‘Austerlitz’ 2019
Less than a year from now the Nigerian general elections might have come and gone, and indeed won and lost. However, as a prelude to these elections there are concerted efforts to dissuade the incumbent president from contesting on age and medical grounds, while at the same time charting a course of actions to defeat […]
Less than a year from now the Nigerian general elections might have come and gone, and indeed won and lost. However, as a prelude to these elections there are concerted efforts to dissuade the incumbent president from contesting on age and medical grounds, while at the same time charting a course of actions to defeat him at the polls if he’s fielded. Frontally leading the charge are two retired generals both of whom were “ex-horse riders” who favours the idea of a’ paradigm shift’ via fielding youth(ful) candidate(s) to succeed the incumbent 10 months from now.
The problem with this paradigm shift proposition is that it infringes on the rights of the sitting president to seek re-election. Again it is not in their (the proponents) place to choose for the electorate who should govern them. This is no longer a Nigeria of Edmund Burke where power was in the hands of the few who decides for the majority. Rather, this is a Jeffersonian Nigeria where domination by a chosen few is an abandoned confederacy against the happiness of the mass of the people. This again is a Jeffersonian nation where people knowledgeable or not are the safe depository of the ultimate power in the society. In plain English, power belongs to the people. Vox populi, vox Dei – the voice of the people is the voice of God!
It is therefore not for an” ex- horse rider” to decide who wins in 2019. Rather, let Nigerians decide for themselves. Buhari, really doesn’t belong to anybody. He is only accountable to the electorates who gave him the mandate to preside over the affairs of the nation. Thus, ultimately the outcome of the general elections will be decided by the mobilized citizenry particularly the youths and most especially the women, that is the beauty and majesty of democracy. Therefore, the battle for 2019 isn’t going to be fought via epistles on the pages of newspapers. Thus when the former leaders gave their press releases earlier this year I was kind of “IBB sermonizing us on democracy, good governance and paradigm shift? Are you kidding me? Come on!” I can recall vividly that Nigerians had a raw deal under these past leaders. IBB’s Nigeria wasn’t a Camelot nor Obasanjo’s a Shangri-La.
Evidently, 2019 is increasingly looking like for Buhari what 1805 was to Napoleon at Austerlitz. Buhari is, arguably, the most popular Nigerian politician alive, if not ever. No Nigerian politician possesses the kind of ability (charm if you like) to rouse the crowd into frenzied adulation, also no Nigerian politician has ever had the kind of followership base that Buhari enjoys -that Napoleonic support base of the commoners! Or tell me how else could Napoleon have escaped from Elba and took France again? Buhari is largely being viewed as being in politics not for fame, not for money but for the common man. Say what you may against him, but you’ll go to bed tonight being rest assured that he is not a thief. This is his secret, this is his strength, and this is why people see a Sardauna, Tafawa, Aminu Kano and Murtala all in him.
I’m first and foremost a Murtalian, and I consider it as a badge of honour and privilege for Obasanjo, IBB and Buhari to all have served in the most dynamic, patriotic, charismatic, messianistic and hyperactive of all governments in Nigerian history. It equally goes without saying that Murtala remains the only Nigerian leader with first name recognition. Thus if truth be said, it is only Buhari out of the trio that has exemplified and dignified what Murtala lived and died for. That is why Buhari has succeeded in etching or engraving his name in the hearts and minds of millions of Nigerians all over the federation 2019 or no 2019. My advice to the duo of the trio is to spend a good deal of their time reflecting on their legacies, how Nigerians truly view them and how history will judge them. Beyond 2023 when Buhari leave the stage, he will be remembered in a positive and good light as a leader who stood for truth, one who led the War Against Indiscipline between 1984 – 1985 and War Against Corruption between 2015 – 2023 and who de-annulled June 12, 1993 presidential elections 25 years after it was annulled by the Evil Genius. Buhari’s image may decorate one of our currency notes, or our postage stamps or perhaps on Nigeria’s version of Mount Rushmore i.e our own Zuma rock alongside other great Nigerians. In fact I foresee his likeness at Madame Tussauds. His place in Nigerian history is assured. I envy him!
IBB on the other hand will most likely be remembered for the institutionalization of “settlement”, devaluation of the Naira, advent of fuel scarcity, ASUU strikes and annulment of June 12, 1993 Presidential elections. I don’t envy IBB!
Obasanjo seems to be out to erode his good record of being Murtala’s second-in-command, first general in Africa to return power to civilians, first to accomplish civilian to civilian hand over of power in Nigeria. He should accept the fact that he has failed to become Nigeria’s Franklin Roosevelt.
Talking about this aspect of paradigm shift vis a vis the present political realities in Nigeria, the idea of a 35 year old president seems plausible yet basically far-fetched as even centuries – old western democracies are yet to democratize to that level, case in point here being that since 1787 the U.S constitution sets the age for the president at 35 years, yet to date no one under the age of 40 years has ever occupied the White House. In fact the youngest US president was Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt at 41 years of age following McKenley’s death, while Kennedy was the youngest elected president at 43 years of age. We can field an ‘Emmanuel Macron’ or ‘Justin Trudeau’ against Buhari but will his message resonate with the nation’s teeming masses? Will they chant his mantra? Right away the closest we have to a Trudeau or Macron is my namesake Tambuwal from Sakkwato and he’s already 52 which mean we can’t have a youth but a youthful president as UNESCO has defined a youth as person between 15 – 35 years of age! Therefore let’s not kid ourselves that a young knight in shiny armour mounted on a white steed will gallop into town. Cleaning the Nigerian Augean Stable is indeed a herculean task and Buhari is neither Hercules nor Atlas but he’s surely the man to beat and we better deal with that. Sometimes when people say Buhari is cleaning 16 years PDP rot they’re being charitable because he’s actually cleaning a 30 year mess.
In retrospect the idea of a Buhari presidency started with the youth. In the last week of November 1993 the United Students of the Advanced Black Union (USABU) was formed at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria by students who believed that the first 25 years of Nigeria’s independence were the best, that the party or rather the good life for most Nigerians ended on August 27, 1985, that the 8 years that followed remains the nation’s worst, that Buhari should be its patron. The rest as they say is history. Sometimes a crazy idea becomes the greatest, as those students foresaw the triumph of 2015 over 1985.
Dr. King learnt to dream at Morehouse while I learnt to dream at A.B.U, that one day the rejected stone will become the cornerstone of Nigeria’s building effort to greatness, and now, lo and behold, greatness and glory beckons at ‘Austerlitz’!
Imam wrote this piece from Kano.