed that Nigeria would get better and we would not need a man like him (Buhari). But today, we are in a great crisis; we face a lot of challenges. When South Africa was in a great dilemma and was about to disintegrate, they called Nelson Mandela of 74 years old.
“He used his wisdom to save his country. When the United States was in economic depression, they called 73-year-old Ronald Reagan because he was frugal and incorruptible.
“When America was faced with depression and war, they called a retired General, Dwight Eisenhower, to rescue the country and the country was returned on a path of success. “When France was faced with war and economic depression, they called a retired General, Charles De Gaul, to rescue the country.
And added that whether Buhari presented a certificate or not, he was still qualified to rule the country.
“So what do we need now? Buhari. This is the time for us. General Buhari, whether you are qualified or not qualified, we are calling you to come and rescue us in Nigeria,
“People define patriotism as putting the country first but this is what the ‘Poverty Development Party’ refuses to understand. We chose Buhari not because Bola Tinubu is not interested in the Presidency. I am capable, competent, qualified, younger and richer but there comes a time that people must make sacrifices for their nation.
“I prayed that Nigeria would get better and we would not need a man like him (Buhari). But today, we are in a great crisis; we face a lot of challenges. When South Africa was in a great dilemma and was about to disintegrate, they called Nelson Mandela of 74 years old.
“He used his wisdom to save his country. When the United States was in economic depression, they called 73-year-old Ronald Reagan because he was frugal and incorruptible.
“When America was faced with depression and war, they called a retired General, Dwight Eisenhower, to rescue the country and the country was returned on a path of success. “When France was faced with war and economic depression, they called a retired General, Charles De Gaul, to rescue the country.
And added that whether Buhari presented a certificate or not, he was still qualified to rule the country.
“So what do we need now? Buhari. This is the time for us. General Buhari, whether you are qualified or not qualified, we are calling you to come and rescue us in Nigeria,
Wednesday 8 April 2015
Buhari: Triumph of a resilient fighter - Michael Jegede.
SIR: General Muhammadu Buhari is one man that is highly respected and loved by many within and outside Nigeria for his simplicity, uprightness and zero tolerance for corruption. Born on December 17, 1942 in Daura, Katsina State, Buhari, a professionally trained soldier and former military Head of State between 31 December 31, 1983 and August 27, 1985, has over the
years proved himself as a man of rectitude, and demonstrated his commitment towards the struggle to build a better Nigeria in the interest of the masses.
As a dogged, resilient fighter and uncompromising politician with unalloyed forthrightness, he pursued his presidential ambition with great tenacity, despite his failure at every attempt since 2003. The retired
Army General’s actually sojourn to the Presidency started in 2003, when he vied on the platform of the defunct All Peoples Party, APP. In that year’s election, Buhari garnered about 12.7 million votes, which represented 32.1per cent to lose to the then President Olusegun Obasanjo of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who was seeking a second term at that time. Obasanjo scored about 24.5 million votes representing 61.9per cent of total votes cast.
Four years later in 2007, he contested under the umbrella of All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), but again lost to Umaru Yar’Adua of blessed memory also of the PDP, polling a meager 6.6 million votes, a far worse performance than that of 2003. Yar’Adua had about 24.6 million votes. Not taking his eyes off the Presidency, by 2011, the unrelenting and persevering Buhari contested on the ticket of a new party he founded-the Congress for Progressive Change. Despite being a new party single handedly formed by the retired General with the support of people of like minds, just less than six months to the election, he scored 12.2 million votes to lose to the incumbent President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of PDP who got 22.5million votes in that contest.
However, the figures Buhari had in 2011, as the CPC candidate was an impressive improvement compared to his 2007 outing. In fact, he received commendations from a lot of Nigerians who had maintained that the support
for Buhari from the people since he began his journey to occupy the seat of power at the centre in the current democratic dispensation was purely based on his personality and reputation. He is believed to have distinguished himself in all the various positions he held in the past and thereby succeeded in getting endeared into the hearts of the populace.
After the conduct of the 2011 general elections, some major political parties in the country – Buhari’s CPC, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the ANPP and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
commenced talks on a merger that would provide them with a formidably strong platform to unknot the dominance of the ruling PDP. On February 6, 2013, the All Progressives Congress (APC) was founded from the merger arrangement and Buhari eventually emerged as the party’s presidential candidate after a well-organized, transparent, free and fair primary election in Lagos last December.
Today, the former Head of State has made history by becoming the first Nigerian politician to defeat an incumbent President. He polled a total of 15,424,921 votes to defeat Jonathan, who scored a total of 12,853,162 votes to place second in the race involving 14 contestants. His victory has been described by many observers as a welcome development heralding the beginning of a new era in the affairs of the country under a democratic setting. Indeed, most Nigerians cannot wait for this new horizon to unfurl.
•Michael Jegede,
Abuja
years proved himself as a man of rectitude, and demonstrated his commitment towards the struggle to build a better Nigeria in the interest of the masses.
