Between Jonathan and Buhari

Presidential elections should normally be contests between political parties and their competing manifestoes, in which flag bearers are chosen primarily because they firmly believe in the principles and practices of the party. In Nigeria things are different. Our politics isn’t based on ideological differences and in the upcoming national elections most of the major actors […]

Presidential elections should normally be contests between political parties and their competing manifestoes, in which flag bearers are chosen primarily because they firmly believe in the principles and practices of the party. In Nigeria things are different. Our politics isn’t based on ideological differences and in the upcoming national elections most of the major actors in the opposition will be “de-campers” from the ruling party.
 So it boils down to a contest of leading personalities. Normally the last thing the nation should want to see, is a former military dictator becoming civilian President. Fortunately for Buhari’s supporters that line has already been crossed, there is a precedent. Unfortunately for them that precedent is the disastrous government of retired general Olusegun Obasanjo who dictated to the nation like a village headmaster, scorned consultative governance and reduced our democracy to mere conduct of elections. Instead of reprimanding errant military officers for getting us into this seemingly intractable mess, Obasanjo’s regime entrenched them in our civilian political life.
 As a result the current Senate President, so many governors, Senators and members of the House of Representatives were never called to account for any malfeasance during the military era, and inherited top positions in the democratic dispensation. It’s little wonder the nation has failed to make any appreciable democratic progress. Evidence of this failure is overwhelming seeing that government at all levels has abandoned social services and feels accountable to no one.  Although there are marked differences between President Jonathan and General Buhari, there are also many similarities. Neither is a good orator. Both have difficulty articulating anything but the most simplistic concepts. Both have suspect democratic credentials. Both are seen as representing the interests of a particular segment of the nation, and both have had an opportunity before and not made particularly good use of it. This is where the similarities end.
Those close to one candidate say he lives an austere life and isn’t interested in accumulation of personal wealth. Those close to the other have leaked stories of inebriation and accumulation of massive wealth. One candidate is known for his straight talking, the other for his waffling. One candidate is respected for his patriotism and reputed to be man of steel; the other is seen as an ethnic opportunist lacking the courage to face personal danger. One candidate is known for being impetuous and decisive; the other for being dithering and clueless. One is a former military dictator who has had time to learn the error of his ways; the other is a current civilian dictator enjoying the rewards of his ways with no reason to want change.  Yet change is what is urgently required. The nation needs a leader who can inspire us to be better than we are.  
There is a growing sense that the Presidency needs sanitizing, and thirty one years after Buhari’s first coming millions of Nigerians are hoping history will repeat itself. Paradoxically the retired general has become the arrowhead of a nationwide civilian clamour for restoration of national sanity. Ironically the former dictator was chosen though a transparent, democratic procedure, while his opponent dictated the undemocratic process by which he emerged. It’s clear that the majority of Nigerians no longer have any regard or respect for political leaders, and quite frankly there is no reason why they should. Change is absolutely necessary given that the nation has never been so divided along ethnic religious and economic lines. The hallmarks of leadership over the past six years have been under-development, corruption, impunity and a government which is out of touch with the people whose biggest problem is that they believe their own hype.
The common man has nothing to show for their “re-basing” which overnight made us the biggest economy in Africa even though we produce virtually nothing, and massively import overly expensive South African or sub-standard Chinese products. President Jonathan will do well to overcome the problems of the ruling party which appear to be coming to a head. The rejection of former ministers for governorship, massive de-camping, and well-publicized rancorous primaries nationwide, are ample evidence that all is not well.  As for General Buhari the main reason why the political elite will do everything to frustrate him is their dislike of order. Yet there must be order, and economic saboteurs must be dealt with if the nation is to return from the brink. There must be a change that gets the populace back to productive work and creates wealth. Jonathan and Buhari are both past Heads of State therefore comparison of their regimes is not out of place. In the 1980’s under Buhari industries were working, those who tried to place themselves above the law were dealt with, there was orderliness, there was a real and effective attempt to reduce corruption and the environment was clean. In the new millennium under Jonathan it’s been all the opposite. Will Buhari mess up like Obasanjo if he is given another opportunity? That’s not really the point. No one can guarantee good governance. Democracy is essentially about removing bad governments. If Buhari is elected and fails then his government should equally be removed as and at when due.