PMB: Why the next four years are crucial
President Buhari joined partisan politics in the early 2000 and demonstrated high level of commitment and resilience by refusing to give up on his determination to rule Nigeria once again through democratic process having ruled the country under military regime in the 80s. His first attempt in 2003 ended in failure where he was defeated […]
President Buhari joined partisan politics in the early 2000 and demonstrated high level of commitment and resilience by refusing to give up on his determination to rule Nigeria once again through democratic process having ruled the country under military regime in the 80s. His first attempt in 2003 ended in failure where he was defeated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo despite the fact that he got massive support from the Northern part of the country kano state in particular remained the political base of the President. He recontested against late President Umar Musa Yar’adua in 2007 and suffered another defeat in an election that was widely criticised by both domestic and international observers. Even the late President had admitted that the election that brought him to power was characterized by massive irregularities. In addition to that many people were of the opinion that president buhari had won the election given the massive support he had received from the North. A lot of people have demonstrated extraordinary support and passion for president Buhari during and after the election but he was rigged out in favour of late president Umar Musa Yar’adua which had resulted in violent protests and demonstrations across Northern Nigeria. The President did not give up because he contested again under the banner of CPC against former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 and lost out again. Having tried for the first, second and third occasions to become president of Nigeria but all in vain president Buhari was contemplating whether or not to retire from politics when a merger was formed between the CPC and many other parties across the country.
The assumption was that, with the massive support President Buhari enjoyed in the North and the influence of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President Buhari will defeat the incumbent President Jonathan hence the need to form a new party with a National outlook rather than a regional party like CPC. It was in that context that a new party the APC was formed and President Buhari became its flag bearer in the 2015 General election. He went on to comprehensively defeat the incumbent President easily because at that time the country was devastated by daily bombings and killings. In addition to that, many people have voted for him because of the prospect of CHANGE that we were promised. Many people have lost their lives in the course of celebrating the victory of President Buhari. It took the President almost 6 months to constitute his cabinet and that was the genesis of our current predicament of suffering and the situation be came aggravated with the illness of the President which to his lengthy medical vacation in the UK. Nigerians did not get the change they were promised. Prices of food and other basic necessities of life have skyrocketed beyond affordability. And many people especially Northerners felt betrayed by the President despite all the sacrifices they have made to make sure he became the President of this great Nation.
Now that the President has been reelected, he got another chance to reciprocate our gesture by making sure that all members of his cabinet are appointed based on merit and competence so that they could assist the President in designing policies and programmes that could transform the lives of ordinary Nigerians. He has another chance to write his name on the political history of Nigeria by empowering the EFCC and other anti corruption agencies to be fully independent and non selective in curbing the menace of corruption. He equally has another chance to secure our lives by providing adequate security for all the citizens to excel. Food security should also be guaranteed by the President to all Nigerians given all the supports and sacrifices we have made for the President. The president has to be proactive because four years may not possibly be enough for him to achieve something meaningful without being proactive.
It is our prayer that the President will achieve a lot in the next four years because history may not be favorable to him in the event of failure…!!!
Bashir Shehu Yusuf Gezawa [email protected]