As a dogged, resilient fighter and uncompromising politician with unalloyed forthrightness, he pursued his presidential ambition with great tenacity, despite his failure at every attempt since 2003. The retired
Army General’s actually sojourn to the Presidency started in 2003, when he vied on the platform of the defunct All Peoples Party, APP. In that year’s election, Buhari garnered about 12.7 million votes, which represented 32.1per cent to lose to the then President Olusegun Obasanjo of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who was seeking a second term at that time. Obasanjo scored about 24.5 million votes representing 61.9per cent of total votes cast.
Four years later in 2007, he contested under the umbrella of All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), but again lost to Umaru Yar’Adua of blessed memory also of the PDP, polling a meager 6.6 million votes, a far worse performance than that of 2003. Yar’Adua had about 24.6 million votes. Not taking his eyes off the Presidency, by 2011, the unrelenting and persevering Buhari contested on the ticket of a new party he founded-the Congress for Progressive Change. Despite being a new party single handedly formed by the retired General with the support of people of like minds, just less than six months to the election, he scored 12.2 million votes to lose to the incumbent President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of PDP who got 22.5million votes in that contest.
However, the figures Buhari had in 2011, as the CPC candidate was an impressive improvement compared to his 2007 outing. In fact, he received commendations from a lot of Nigerians who had maintained that the support
for Buhari from the people since he began his journey to occupy the seat of power at the centre in the current democratic dispensation was purely based on his personality and reputation. He is believed to have distinguished himself in all the various positions he held in the past and thereby succeeded in getting endeared into the hearts of the populace.
After the conduct of the 2011 general elections, some major political parties in the country – Buhari’s CPC, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the ANPP and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
commenced talks on a merger that would provide them with a formidably strong platform to unknot the dominance of the ruling PDP. On February 6, 2013, the All Progressives Congress (APC) was founded from the merger arrangement and Buhari eventually emerged as the party’s presidential candidate after a well-organized, transparent, free and fair primary election in Lagos last December.
Today, the former Head of State has made history by becoming the first Nigerian politician to defeat an incumbent President. He polled a total of 15,424,921 votes to defeat Jonathan, who scored a total of 12,853,162 votes to place second in the race involving 14 contestants. His victory has been described by many observers as a welcome development heralding the beginning of a new era in the affairs of the country under a democratic setting. Indeed, most Nigerians cannot wait for this new horizon to unfurl.
•Michael Jegede,
Abuja
Tuesday 7 April 2015
Pope Goodluck Jonathan: NOT SO SOON.NIGERIANS!
by Okey ONYEJEKWE
The certificate issue almost led to a constitutional crisis on the eve of the Presidential Election. General Mummadu Buhari has consistently maintained that his High School certificate was in the custody of the military. He was scorned and vilified by the PDP. Several Radio, TV and newspaper advertisements ran, days on end, calling him a liar, a cheat, an illiterate. Presidential spokespersons, namely: Dr. Doyin Okupe, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and Dr. Reuben Abati all took turns to ramp up the "Certificate-gate". They saw this as their ace against Buhari. As all these efforts failed to resonate with the public, they engaged all manner of surrogates to file lawsuits hoping to find any willing and purchasable judge who would disqualify Buhari. The man himself possesses unassailable integrity and honesty, tested over decades. There must be a thorough investigation on how some in the military became complicit in this travesty. There must be accountability.
Meanwhile, Jonathan is being hailed now as the "New Mandela” of Africa for conceding defeat after he was rejected by the Nigerian electorate. I am astounded and feel insulted that we are being sold a bill of goods that a Statesman status is conferred by simply conceding an electoral defeat. Never mind that the new "Statesman" presided over a totally failed and massively corrupt administration, coopted all the security agencies to thwart the democratic process in many despicable ways at every step of the way; trying to stop the use of PVCs, Card Readers (designed to eliminate all forms of electoral fraud), including violence and massive vote rigging on Election Day. In the South-South and South East States, in full view of the security agencies, polling officials were video taped filling out ballot papers and result sheets. Bags and bags of dollars from public coffers were doled out in public view to many "ethnic brokers" to buy votes. Paradoxically Nigeria just recently made the dubious list of "extremely poor nations", with over 70 % rate.
In Ekiti and other States, touts were recruited and given military and police uniforms to intimidate and brutalize voters in order to assure victory for the ruling party.
