APC! Change! Th e crowds were mammoth and so was the frenzy generated by the idea of the new coalition which had as its presidential fl ag bearer, a man reputed to possess the talisman that will conjure out of existence, all the problems of the country.
Today, Nigeria is directly experiencing the Presidency of Muhammadu Buhari which was built on great expectations.
Alas, the presidency has been mired in incredible contradictions.
Th e presidency of a nation carries its sovereignty and in most cases, come with humongous powers.
In Nigeria, the presidency is a leviathan.
Because the presidency is an administrative or governmental entity that surrounds the offi ce of the president of a nation or state usually personifi ed by a man or a woman elected for such purpose, it is usually powerful and aweinspiring.
Th e news making the roundabout rodents eating up the offi ce of President Buhari is a new low that we never bargained for in this administration.
President Muhammadu Buhari came to power on a groundswell of hopes, expectations and goodwill but the way and manner he has been going about the administration of the country leaves so much to be desired.
Nigerians voted out a president that was thought to be clueless, colourless and incompetent and the hopes and expectations of the people were that the APC and more specifi cally, President Buhari will be antitheses of the ousted leader and sacked political party.
Strangely, for a President and a party that came to power on a mantra of change, a good many things about the administration have portended grave contradictions.
Part of the talking points of the APC during the last election was the embarrassing level of medical tourism among Nigerians, particularly the political elites.
But in the second medical vacation of the President, he spent more than 100 days in London where he was receiving treatment.
Th e absence of information about the status of the President’s health gave room to wild rumours and insinuations about his well-being.
Initially, those around him were mute and when questions were being asked, they began to release pictures that did more harm than good about his true state of health.
Th is erroneous interface with the public on the President’s health was followed by the pilgrimage of the political class to Abuja House in London to catch a glimpse of him.
It was such a huge honour to the select few among the public offi cials who got such honour as to have a glimpse of the President.
All these could have been managed better.
Th e dwindling goodwill or public opinion rating of the President could have been saved so also the taxpayers money that were spent by the public offi cials who relished the pilgrimage to the President in London.
Th e President’s speech on return to the country has been mired in controversy.
While some hailed the 6 minute – long speech, others have given it a putdown.
Th e attempt by the police to gag the ‘OurMumuDonDo’ coalition that was protesting the prolonged absence of the President from his duty post was in bad taste.
Th e fact that the police gave protection to the counter protesters who came to support the President while mishandling the Charly Boy -led protest was egregious.
Th e right to peaceful protest is inherent in democracy as it is inalienable in man.
For the sake of posterity, our leaders should wean themselves off the monarchical instincts that seem to drive their interactions with us.
When addressing the nation, My Dear Citizens is inappropriate.
Fellow Citizens would have been better.
No President or Governor is a monarch in our constitutional democracy.
Th ey are all in power by virtue of the people’s will, therefore, the people must be respected not only as the real sovereign but also as the employer of these public offi cials.
Th at is the minimum standard that should not be breached again.
To be frank, Nigeria is presently facing serious existential challenges that require tact and forthrightness to address.
Being stuck with the idea that Nigeria’s unity is settled and non-negotiable is erroneous.
Nothing is settled about our Unity.
Th e numerous agitations and fi ssiparous tendencies within the country belie such position and mindset.
President Buhari cannot claim ignorance of the cries for the restructuring of this country before his election and restructuring was part of the carrots dangled before the electorates by his party, All Progressives Congress(APC), in the run-up to the last election cycle.
Th e President should again wean himself off such illusion of unity of the country.
Th e country is anything but united.
However, what partisanship could do to the psyche of people is quite worrisome.
Despite the annoying romance of APC with blunders and the unforced errors of President Muhammadu Buhari, some dye- inthe wool supporters of the President are incapable of seeing any wrong in the administration nor are they ready to tolerate opinions that run contrary to their perception of the President’s leadership style.
Such hailers (the adjective for Buhari supporters on the social media) are anything but patriotic.
Blind loyalty is a disservice to both the President and the nation.
Such disposition will make the President set in his beliefs and worldviews and render him incapable of considering alternative view points while the nation suff ers collateral damage for such rigidity in thoughts.
Th e wailers (those who will never see any good in the President), who in most cases, members and sympathisers of the Peoples Democratic Party, are pure mischief makers as they fi nd it diffi cult to come to terms with their loss of power.
Being in opposition does not preclude rationality from public engagement.
Deliberate fabrication of rumours and willful distortion of truth are as deadly as blind loyalty.
Th e two are at variance with patriotism.
Th e continuous romance of the APC- led federal government with blunders has once again strengthened the narrative of persistent slide in leadership quality globally.
Today, from the East to the West, and from the North to the South, the world is alarmed at the level of mediocrity and incompetence that characterise the leadership of many countries.
Th ose that are not plunging their nations into debts and economic guagmires are busy erecting walls and amplifying imaginary diff erences that divide humanity.
In Nigeria, at the local levels and micro units of the society, what are in bold display are incompetence, mediocrity, oppression and exploitation.
No wonder the country is in a mess. No level of the society is spared of this lamentable decadence in quality of leadership and unintelligent decision making in administration.
Dealing with the identifi ed menace of declining quality in leadership requires improving our educational system and strengthening the processes of our socialisation.
On a fi nal note, President Buhari is half-way into his administration, despite his best eff orts, a lot more still needed to be done.
It is hoped that the President will reach deeper within himself and summon the courage and resourcefulness needed to discharge creditably the hopes reposed in him by the people of this country.
God bless Nigeria
