powerful operatives had projected that it would reign and control Nigeria for a minimum of 50byears. But how the times have changed, sooner than later.
The PDP is now fighting the battle of its life and desperately searching for an escape from a seemingly imminent massacre in the hands of its most daring foe to date, the All Progressives
Congress (APC). The Presidential race has become such that even members and friends of Nigeria’s biggest political party would confess secretly that the war is virtually lost and won.
As at last week however, a few members of the privilegentsia still lived in denial, under the illusion that the election would not hold and that there are options to be explored. One prominent member assured me that “all of us are thieves and most people at the top don’t want and can’t even contemplate a Buhari Presidency.”
Another told me “I’m a Northerner and I can tell you that most Northern elites are opposed to Buhari’s ascendancy.”
While I do not doubt the veracity of some of their postulations, I have always believed that there is a power bigger than all of us and that God,
Allah, Olodumare, Chineke, or whatever name He’s called in your language, is the One and Only. It is true that since 2003, General Muhammadu Buhari has emerged as a recurring Presidential contestant beating previous contenders like The Owelle, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe
and Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The full story of Buhari’s audacity of hope and tenacity of spirit would have to be told by historians, political scientists and eminent psychologists in the future. It will be a tale in the realm of thrillers.
Not many of us anticipated that, a day like this would come again when, Nigerians would practically unite behind a man who once upon a time, carried so much negative baggage that we all treated him with disdain. I’ve read and heard of salacious tales of turning adversity into prosperity but this is indeed a classic in all ramifications. I would like to posit that the foundation for this miracle was laid by no other than PDP, a party that burnt many bridges and wasted its uncommon goodwill and humongous
privileges.
We must travel to the past in order to
understand how we arrived at this junction of confusion. PDP was the biggest beneficiary of the protracted crisis that resulted from the annulment of june 12 one of our best election yet on A Power was then auspiciously handed over to the usual conservative elements in Nigeria, offshoots of NPN and NRC, so to say. My theory at the time and till this day is that General
Ibrahim Babangida was encouraged and actively supported by the Nigerian Mafia to kill the baby of June 12 right inside the labour room. This innocent kid was just about to birth when they
struck and its life was cruelly terminated. That was it! Since then, Nigeria has known no peace.
What we’ve managed to enjoy are occasional
flashes and sparks of hope but nothing tangible
about moving our nation forward in the right
direction.
We watched in wonderment and amazement as
our country waltzed from one demonic attack to
another. For example, General Olusegun
Obasanjo’s reign had a fair share of its own
turbulence. Senate Presidents were changed like
diapers. Governors were in suspended animation
under the close watch of Nuhu Ribadu’s EFCC. A
promising regime almost collapsed under the
weight of a Third Term misadventure. Somehow,
President Obasanjo survived the political volcano
and promptly handed over power to a rather
taciturn and sickly President Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua who seemed to have had some great
vision but was handicapped by ill-health. The
months leading to his demise were highly
suspenseful as those referred to as the cabal
vanished into rarefied air with the terminally ill
President.
As always, many concerned Nigerians rose up
stoutly to the occasion. The then Vice President,
Dr Goodluck Jonathan, was seen by many of us
as an underdog and a pawn in the power game.
Human rights activists and celebrities gathered
and lined up the streets not because they
believed that PDP would suddenly become a
party that would care more about the people but
to establish the rule of law and enforce the
rights of man. This defence of principle led to
the emergence of President Jonathan in an
acting capacity until the death of his boss was
finally confirmed and publicly announced. The
mileage accruable to President Jonathan was so
massive and he enjoyed this till the election of
2011 which swept him to power in his own
capacity. His Fresh Air campaign and the grass
to grace trajectory resonated with most
Nigerians at that time.
But no sooner had Jonathan settled in than the
tribal warlords moved in confidently and hijacked
the President in the fashion of “he’s our son and
it is our turn to enjoy power like other regions…”
Thus a man who ought to have been the father
of the nation was soon transfigured into an
ethnic jingoist, inadvertently. He began to dress
the part due, I am sure, to some experts who
must have assured him that it would be better
to portray his Ijaw nationhood through his mode
of dressing.
The President needed to concretely invest in
infrastructural development for his people rather
than turning a few guys into emergency
billionaires. All it would have taken to build a
mini-Dubai in the South South was the will and
determination to resist the flights of fancy;
reduce graft and profligacy, and work as if there
is no second chance. But reverse was the case.
What we have seen is nothing short of a
monarchical Presidency, with exhibitionist
proclivity. I seriously doubt if an average Niger
Deltan can confidently say that his life is much
better today than it was pre-Jonathan. Whatever
support the President therefore enjoys today is
plainly filial and no more.
PDP and the President have been extremely lucky
that Nigerians don’t ask for much from their
leaders. I had tried in my own little corner on this
page to write endless epistles to Dr. Jonathan.
The whole idea was to advise and encourage
him, at no cost, and warn him about a future
that would creep in on him like a thief in the
night. I have been around long enough to
understand and appreciate the foibles of
leadership as well as the sinful appurtenances of
power. It would take plenty of prayers and loads
of discipline to survive the temptations that strut
and fret along the corridor of power.