The world watched a last ditch effort by the incumbent party to derail our democracy. While the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega was announcing the last batch of the election results, lo and behold, [Jonathan?s] former Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, [Elder] Godsday Orubebe, appeared and held the nation/world hostage in an orchestrated last ditch ploy to stop the announcement and render the election inconclusive. They expected the security forces to engage him and all hell would break loose in the room and then his touts in the Conference Center, outside and in the States were ready to cause mayhem. Thanks to the steel disposition of Jega, Nigerians will be telling a different story today. Mr. Orubebe was not a lonely wild wolf on the prowl. He was acting from a script, which came out of a meeting held the previous evening and chaired by PDP elder "statesman", former Minister Edwin Clark, also a political Godfather of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Apologists are arguing that President Jonathan deserves to be hailed as a Statesman for saving Nigeria from violence and also for setting an example for Africa on how to concede when defeated. Some are even more bizarre to suggest that he should be awarded a Nobel Prize! Obviously, Nigerians are glad that he, egged on by the insane sycophants and self-centered praise-singers, did not act foolishly in an attempt to truncate the process. But having said this, please let us not get carried away, totally out of context and proportionality. The incumbent created a situation ante, which led to a context in which the whole world was forced to hold its breath.
The question we must ask is this: when you contest an election and you lose, are you not supposed to concede? Why is this an extraordinary feat deserving of a Nobel Prize, regardless of his extremely anti-democratic record leading to the elections? Incumbents in other African states have lost elections, conceded and left office in Benin twice. Didn't President Diouf of Senegal lose and concede to Wade? Didn't President Wade of same Senegal lose to Macky Sall and conceded? Didn't President Thabo Mbeki bow out, without a whimper when he was defeated by Zuma in the ANC convention? Incumbent parties have lost elections in Ghana and all hell did not break loose. Come to think of it, didn't President Olusegun Obasanjo, a military Head of State, hand over to a civilian regime in 1979? It is even more noteworthy for a military regime to voluntarily surrender power to a civilian dispensation, given its monopoly of the instruments of violence, than from one "democratic" dispensation to another.
I can understand it when the Western world hails Jonathan's concession as an earth-shattering event because in their usual condescending way, they don't expect higher standards from us. Foreign observers will usually adjudge African elections to be "free and fair, by African Standards" no matter how flawed. We are often judged by a minimalist threshold. But it is more painful when we ourselves begin to tout the same nonsense and judge ourselves by the same threshold and expect to be taken seriously.
This whole issue has become a total distraction from what was a courageous and remarkable effort, against all odds, by the Nigerian electorate to reclaim their mandate. That should be the real story, not on President Jonathan's concession whose administration and party, had turned the whole electoral process into a war like exercise in which they were determined to hang on to power by any means necessary. Nigerians must continually ask how we got to this point where we are willing to award a Nobel Prize just for conceding a defeat. It is because we are relieved that we averted a conflagration because the incumbent was determined to stay on by hook or crook? Or because when pressured by the "big boys" and the enormity of the defeat he did the right thing at the nick of time, especially after the "Orubebe Show of Ignominy" had failed? We are glad nevertheless.
Some are claiming that he could have clung on to power had he chosen to hang on. I argue that every action of the administration, including the postponement of the election, leading to the election suggest otherwise. The electorate had spoken thunderously and the world community, in unison, had warned, in no uncertain terms, that the will of the people must not be subverted. Most of the average members of the security agencies would not have acquiesced in any forlorn attempt at foolishness. Evidence: The president lost decisively in the polling units in the Army and Police barracks, as well as those in Aso Rock, the seat of power. The appetite for Change was voracious and insatiable.
We must not forget that many were brutalized, imprisoned, even died before, during and after the elections just for daring to exercise their constitutional rights, in what is supposed to be a democracy. We must not forget that these are the real heroes before we are affected by collective amnesia in the quest to move on quickly and forget the ugly past. Not so soon please! We cannot say "Never again", if we chose the convenient path - The Big Lie!
Professor Okeychukwu Onyejekwe was African Governance Expert at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA
The certificate issue almost led to a constitutional crisis on the eve of the Presidential Election. General Mummadu Buhari has consistently maintained that his High School certificate was in the custody of the military. He was scorned and vilified by the PDP. Several Radio, TV and newspaper advertisements ran, days on end, calling him a liar, a cheat, an illiterate. Presidential spokespersons, namely: Dr. Doyin Okupe, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and Dr. Reuben Abati all took turns to ramp up the "Certificate-gate". They saw this as their ace against Buhari. As all these efforts failed to resonate with the public, they engaged all manner of surrogates to file lawsuits hoping to find any willing and purchasable judge who would disqualify Buhari. The man himself possesses unassailable integrity and honesty, tested over decades. There must be a thorough investigation on how some in the military became complicit in this travesty. There must be accountability.
Meanwhile, Jonathan is being hailed now as the "New Mandela” of Africa for conceding defeat after he was rejected by the Nigerian electorate. I am astounded and feel insulted that we are being sold a bill of goods that a Statesman status is conferred by simply conceding an electoral defeat. Never mind that the new "Statesman" presided over a totally failed and massively corrupt administration, coopted all the security agencies to thwart the democratic process in many despicable ways at every step of the way; trying to stop the use of PVCs, Card Readers (designed to eliminate all forms of electoral fraud), including violence and massive vote rigging on Election Day. In the South-South and South East States, in full view of the security agencies, polling officials were video taped filling out ballot papers and result sheets. Bags and bags of dollars from public coffers were doled out in public view to many "ethnic brokers" to buy votes. Paradoxically Nigeria just recently made the dubious list of "extremely poor nations", with over 70 % rate.
