Buhari Listen, God Just Spoke Through Obasanjo -By Victor Enengedi

Victor Enengedi

In the past weeks, no issue has been more debated than the recent scathing letter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Muhammadu Buhari urging him not to seek re-election in 2019.

In the letter titled, “The Way Out: A Clarion Call for Coalition for Nigeria Movement”, Obasanjo amongst other things, expressed his disapproval of Buhari’s administration, alleging a trail of impropriety and misconduct such as clannishness, nepotism, incompetency, poor performance, gross dereliction of duty, ineptitude amongst others. The content of the letter, no doubt expresses the feelings of most Nigerians, giving a withering assessment of the administration of President Buhari.

Obasanjo’s intervention which has been described by senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani as, ” truth packaged in Dynamite” could not have come at a more needed time. Given his antecedents, Obasanjo’s letter may not totally surprise many, but what has come as a shock is perhaps his hard knocks on an administration which he was seen frolicking with since it came onboard and had only a year ago given kudos to.

However, nothing Obasanjo said in his letter is new to the ordinary Nigerian. Whether it’s the President’s nepotic appointments or his poor handling of economic issues to alleged corruption among his aides and of course, Fulani herdsmen killings, these are some of the issues that are being discussed and debated everyday at newspaper stands, marketplaces, offices and on television and radio talk-shows.

While the All Progressives Congress (APC) and some of the President’s cronies may want to question Obasanjo’s sincerity of purpose and argue the former President’s credibility and moral justification for criticizing the present government and demanding the incumbent not to seek re-election for a second term, being that he (Obasanjo) attempted to fraudulently secure a third term during his administration, I can only advise such people to not focus on the messenger, but on the message, which, if objectively analysed will show the efforts of a man who has genuine interest and concerns for the country.

Obasanjo is, however, no saint, but his views reflect and represent the views of most Nigerians. The opinion of an elder statesman such as Obasanjo cannot easily be waved aside and it has come at such a critical time. It captures the murmurings, complains and anger of Nigerians in the streets who have lost hope in this government and are either calling on the President to step up his game or make way for a better manager of the country.

Buhari may appear to be a man of impeccable character and integrity, but however, the last few years have shown that the job of running a democratic government is much too heavy for him and he is not so much in tune with modern operations of government. The trouble with his health had denied the country many months of development.

It would be recalled that Buhari was voted into power based on the goodwill of Nigerians who were upset and fed up with the incompetence of the then government of Goodluck Jonathan. Nigerians were at the time, willing to give Buhari’s ‘Change’ agenda a chance. The belief then was that he could decisively tackle the nation’s surmounting problems and stir the country in the right path. Truth be told, the president has failed in what was believed to be his core professed competences – security, anti-corruption, and economy. Today, the country is in a terrible mess. The economy is in shambles and nothing seems to be going right. The country seems to be creaking under the weight of his misrule. The popular chant “Sai Baba” has in some quarters, now turned to “Slay Baba”. Sad, how Buhari quickly transformed from a hero to a villain.

The President is fast losing some of his closest allies and supporters who had once vociferously supported him. Including the President’s wife, Aisha, former associates; Atiku Abubakar, Dele Momodu, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Father Ejike Mbaka, who were once instrumental in canvassing support for him have all in one way or the other hinted of their disappointment in his system operation and in some cases, have turned against him. Their criticism of the President has now earned them a place in a special club, humourously referred to as Buhari’s Former Friends (BFFs).

For many of the President’s supporters like myself who have often times defended some of his inadequacies, his inordinate and obstinate silence on the killings by Fulani herdsmen is unforgivable. Nigerians have become angry and disgusted at his reluctance to arrest and prosecute the killer herdsmen who have severally invaded communities, maiming, raping and murdering dozens of people he was voted in to protect. The herdsmen seem to be untouchable and above the law, hence the killings have continued unabated earning them the title of the fourth deadliest terror group in the world, courtesy of 2015, Global Terrorism Index.

Nigerians have now grown tired and out of patience with the slow nature of the President – a key factor which may certainly deny him their votes in 2019. The consensus amongst Nigerians, from the streets of Lagos to Calabar, Abuja to Onitsha would readily be for Buhari to heed the admonition of Obasanjo, drop his re-election bid, and allow a new leader with ‘fresh and progressive ideas’ to lead our nation to the next level.

Buhari has done his best, but he lacks the intellectual clout to force the promised change and doesn’t possess the intelligence to rescue the country from its economic and political problems. It is only those who love the country and who love him (Buhari) that will tell him the truth. It would do him a lot of good to take the advice of obasanjo – retire and take “time to reflect, refurbish physically and recoup and after appropriate rest, once again, join the stock of Nigerian leaders whose experience, influence, wisdom and outreach can be deployed on the sideline for the good of the country.”

Even though it is widely agreed that Buhari and the APC have failed, PDP, on the other hand, is no way an option, hence the need for Nigerians to take advantage of the forthcoming election as an opportunity to select competent, vibrant people who can handle the affairs of this country. Nigeria deserves a President who would not be slow in the handling of salient national matters. A President who can stand for justice and equality. A man or woman able to show empathy for the sufferings of the people and be ready to step on powerful toes stubbornly, no matter whose ox is gored.

Victor Enengedi, Editor at Tori.ng can be reached via Twitter: @iamkuffz, email: kuffz999@yahoo.com