The hype, tension, and vile expectation have all but come and gone without much problem or incidence that had heightened the nation before the elections day. Nigeria has come of age. The world was watching with interest, expecting the worst to happen, while at the same time the Nigeria’s populace was in determined mood to extricate themselves from the jaws and clutches of perpetual evil. God is wonderful in his infinite mercies.
This election was not about Christianity or Islam even though some religion grandiloquent of both faiths wanted it that way. Politics is about ideology, dogma, policies and leadership and nothing to do with Christian or Muslim religions. The Imam and Reverend of this world must at all times try to keep out of political satire in order to retain any credibility as men and women of God/Allah.
On the 28th-29th of March Nigeria spoke with a voice that a change was needed and history in the making was made. The Presidential election shows that no condition is permanent and you can not continue to rapaciously injure the unfortunate people forever. The peasants are perhaps the least educated people through out the hemisphere yet most revolutions have very much started with them.
The Presidential election result in Nigeria would serve as a case study all over the world especially Africa, for students of politics, comparative political analysis. What a fine case study it would be, tracing the history of Nigeria from pre-colonial to independence and the evolving political practice and malaise till 2015 would give a good dossier for students and lecturers/trainers to work with. The MBA students with their usual SWOT analysis and possibly Porter Model analysis would have something to think about and work on. What makes the 2015 Nigerian Presidential election unique is that never in the history of Africa, but very rarely, certainly not in Nigeria has an incumbent president been unseated by an opposition candidate, and all within what was globally acknowledged as fair, democratic and largely peaceful process.
As demonstrated by Nigeria’s 2015 elections, politics in Nigeria is now seen from a civilized platform, (civilized political emancipation). The consequences for under-performed and corrupt party in authority are dire as the society’s populace is ready to ditch, and punish such party or government. The high moral decadence of most politicians in Nigeria in the past have led to a situation where politicians have very much often used political party as a ground for political ramboesque and an ostentatious parsimony which does not require particularism or loyalty. The end product of this is “cross-carpeting”, “de-carpeting” and “staged –carpeting” with sense of ideological satire. This lack of ideology is cancerous and has blighted politicians’ obligation for h/her people, and with pedestrianism of the society seemingly legitimizing the nefarious act of the politicians. As the Presidential election has shown Nigerians can no longer be
taken for a ride or granted or treated rapaciously. The pendulum of change rests with the electorate, determined by the performance of the party in authority whether national or at state level.
Well, let get to the nitty- gritty of things. A look at Nigerians faces in diaspora reveals a radiantly high morale Nigerians that have often been long riddled with disdain and ridiculed in adversity. A change was needed most Nigerians had advocated before the Presidential election and a change they have been given but it should not end up being foggy.
The winner of the Presidential election Mohammudu Buhari, (General Rt) was quoted as saying that “Nigerians wanted a change and change they will get”. Many political analysts tried to discern with difficulties what the President meant. This is simple, though it is difficult to read accurately another person’s mind, but I am sure that if you do not have skeleton in your cupboard, or criminal tendencies or have perpetuated one against Nigeria there is no need to shiver or quiver in freight. The forbearance of Nigerians throughout the election shows a country in a mission, that wants to tell the world that they are truly the Giants of Africa and pace setter for the Black race, that they have come of age and are determined to harness their potential, zeal, vigor and intelligentsia which God naturally endowed on them, but has been ruffled through external fag and domestic collaborators for a long time.
Long live Nigeria and God Bless Nigeria. Let get back to the President’s catch phrase: “You have voted for a change and change you will get”. I think the President was telling Nigerians that the dire situations Nigerians find themselves will soon be a thing of the past. He is not talking about a revolution but that corruption and indiscipline will soon be tackled and brought to an end. I would say if this meant some disgruntled Nigerians packing their bags and fleeing the country as a result of the president’s speech so be it.
I would possibly like to clear the air about the meaning of revolution for those who are uncomfortable by the President’s –elect- phrase. A revolution is a rapid violet and irreversible change in the political organization of a society. It involves the destruction of the existing political order, together with the myths which sustain it and the men which it sustains, and the creating of a new order, sustain new men and sustained by new myths. The change may well result from, and will certainly lead to, other and dramatic developments in the economy and social structure, but what is central to revolution is its political element. What revolutions are basically about is the exercise of power, and ideas and institution through which this is achieved. They do not follow inevitably from any proceeding set of conditions: and the social transformation to which they lead, though certainly a critical element without which no revolution can be said to have
taken place, is made possible only by the prior conquest of political power and by deliberate political decisions as how the power is to be used. So relax, if Buhari election victory is in any form a revolution, it is a revolution of the ballot box, not induced by ideology.