In Ekiti and other States, touts were recruited and given military and police uniforms to intimidate and brutalize voters in order to assure victory for the ruling party.
The world watched a last ditch effort by the incumbent party to derail our democracy. While the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega was announcing the last batch of the election results, lo and behold, [Jonathan?s] former Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, [Elder] Godsday Orubebe, appeared and held the nation/world hostage in an orchestrated last ditch ploy to stop the announcement and render the election inconclusive. They expected the security forces to engage him and all hell would break loose in the room and then his touts in the Conference Center, outside and in the States were ready to cause mayhem. Thanks to the steel disposition of Jega, Nigerians will be telling a different story today. Mr. Orubebe was not a lonely wild wolf on the prowl. He was acting from a script, which came out of a meeting held the previous evening and chaired by PDP elder "statesman", former Minister Edwin Clark, also a political Godfather of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Apologists are arguing that President Jonathan deserves to be hailed as a Statesman for saving Nigeria from violence and also for setting an example for Africa on how to concede when defeated. Some are even more bizarre to suggest that he should be awarded a Nobel Prize! Obviously, Nigerians are glad that he, egged on by the insane sycophants and self-centered praise-singers, did not act foolishly in an attempt to truncate the process. But having said this, please let us not get carried away, totally out of context and proportionality. The incumbent created a situation ante, which led to a context in which the whole world was forced to hold its breath.
The question we must ask is this: when you contest an election and you lose, are you not supposed to concede? Why is this an extraordinary feat deserving of a Nobel Prize, regardless of his extremely anti-democratic record leading to the elections? Incumbents in other African states have lost elections, conceded and left office in Benin twice. Didn't President Diouf of Senegal lose and concede to Wade? Didn't President Wade of same Senegal lose to Macky Sall and conceded? Didn't President Thabo Mbeki bow out, without a whimper when he was defeated by Zuma in the ANC convention? Incumbent parties have lost elections in Ghana and all hell did not break loose. Come to think of it, didn't President Olusegun Obasanjo, a military Head of State, hand over to a civilian regime in 1979? It is even more noteworthy for a military regime to voluntarily surrender power to a civilian dispensation, given its monopoly of the instruments of violence, than from one "democratic" dispensation to another.
I can understand it when the Western world hails Jonathan's concession as an earth-shattering event because in their usual condescending way, they don't expect higher standards from us. Foreign observers will usually adjudge African elections to be "free and fair, by African Standards" no matter how flawed. We are often judged by a minimalist threshold. But it is more painful when we ourselves begin to tout the same nonsense and judge ourselves by the same threshold and expect to be taken seriously.
This whole issue has become a total distraction from what was a courageous and remarkable effort, against all odds, by the Nigerian electorate to reclaim their mandate. That should be the real story, not on President Jonathan's concession whose administration and party, had turned the whole electoral process into a war like exercise in which they were determined to hang on to power by any means necessary. Nigerians must continually ask how we got to this point where we are willing to award a Nobel Prize just for conceding a defeat. It is because we are relieved that we averted a conflagration because the incumbent was determined to stay on by hook or crook? Or because when pressured by the "big boys" and the enormity of the defeat he did the right thing at the nick of time, especially after the "Orubebe Show of Ignominy" had failed? We are glad nevertheless.
Some are claiming that he could have clung on to power had he chosen to hang on. I argue that every action of the administration, including the postponement of the election, leading to the election suggest otherwise. The electorate had spoken thunderously and the world community, in unison, had warned, in no uncertain terms, that the will of the people must not be subverted. Most of the average members of the security agencies would not have acquiesced in any forlorn attempt at foolishness. Evidence: The president lost decisively in the polling units in the Army and Police barracks, as well as those in Aso Rock, the seat of power. The appetite for Change was voracious and insatiable.
We must not forget that many were brutalized, imprisoned, even died before, during and after the elections just for daring to exercise their constitutional rights, in what is supposed to be a democracy. We must not forget that these are the real heroes before we are affected by collective amnesia in the quest to move on quickly and forget the ugly past. Not so soon please! We cannot say "Never again", if we chose the convenient path - The Big Lie!
Professor Okeychukwu Onyejekwe was African Governance Expert at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA
Monday 6 April 2015
Buhari: The Aftermath....
The Flipside - Eric Osagie
The aftermath of presidential campaign, especially the kind we had before March 28, 2015 poll, is like the morning after a rancorous party: Broken bottles and plates, messed up dancehall and garbage-filled kitchen and sinks full of leftover rubbish. An eyesore that testifies to the rowdy evening that heralds the reality of the morning after, the aftermath.