Nigeria is a country with too many needs in the
midst of plenty. Our country is a paradox or an
oxymoron of pain and luxury. A committed leader
has to urgently shed off the toga of American-
style Presidency and instantly embrace the
quasi-revolutionary outlook of a Welfarist. As I
repeatedly maintain, it is impossible to practise
Capitalism without capital. This is the crux of
the matter. Both opposition and ruling parties in
Nigeria have to make up their minds about their
business-as-usual attitudes or let loose the
wrath of the masses on the country one of these
days. I’m certain that we are at our ‘Last
Chance Saloon’ of having a bloodless revolution
if we can successfully manage the forthcoming
elections.
The popularity of Buhari is clearly evidence, and
symptomatic, of a threat of revolution if we
mismanage things as usual. I must say that this
election has also brought out the best out of
President Jonathan. The energy and resources he
has pumped into this campaign should have
been unleashed on the country upon attaining
power. Now he’s looking very Nigerian by
reflecting the fashion of different parts. He is
now talking to Pastors and Imams unlike in the
past when the impression was that he cared
only about his Christian brethren.
He has suddenly energised the military by
attempting to achieve in six weeks what he
couldn’t in many years. The North East has
finally returned to Nigeria after what seemed a
deliberate ostracisation by the President and his
war commanders. The President is making
promises that may now be difficult, if not
impossible to fulfil in four years. What I see in all
of the above is that the President has ostensibly
realised what we have been talking about, that
he has underperformed, that some of his closest
aides have undermined him by engaging in
“galloping corruption” (apologies to Christiane
Amanpour), that some of the most advertised
achievements of his administration are of the
lowest quality at this time and age especially for
a country as important as Nigeria…
Yes, we can see the President working at frenetic
pace in the hope that it is not too late to
salvage whatever is left of his terribly decimated
Presidency. The entire world seems to know that
these are not the best of times for Dr Jonathan
and indeed Nigeria. From editorials in The
Economist, New York Times, and comments on
CNN and Al Jazeera, the story is uniform that
President Jonathan has lost substantial
popularity to a former dictator. All those who
wrote off General Buhari in the past (I was one
of his most vociferous critics) now have no
choice but to see him as a veritable option worth
exploring.
Such is life. The arrogance of a ruling party that
could not keep its house in order has now
spawned a spiralling movement across the
nation. The poor have always seen Buhari as
their friend and saviour. What has finally put a
stamp of authority on it is the fact that even
members of the comfortable class are now ready
to embrace Buhari warts and all. No one is ready
to provoke the poor further in Nigeria. We’ve
already seen the effect of poverty in the way
many idle youths are easily recruited for acts of
terror. If they can find someone like Buhari who
they fervently trust and adore, we can hope for
some reprieve from those children of anger. But
if Buhari is patently and brazenly rigged out, we
are at the risk of igniting a bigger conflagration.
The other reason is that many of us now think
we must practise democracy properly by
demonstrating that no person or political party
can condescendingly perpetuate itself in power
when it is very obvious that it has not met our
expectations.
I offer the following advice to PDP, APC, INEC,
Military, Eminent personalities, Nigerian Citizens,
in that order.
PDP - There is no question that as a party in
power for so long, PDP may not wish to
relinquish power but it must know nothing lasts
forever. Please, try to run a clean race and leave
the rest to the electorate. If you win, you will be
applauded and if you fail but concede without
rancour, the ovation will be louder. You have
fought too many enemies lately and lost a
multitude of friends in the process. Who knows,
a man whose head has been chopped off may
still try to puff some smoke! Nothing is
impossible. But do not attempt to win through
foul means.
APC - My admonition to you is not too different.
This is your best chance ever as a coalition of
opposition forces. You have managed a
formidable campaign against all odds and all
polls put you beyond or at worst neck-to-neck
with PDP. This is a great compliment to a new
party. You have five more weeks to perform a
miracle. You are closer than you know but try to
avoid complacency and over-confidence. Please,
encourage your members and supporters to
eschew bitterness and violence no matter the
degree of provocation. In particular, reach out to
all peoples and groups.
INEC - I watched the presentation of INEC
Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega at The Senate
chamber a few days ago and was very
impressed. With what I saw, nothing stops us
from having near-perfect elections on March 28
and April 11, 2015. Between now and then, INEC
should continue to train its personnel and
educate the electorate. History will never forget
your salutary efforts if these elections are
concluded satisfactorily.
Military - Our military and security forces are
first and foremost Nigerians. Your loyalty, as you
swore, should be to your nation and not any
individual or political party. You’ve always
performed wonders while on national and
international assignments. I’m happy and
reassured about your renewed determination to
rid Nigeria of insurgents. Our prayers continue to
be with you. There have been all manner of
rumours that you may be used by politicians to
scuttle the current democratic process. Thanks
for coming out openly to deny this allegation.
We shall all build a better Nigeria together.
Eminent Personalities - Like your counterparts
elsewhere you are always worried about
safeguarding your personal interests but the
time has come to put the nation first. Let’s give
democracy a chance.
Nigerian Citizen – It is your right and
prerogative to want the candidate of your choice
to win. However, once we exercise our right to
vote, let’s keep calm even if things don’t go our
way even if we think elections aren’t free and
fair. There are many ways to seek legitimate
redress. We should utilise those options.
No matter who wins, it is certain Nigeria will
never be the same.
Thought provoking. Wish all Nigerians would read this piece.
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