“You vote for a change and change you will get”. (Excerpt from President Buhari’s speech) Many things were wrong that characterized Jonathan’s P.D.P. administration. Let me mention a few of them:
• Insurgency in the North East of Nigeria
• Militancy in the Niger Delta
• Disquiet in South-South, South- west and Northern Nigeria
• The handling of insurgents and militants affairs
• The handling of the kidnapped Chibok girls
• The disillusion of our soldiers/police and their unpreparedness to engage any threat to our national sovereignty.
• Inflationary economy
• Huge Budget deficits
• Plummeting value of the Naira
• Lack of basic infrastructure, especially electricity, pipe borne water, roads and adequate shelter
• Youth unemployment
• Graduate unemployment
• General unemployment
• Those graduate applicants that were murdered at Ogbemudia stadium and
the handling of those responsible for their deaths.
• Misappropriation of funds and reported vanished monies in billions of dollars with impunity for the perpetrators.
• .Most especially Corruption and corrupt practices which Jonathan and his administration linen sleeved themselves.
In most advanced democracies, it is the shape of the economy that election battles are fought and won. Jonathan administration made Nigerian economy number one in Africa but the resultant bounties that go with it has not been realized by the society because of corruption and corrupt practices. More also you can not talk about the economy when the country is on fire from all fronts. It was only P.D.P party that did not possibly see what was in stock for them or probably they knew but they were deceiving us as usual but the body language of Jonathan when he was going to caste his vote shown it all as a man who was cantankerously fed up with the presidency.
I am sure the incoming President (General Buhari Rtd) will recognize the reality of democracy as not just about the ballot boxes, but good governance and to adhere to the principle of rational-legal authority which is the back bone of democracy.
Buhari was once a distinguished military man, as governor, oil minister, commander of the Nigerian Army, and military head of states of Nigeria and Commander in Chief of the Armed forces. As a head of state he ruled by decree and edict, which is impossible under civility, consequently he got away with so many policies which are impossible under civility because of the tenets and dictates of the constitution. Believe you me I raise my hat to you, Sir General Buhari (Rtd) for your indefatigability in fighting corruption and indiscipline during those short period you were allowed to spend in office. I, the World and Nigerians at home and in the diaspora wish you big congratulations for your affable Presidential election victory over incumbent Jonathan. We expect you to start well and end well, Mr President Buhari, Nigeria call Obey.
Yes the previous P.D.P administration under Jonathan is adjudged to be very corrupt, but let me tell you, there is no purpose served by abusive moral condemnation of those who succumb to the temptation by those who have not had the chance to. Anyone with the tendency must refrain from putting himself/herself forward to serving this great country, especially when it now under this boisterous, no nonsense zero tolerance President Buhari because the repercussions for corruption and corrupt practices would be dire. I would sincerely plead with those empowered to work along with President Buhari either by the ballot box or appointed not to hide under the cloak of civility to hamper any good intent of the president.
The basis of rational-legal authority is that individuals in public positions, possessing power over the fellow citizens, exercise that power over the fellow in accordance with legally defined structure directed towards a publicly acknowledged goal.
The problem of the out-going PDP administration is its failure in most cases to approximate to a rational-legal mode of operation. This is evident in the way the constitution of the country was flaunted and the constitution should be the ultimate legal frame-work through which rational-legal behavior is define- in my previous article: Nigeria in crisis: state creation is not the answer, Nigerian Observer 23.08.2014) I queried if the P.D.P administration had went through the procedural rules as stipulated by the constitution for creation of states in the country? The answer is NO. The out going President and his administration were embroiled in the process of creating additional 18 states in the country when the country was on fire. We all knew it was a ploy to deceive and a strategy that was designed to win the Presidential election.