The campaigns were more than the riotous evening described above: All kinds of hate messages, calumnious adverts, poisonous words and acidic punches. War drums and threats of Armageddon. Pockets of violence here and there. The possibility of the doomsday prophecies coming to fruition was high. Everyone held his breath. Some with livers of lily held swift dialogue with their feet and bundled their families to their hometowns and villages, far removed from volatile cities and combustible enclaves, which had been theatres of war in times past.
You couldn’t blame them. Anyone who had witnessed the mass slaughter of the civil war or seen the macabre dance of blood occasioned by political violence would not wait to be told that everything would be okay this time around. Discretion is the better part of valour, as the old saying goes.
Then, it happened. An anti-climax. No disputation of presidential election results. No bonfires. No blood flowing on the streets. No citizens chanting: ‘We no go gree o. We no go gree.’ No mass killings. It was as if a dove had descended on the nation, enveloping us with the cover of peace and tranquillity. Those you expected to denounce the poll results lost their voice or rather, got the tongue of peace and conciliation: No trouble. ‘Let the General have his day in the sun, and swim in the tide of victory.’ First, President Jonathan, then, governors of the ruling party and the bruised party; then, the international community, diaspora Nigerians. The world spoke in one language: Language of peace and brotherhood. Language of one nation, one people, though votes and preferences may differ. It was one moment to be proud of Nigeria, the black man and humanity. Because it was unexpected, the moment would remain memorable and frozen in eternity.
Many people have been eulogising the duo of President Jonathan and Professor Jega, the nation’s chief electoral umpire for what happened in our country on March 28; the latter for conducting a free, fair and credible election, and the former for having the grace to accept his defeat. The argument is that, if President Jonathan had failed to congratulate the winner, General Buhari, the stage would have been set for the festival of blood, which was bound to ensue from the disputations. The other leg of the argument is that, Jega, through the ingenuity of the card reader and PVCs (Permanent Voters Card) set the ground platform for a credible process, which made violent reactions to the electoral outcome improbable. I agree only partially to the above postulations.
And here are my reasons: In my view, it is God’s, not man’s doing. God intervened at the nation’s breaking point, which forestalled violence and bloodletting. God only used Jonathan to forestall the cataclysm that would have engulfed us if violence had taken over. When God uses a man, he really has no choice in the matter. He becomes a mere instrument in the hands of the Almighty. Look at David in the Bible, the shepherd boy who slew Goliath; Samson, the man of war; Solomon, the wise king. It is God who gives strength and wisdom. We commend him all the same for allowing God to use him…
As for Jega, we give him credit but not full credit. The erratic card readers, muddled up voting process and glaring electoral malpractices in many parts of the country, are not what should make us dress the electoral umpire in superlative adjectives. The real credit for March 28 goes to God and ordinary Nigerians. As I noted last week in this column, March 28 was the triumph of the Nigerian spirit, triumph of the human will to make the impossible, possible. To make the change they desire happen, in spite of all odds. In all my write-ups pre-election, I had canvassed for the voter to simply let his conscience be his guide. Let him ponder within if he wanted change or preferred the status quo? If his life was better the old way or he sought change? It was the voter’s right, I argued, to decide if he preferred a retired General, Ph.D or professor to be his president? It was not anyone’s duty to dictate to the electorate. What we saw on March 28 was largely the will of the people, even if we agree that it was not a flawless process. In the future, hopefully, things could get better. No personal animosity or ill-feelings Prof!
Now, the rowdy party is over. We are faced with the aftermath. When the party is over, it becomes the duty of the host or owner of the facility to clean up the mess of the night. Buhari has emerged president-elect. In the next four years, it will be his unenviable duty to clean up the mess in our country. At this time, it doesn’t matter whether you voted for or against him; supported him or not. What would matter for him and our nation is what he does with his mandate. What do we expect of and from him? What should be his agenda? Can he deliver on his promises? I can’t tell you I have answers to some of the posers raised above. The answer to some of the questions lies in the bowels of time.
But, here are my agenda for the General, which he should tackle if he will leave his name engraved in the sands of time. First, he must be president of the whole Nigeria, not president of APC, or president of Daura or Katsina. Even if some parts of the country didn’t vote overwhelmingly for him, he must resist the temptation to ‘extract his pound of flesh’ from any part of the country for their preference in the polls. Fortunately, his acceptance speech has allayed such fears, as he has promised to do justice to all Nigerians irrespective of region, religion and gender. As an officer and gentleman, we expect no less of him. I believe we know the evil vengeful actions or pandering to parochial interests can do to a government and a country. We saw what it did to Obasanjo’s government and how it contributed to the fall of Jonathan’s administration. Once I wrote against the ‘Ijaw-nisation’ of Jonathan’s government and all hell was let loose on me. If Buhari must succeed, he must resist from day one, the many ethnic or tribal jingoists in our country who are ever ready to derail every government. I trust he will rise above this fray.
