Sourced from graphic.com.gh - General Muhammadu Buhari is set to make history. Billed to be sworn in today, May 29, 2015, as Nigeria’s 14th ruler, the former military head of state is the first man to win a presidential election against a sitting president in Nigeria’s fragile democracy.Chris Albert Okechukwu examines the challenges facing the incoming president, whose much-touted corruption-crusader credentials could be tainted by his powerful and influential cronies and acolytes.
Taofeek Salaudeen Babalola grew up in the Isale Eko neighbourhood with Nigeria’s political kingmaker, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They both attended St John’s Primary School, Aroloya, Lagos, and became great friends in their adolescent years.
Before Tinubu joined the political bandwagon, Babalola, who was then a medical student at the University of Lagos, had more potential. He did not attain the God-father status, but had a territorial dominance that marked him out as the numero uno among his peers, which included the Asiwaju.
But events took a dramatic turn when in 1999, Tinubu contested and won the gubernatorial election as the Governor of Lagos State, Nigeria’s economic capital and ‘Centre Of Excellence’. Like they will say in Nigeria, their levels, then, changed. Babalola, like millions of his Yoruba kinsmen, is an ardent supporter of Nigeria’s opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Even as a medical doctor, his partisan attachment to APC knew no bounds. To him, Muhammadu Buhari, former military dictator and leader of a junta that seized power in 1983 through a coup, is the messiah that could rescue Nigerians from the stronghold of corruption, insecurity and poverty.
The Biafra War
His die-hard stance is hardly a surprise. Divided along ethnic, tribal and religious lines, Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and world’s most populated black nation, has suffered massive losses in resources and manpower since the Nigeria-Biafra civil war which claimed more than 5,000 lives. The effects of that war, which pitched North/West federal forces against the Eastern Region faction led by Lt. Col. Emeka Ojukwu, left scars that have refused to heal.
These days, every Ikechukwu is a supporter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), whose candidate in the last presidential election was President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, who hails from Bayelsa State, south-south of Nigeria. While every Ibrahim or Femi belongs to APC, on whose platform Buhari, a Northern Muslim was elected Nigeria’s new president under APC’s umbrella.
It is so prominent that in churches and mosques, politicians are given special sessions to sell their manifesto to worshippers, under the supervision of revered ‘men of God’. Little surprise that months leading to the presidential election, Jonathan was openly endorsed by multi-billionaire preacher, Bishop David Oyedepo, as well as Pastor E.A. Adeboye, who, ironically heads the Redeemed Christian Church of God, where Buhari’s running mate and Nigeria’s vice president-elect is a ‘minister of God’. However, just as Babalola observed during his post-election analysis, Jonathan’s preference for junketing the churches and romancing with the ‘men of God’ instead of tackling Nigeria’s legion of problems, accounted for why Buhari dusted him with more than two million votes to make history as the first man since Nigeria’s independence to beat an incumbent president in any election.
In a country where over 150 million of the citizenry, who live in penury and economic turmoil, are appeased with soothing biblical injunctions such as ‘With God all things are possible’ or ‘God’s in control’, Jonathan’s emphatic drubbing was a very important lesson. Basking in the euphoria of his party’s resounding victory at the presidential polls, however, Babalola is not deluding himself that all is well with Nigeria.” Buhari may have headed a military government that had zero tolerance for corruption, under a democratic dispensation, it is entirely a different ball game,” the surgeon stated.
Different environment
“During Buhari’s tenure as military head of state, he did not have to consult the National Assembly to enact decrees, and follow them up with punitive measures against defaulters. He did not have to consult any governor. Then he was the one who appointed governors, and had the right to sack them. He also never went through the law courts, judges or lawyers to get his policies implemented. But in the present set up, where fraudulent members of House of Representatives and Senate are calling the shots, it’s very easy for them to commence an impeachment process against Buhari, if and when they feel threatened.
In a democracy, where the ‘elected’ 36 powerful state governors have formed a vicious cabal, it’s impossible to function as a president without consulting them. With a judiciary which has some dishonest judges, who have failed to convict politicians who stole billions in taxpayers’ funds, how Buhari will be able to stamp his authority and bring sanity to the already spongy system is left to be seen.”
Ultimate challenge
To Babalola, perhaps Buhari’s ultimate challenge is how to contain the powerful and influential Tinubu, who bankrolled the president’s successful election. The former Lagos State governor, who has been described as ‘Nigeria’s largest landlord’ as a result of his mass acquisition of property and cash belonging to Lagos and five other States in South West Nigeria (he single-handedly sponsored the governors to ‘election’ victories) is regarded in Nigeria’s politics as larger than life.
The writer is a journalist, author, analyst and commentator on sports and African issues.
Writer’s email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Source: graphic.com.gh