Thank God the idea is “locked” up in the cupboard at least for now. That Nigeria was the creation of the British ogre is an understatement because neo-colonialism is written all over the country. But we should also know that contemporary Nigeria is the brain child of General Gowon and Pa Awolowo who in their quest to keep Nigeria one divided Nigeria from four regions in 1967 to 12 states. It was a strategy designed to defeat the secessionists of that time. It was a tactic used to incite tribal and ethical consciousness which saw the minorities in the then eastern Nigeria dissociating from Igbos. It has come to haunt us ever since with the demand of states creation in the name of oppression and development by Nigerian political cankerworms and political marauders.
This is the beginning of Nigeria’s problem, the civil war brought in incessant demand for states, corruption, ethnic consciousness, and lack of national loyalty. The problem in Nigeria lies with “fiscal federalism” that breeds chaos and corruption and more states creation would only exacerbate the problem.
President Jonathan lost the Presidential election mainly because of corruption. He probably failed to see anything wrong with the practice. Yes he sets up few anti graft agencies whose wardrobes are overflowing with unearned income surprises. The problem with past administration is denial, that all is well in the country when it was too open that corruption has eaten away our souls. It was even more than Shagari’s NPN, whose slogan was NPN; Supper Power and was suddenly changed when power got to their heads to NPN: Total Power. They were masters at looting the treasury, perfect in corruption and corrupt practices and specialist at ringing elections and would leave a state they think is of no consequences and significant to opposition parties. P.D.P. under Jonathan slogan was about to change from P.D.P: Power to the People to P.D.P: Power from the People. Corruption kills the mind and it is the use of public powers in order to achieve private goals.
P.D.P. failed to see that the level of corruption in the country especially in their party was unbearable.
The PDP echelons sheer social distance with the electorate made it extremely difficult for them to know something was wrong with the country. After all they are in towns and cities where they can enjoy an appropriate life style and, even within the towns and cities, enclose themselves in separate residential areas.
As the Musician Ambassador Osayomore Joseph says in one of his famous songs; “a Dog wiggles its tail when it is happy and especially when it sees its master, the master would eat and would reserve some for the Dog, especially the bone, but when the food is all eaten along with the bone the Dog barks in anger”.
As a President, Jonathan had a ninny personality to say the least, but Mr. Nice guy in appearance. During his Presidency he extended some corruptible Nigerians with amnesty and enjoined every Nigerian to learn one thing or another from them. Some of these people brought international shame to Nigeria and consequently seriously brought Nigeria into disrepute. One of those accorded with amnesty is still in Prison in Britain, the other absconded bail in London by dressing him self as a woman in a wing, painted lips, ear rings and six inch high heels, to deceive the immigration at Heathrow Airport. What are we as Nigerians got to learn from these crooks! You see Birds of the same feather flock together. That man who jumps bail by dressing up as a woman has since been tagged “Madam Alice in high Heels” by the British public.
It is unreasonable to expect a set of rational-legal values to develop among P.D.P. public officials without any effective mechanism for their enforcement, and the basic problem here is the weakness of accountability by the government to the governed which ex-President Jonathan was a leader and must take responsibility for.
It is a shame because some states, but few like Akwa Ibom controlled by P.D.P have really done well but when a leader is rejected his supporters are also rejected with him/her. We must however appreciate ex-President Goodluck Azikiwe Ebele Jonathan for the speed he accepted his defeat and congratulated the incoming President for floating like a butterfly and stinging him like a bee during their bout.
Buhari must learn from Jonathan’s defeat because the result shows that Jonathan’s P.D.P. administration was not truly representative of the whole country as the result of the South West has demonstrated. You do not encircle yourself with people from your enclave especially those known for their greediness in money and wealth control.
We must not expect Buhari to perform a miracle overnight. We would expect his plans and policies to come to the fore in the shortest weeks or months to come. Buhari would start putting the seed of growth and development in place very soon. The seed he is going to sow would grow possibly in one year or perhaps more, provided there is no saboteur like that man Mr. Enemy of progress who usurped him in the past.
This is not the case of a messiah is coming or has come. It is a case of a man who cares about Nigeria, corruption, indiscipline and the plight of the country has finally been enthroned. Buhari has proven his credentials by declaring his assets, with two houses, one in his village and one in Kaduna, and with no foreign account. After all his exemplary stewardships at the highest levels to the nation in the past, winning the presidential election is a mild gesture of saying thank you Sir, we need you and we would work with you and for you for the interest of the nation.
Perhaps an epistemological idiographic purge of the highest order of those in high offices between 1999 and 2015 would gladden the heart of the nation- You vote for a change and change you will get.