I have interviewed Buhari thrice, in 2004, 2010 and 2012, and from what he says, I believe he will be broadminded. There really isn’t any alternative to that.
Then, he must tame the ugly but familiar monster, running riot over our country: Corruption. He says he will fight it to a standstill. This is where he needs the prayers and support of all Nigerians. Corruption, as we all know, is the deadliest monster ravaging our land, and it is a formidable foe. We also know that Nigerian politicians haven’t changed automatically since March 28, and Nigerians, many of whom are chanting change, haven’t changed much either. We know our Senators and House members. We know what they do in the red and green chambers. The incoming president would need all the strength and wisdom to navigate the fight and crush the deadly enemy of corruption. God help him. But, again it is not his battle alone. It is only when we support him that we can all win. As military head of state, it is easy to shove everybody into one straight line. But as civilian president, it is a different ball game. This is where he needs to completely overhaul the National Orientation Agency, to begin a reorientation of Nigerians to their civic duties and responsibilities. To live the decent life and shun corruption, and indiscipline. Fortunately, with a whistle-clean leader, who will lead by example, that shouldn’t be impossible to achieve. Still talking corruption, he must beam his searchlight on agencies of government that have been cesspool of sleaze over the years. We all know them. We must do something about them.
There are other areas we will need him to take a look at: Power, security, education, health, among others. I am sure he should know what to do, having run the race for the Number One job a record four times, with a plan of action.
Finally, and certainly most importantly, the General must as a matter of urgency heal the land of its sore in the aftermath of the most acrimonious and divisive campaigns and polls ever conducted in the history of our nation. As soon as he settles down, he must find a way to address the fears and apprehensions of Nigerians from different parts of the country, especially in the South. He must continue to reassure them that he will be president of all, irrespective of the way they voted. He should continue to show in words and deeds that he is no ethnic or religious bigot, as they had tried to foist on him in the past; that he would not rule with vengeance or allow his party men to rub their defeat in the face of their opponents. I believe that a peace and reconciliation committee preferably headed by General Abdusalami or General Gowon, would not be out of place at this point in time. A genuine and serious reconciliation team, not the circus we saw in the past. If that is not possible, he must have credible Nigerians in his team, whose mere presence in the administration, would be reassuring to all Nigerians that the new president means business. Best of luck, General. You will need tonnes of it…
Kalu and the progressive change in Nigeria
In the aftermath of the historic March 28 Presidential and National Assembly elections, some Nigerians have been hailed as apostles of change in Nigeria. Surely, the All Progressives Congress leaders and members, who fought the hard way to get their candidate elected would qualify for diadem of change agents. So should ordinary Nigerians who braved all odds to stand by the courage of their conviction in electing a candidate of their choice. It doesn’t matter if their choice was right or wrong; if they elected the right man or not. In a democracy, the decision of the electorate is supreme and final. I suppose that is what Americans call ‘the majesty of democracy.’
However, when elections are won and lost, it is sometimes convenient to forget some people who have played significant roles in democracy and democratisation process; who have in their own way contributed to the change Nigerians now talk about. One of such persons whose contributions are easily overlooked is Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia State. Hate him or love him, no one can deny that he has made useful contribution to what is happening in our country today or rather, events leading to March 28.
Here is how: In 2007, when the then reigning ‘emperor’ Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, wanted to clip Kalu’s wings and locked him out of PDP through the so-called ‘party linkmen,’ he would not be cowed, he founded the Peoples Progressive Aliance, PPA, on which platform he ran for the nation’s presidency. He made an impressive showing in that race, coming third. The point he sought to make was that, no man, no matter how powerful, could conscript the political space. The PPA also wrested two states, National Assembly seats as well as House of Assembly seats in some states in the South-East.
After a while, he tried to return to the PDP, the party he co-founded with others. But the man he made governor, Chief Theodore Orji, would not let him. He again fought his way in, because of his belief that no man had the power to shut others out of a party. The battle for political space still rages in Abia State till today.
The point being made is simple: Democracy thrives when you stand firmly by the courage of your convictions. Kalu, in his numerous battles, often seeks to make the point that democracy thrives in popular participation and plurality of views.
It is in the pursuit of his plurality of views mantra that he would not attempt muscling dissenting or opposing voices in his media group. In his newspapers, every writer is entitled to his views. You do not have to agree or share Kalu’s view points. Comments are truly free here in the real sense of the word. Facts are what will not be compromised. You can ask my friend and colleague, Femi Adesina. I am sure he has told his story a couple of times: A publisher and his MD sharing divergent political points and leanings, and having a hearty laugh thereafter. If that is not progressive politics, I wonder what else is, as simple as you would think it is. In the years ahead, we want to see our country rise to the level of political tolerance and relationships devoid of acrimony, even when we disagree. That is the way our democracy can grow.
The aftermath of presidential campaign, especially the kind we had before March 28, 2015 poll, is like the morning after a rancorous party: Broken bottles and plates, messed up dancehall and garbage-filled kitchen and sinks full of leftover rubbish. An eyesore that testifies to the rowdy evening that heralds the reality of the morning after, the aftermath.
