The coming of President Muhammadu Buhari into leadership of Nigeria was greeted with mixed reactions. To many, it was the advent of tough times and harshness going by his Military leadership antecedents. To many others, it was time for national rejuvenation; while to, yet, others, it was like a pregnant woman. Everyone awaits her delivery date to see what she will pop out. That was the scenario for the period we waited from elections to the time of swearing in on May, 29th.
Not unexpectedly, the President, on his swearing in day, said it was a time for action. A time of reflection and a time for national consciousness. Most importantly, he warned that he belonged to nobody, but to everybody. Very complicated message though.
However, the majority of Nigerians saw it as a riot act on those who thought they worked in bringing him into power. It was a period of another suspense for Nigerians as the President later buried himself in Aso rock for six months without a Cabinet. We are coming to that later.
Then it was time for the formation of the leadership structure for the Legislature at the Federal level. The leadership of the party that brought PMB to power decided on how it was to hold. The blue print was perfected and ready for implementation. All that was needed was the President’s consent and action.
And he was finally approached. But in his projected policy of non interference, he budged. He did what looked like throwing sands into the eyes of his party then which allowed scheming, cunning politicians in the chambers, parading as his party men, to clinch the prized apple.
The party then, lost. To say that the Presidency also lost was an understatement. The result of that action is another story to tell another time. Slip number one.
Now; back to the President burying himself in the villa. The first disappointment to many Nigerians was when the President finally came up with a list of his Ministers. Those who felt they made him President were the bulk of his Cabinet, or their nominees as members of their inner political machinery.
This is in spite of corruption allegation against many of them. Those who thought he would dump the men were wrong. He paid them for their sweat with plum jobs. To date, apart from the Minister of Finance who left in an unfortunate circumstance, the rest remain in his Cabinet. To the majority, it’s slip number two.
Then, the fight on corruption, the much of his administration’s policy thrust, was to kick off. Everyone’s heart was in one’s mouth. Many people were arrested, and charged. The President spat brim and fire. He appointed an acting boss for the EFCC, a guy who began to bounce around like a grinding ball. Hated by the National Assembly who asked the President to sack him, the guy earned for himself the respect of many Nigerians and fear of many politicians all at once.
But then, as everyone was feeling the apprehension, a lot of other things crouched into the scenario which dwindled the respect Nigerians had for the fight against corruption under the Buhari administration. His Secretary to the government was accused of corruptly enriching himself from unwholesome sources but the President refused to act for a long time.
When he finally did, people did not respect his action of sacking the accused Secretary to the government and his arrest and arraignment before justice. This is in spite of being the first time any government in Nigeria ever took such a high profile decision on a high ranking, inner house decision maker. Slip number three.
When the Military routed the insurgents in Born;, when the success was daily recorded, the President visited Maiduguri and identified with the people. He was praised by all North Easterners. And, yes, it was praiseworthy.
Then, unprepared, the President, helplessly watched as internal crises erupted in the middle belt. Those who saw it as an avenue of getting to the President used the media to blame the entire development on what was described as the weakness of the President, and later, said he was even biased against a faction involved in the crisis.
In the heat of all these, the President kept his distance as he employed the Military and the Police to handle the matter. The media hammered on this as being accomplice and also insensitive at the same time.
The President was literally forced to visit Makurdi and addressed the people. It was a big relief, but then, not much respected as it was almost a belated action on his own part. To compound his problem, the President publicly said his Inspector General of Police disobeyed his orders to relocate there.
But surprisingly, too, no punishment was meted on the IG for violation of this order. Although the crisis was later contained, respect was not accorded to it due to all these developments. Slip number four.
Then, came the elections time. After lifting the ban on campaigns, his party , the APC, went ahead and organized one of the biggest political scams in the history of Nigeria and called it primary elections. Those who emerged as candidates for gubernatorial elections, National Assembly and State Assembly were considered usurpers as elections in many places did not hold.
The leadership of the Party, led by the President ostensibly to be truly democratic, thoroughly abused democracy. In fact, this single episode, not only dwarfed the image of the party and its credibility in the eyes of many, but contributed largely to the massive losses to the opposition in many states.
Litigation are crowded in the existing tribunals against many winners of the party at all levels of the general elections held. The President is blamed for this development as well. Slip number five.
Today, another crises has brewed, actually, escalated in Zamfara. From the last elections time to date, hundreds of lives were reportedly lost in the axis of Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto. Although the President has held several meetings with his Security Chiefs on how to end this crisis.
He has also employed much to deal with it, the people are not happy that he kept quiet over the deaths over time. Pressure mounted on him to talk. And he did.
But when he did, he simply said he was the most unhappy President in the world and many other things to that effect, but not passionate condolence to Zamfarans in particular. People were not impressed.
I personally believed he should have done more as well. That is in the area of compassion. But the President is yet to visit Zamfara. Yes, this one is slip number six.
I firmly believe that President Muhamnadu Buhari is an excellently good man. He means well for everyone. He also strives to do what he believes is right at all times.
But leadership is not only about doing the right things but doing the acceptable things. It is sometimes politically correct for a leader to think for the people. It is also politically correct for the leader to sometimes allow the people to think for him.
President Muhammadu Buhari must minimize his many slips in the next four years and allow the pulse of the people to have a space in his rather idealistic mind.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect WikkiTimes’ editorial stance.