The campaigns were more than the riotous evening described above: All kinds of hate messages, calumnious adverts, poisonous words and acidic punches. War drums and threats of Armageddon. Pockets of violence here and there. The possibility of the doomsday prophecies coming to fruition was high. Everyone held his breath. Some with livers of lily held swift dialogue with their feet and bundled their families to their hometowns and villages, far removed from volatile cities and combustible enclaves, which had been theatres of war in times past.
You couldn’t blame them. Anyone who had witnessed the mass slaughter of the civil war or seen the macabre dance of blood occasioned by political violence would not wait to be told that everything would be okay this time around. Discretion is the better part of valour, as the old saying goes.
Then, it happened. An anti-climax. No disputation of presidential election results. No bonfires. No blood flowing on the streets. No citizens chanting: ‘We no go gree o. We no go gree.’ No mass killings. It was as if a dove had descended on the nation, enveloping us with the cover of peace and tranquillity. Those you expected to denounce the poll results lost their voice or rather, got the tongue of peace and conciliation: No trouble. ‘Let the General have his day in the sun, and swim in the tide of victory.’ First, President Jonathan, then, governors of the ruling party and the bruised party; then, the international community, diaspora Nigerians. The world spoke in one language: Language of peace and brotherhood. Language of one nation, one people, though votes and preferences may differ. It was one moment to be proud of Nigeria, the black man and humanity. Because it was unexpected, the moment would remain memorable and frozen in eternity.
Many people have been eulogising the duo of President Jonathan and Professor Jega, the nation’s chief electoral umpire for what happened in our country on March 28; the latter for conducting a free, fair and credible election, and the former for having the grace to accept his defeat. The argument is that, if President Jonathan had failed to congratulate the winner, General Buhari, the stage would have been set for the festival of blood, which was bound to ensue from the disputations. The other leg of the argument is that, Jega, through the ingenuity of the card reader and PVCs (Permanent Voters Card) set the ground platform for a credible process, which made violent reactions to the electoral outcome improbable. I agree only partially to the above postulations.
And here are my reasons: In my view, it is God’s, not man’s doing. God intervened at the nation’s breaking point, which forestalled violence and bloodletting. God only used Jonathan to forestall the cataclysm that would have engulfed us if violence had taken over. When God uses a man, he really has no choice in the matter. He becomes a mere instrument in the hands of the Almighty. Look at David in the Bible, the shepherd boy who slew Goliath; Samson, the man of war; Solomon, the wise king. It is God who gives strength and wisdom. We commend him all the same for allowing God to use him…
As for Jega, we give him credit but not full credit. The erratic card readers, muddled up voting process and glaring electoral malpractices in many parts of the country, are not what should make us dress the electoral umpire in superlative adjectives. The real credit for March 28 goes to God and ordinary Nigerians. As I noted last week in this column, March 28 was the triumph of the Nigerian spirit, triumph of the human will to make the impossible, possible. To make the change they desire happen, in spite of all odds. In all my write-ups pre-election, I had canvassed for the voter to simply let his conscience be his guide. Let him ponder within if he wanted change or preferred the status quo? If his life was better the old way or he sought change? It was the voter’s right, I argued, to decide if he preferred a retired General, Ph.D or professor to be his president? It was not anyone’s duty to dictate to the electorate. What we saw on March 28 was largely the will of the people, even if we agree that it was not a flawless process. In the future, hopefully, things could get better. No personal animosity or ill-feelings Prof!
Now, the rowdy party is over. We are faced with the aftermath. When the party is over, it becomes the duty of the host or owner of the facility to clean up the mess of the night. Buhari has emerged president-elect. In the next four years, it will be his unenviable duty to clean up the mess in our country. At this time, it doesn’t matter whether you voted for or against him; supported him or not. What would matter for him and our nation is what he does with his mandate. What do we expect of and from him? What should be his agenda? Can he deliver on his promises? I can’t tell you I have answers to some of the posers raised above. The answer to some of the questions lies in the bowels of time.
But, here are my agenda for the General, which he should tackle if he will leave his name engraved in the sands of time. First, he must be president of the whole Nigeria, not president of APC, or president of Daura or Katsina. Even if some parts of the country didn’t vote overwhelmingly for him, he must resist the temptation to ‘extract his pound of flesh’ from any part of the country for their preference in the polls. Fortunately, his acceptance speech has allayed such fears, as he has promised to do justice to all Nigerians irrespective of region, religion and gender. As an officer and gentleman, we expect no less of him. I believe we know the evil vengeful actions or pandering to parochial interests can do to a government and a country. We saw what it did to Obasanjo’s government and how it contributed to the fall of Jonathan’s administration. Once I wrote against the ‘Ijaw-nisation’ of Jonathan’s government and all hell was let loose on me. If Buhari must succeed, he must resist from day one, the many ethnic or tribal jingoists in our country who are ever ready to derail every government. I trust he will rise above this fray.
I have interviewed Buhari thrice, in 2004, 2010 and 2012, and from what he says, I believe he will be broadminded. There really isn’t any alternative to that.
Then, he must tame the ugly but familiar monster, running riot over our country: Corruption. He says he will fight it to a standstill. This is where he needs the prayers and support of all Nigerians. Corruption, as we all know, is the deadliest monster ravaging our land, and it is a formidable foe. We also know that Nigerian politicians haven’t changed automatically since March 28, and Nigerians, many of whom are chanting change, haven’t changed much either. We know our Senators and House members. We know what they do in the red and green chambers. The incoming president would need all the strength and wisdom to navigate the fight and crush the deadly enemy of corruption. God help him. But, again it is not his battle alone. It is only when we support him that we can all win. As military head of state, it is easy to shove everybody into one straight line. But as civilian president, it is a different ball game. This is where he needs to completely overhaul the National Orientation Agency, to begin a reorientation of Nigerians to their civic duties and responsibilities. To live the decent life and shun corruption, and indiscipline. Fortunately, with a whistle-clean leader, who will lead by example, that shouldn’t be impossible to achieve. Still talking corruption, he must beam his searchlight on agencies of government that have been cesspool of sleaze over the years. We all know them. We must do something about them.
There are other areas we will need him to take a look at: Power, security, education, health, among others. I am sure he should know what to do, having run the race for the Number One job a record four times, with a plan of action.
Finally, and certainly most importantly, the General must as a matter of urgency heal the land of its sore in the aftermath of the most acrimonious and divisive campaigns and polls ever conducted in the history of our nation. As soon as he settles down, he must find a way to address the fears and apprehensions of Nigerians from different parts of the country, especially in the South. He must continue to reassure them that he will be president of all, irrespective of the way they voted. He should continue to show in words and deeds that he is no ethnic or religious bigot, as they had tried to foist on him in the past; that he would not rule with vengeance or allow his party men to rub their defeat in the face of their opponents. I believe that a peace and reconciliation committee preferably headed by General Abdusalami or General Gowon, would not be out of place at this point in time. A genuine and serious reconciliation team, not the circus we saw in the past. If that is not possible, he must have credible Nigerians in his team, whose mere presence in the administration, would be reassuring to all Nigerians that the new president means business. Best of luck, General. You will need tonnes of it…
Kalu and the progressive change in Nigeria
In the aftermath of the historic March 28 Presidential and National Assembly elections, some Nigerians have been hailed as apostles of change in Nigeria. Surely, the All Progressives Congress leaders and members, who fought the hard way to get their candidate elected would qualify for diadem of change agents. So should ordinary Nigerians who braved all odds to stand by the courage of their conviction in electing a candidate of their choice. It doesn’t matter if their choice was right or wrong; if they elected the right man or not. In a democracy, the decision of the electorate is supreme and final. I suppose that is what Americans call ‘the majesty of democracy.’
However, when elections are won and lost, it is sometimes convenient to forget some people who have played significant roles in democracy and democratisation process; who have in their own way contributed to the change Nigerians now talk about. One of such persons whose contributions are easily overlooked is Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia State. Hate him or love him, no one can deny that he has made useful contribution to what is happening in our country today or rather, events leading to March 28.
Here is how: In 2007, when the then reigning ‘emperor’ Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, wanted to clip Kalu’s wings and locked him out of PDP through the so-called ‘party linkmen,’ he would not be cowed, he founded the Peoples Progressive Aliance, PPA, on which platform he ran for the nation’s presidency. He made an impressive showing in that race, coming third. The point he sought to make was that, no man, no matter how powerful, could conscript the political space. The PPA also wrested two states, National Assembly seats as well as House of Assembly seats in some states in the South-East.
After a while, he tried to return to the PDP, the party he co-founded with others. But the man he made governor, Chief Theodore Orji, would not let him. He again fought his way in, because of his belief that no man had the power to shut others out of a party. The battle for political space still rages in Abia State till today.
The point being made is simple: Democracy thrives when you stand firmly by the courage of your convictions. Kalu, in his numerous battles, often seeks to make the point that democracy thrives in popular participation and plurality of views.
It is in the pursuit of his plurality of views mantra that he would not attempt muscling dissenting or opposing voices in his media group. In his newspapers, every writer is entitled to his views. You do not have to agree or share Kalu’s view points. Comments are truly free here in the real sense of the word. Facts are what will not be compromised. You can ask my friend and colleague, Femi Adesina. I am sure he has told his story a couple of times: A publisher and his MD sharing divergent political points and leanings, and having a hearty laugh thereafter. If that is not progressive politics, I wonder what else is, as simple as you would think it is. In the years ahead, we want to see our country rise to the level of political tolerance and relationships devoid of acrimony, even when we disagree. That is the way our democracy can grow.
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