Re: After the euphoria, what President-elect Buhari needs to know

Thanks for yet another beautiful write-up. My own advice for the president-elect is that he should never make the mistake of recycling the same people that have held power in Nigeria since 1999. There should be no Jerry Gana-like figures in his cabinet. For us to believe that he means business and that his government […]

Thanks for yet another beautiful write-up. My own advice for the president-elect is that he should never make the mistake of recycling the same people that have held power in Nigeria since 1999. There should be no Jerry Gana-like figures in his cabinet. For us to believe that he means business and that his government really represents change, we want new faces in government. We want competent technocrats in key positions. President Buhari should represent a decisive break with the past. I’ve seen hordes deadwood PDP politicians defecting to APC in droves. They are not defecting because they have seen the “light.” They are defecting because they think the next looting party will be in APC. While I won’t advise President Buhari to reject anybody who comes to the party, he shouldn’t invite them to his inner circle, however influential they may be. They are thieving saboteurs. English people say, “He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon”. These defecting PDP members are devils. They ruined this country for 16 years, and it’s time to keep them out. I am a fanatical Buhari supporter, but the moment I see him fraternizing with these PDP devils in the name of reconciliation and unity, that is the day I will oppose his government with all the strength that I have. Enough is enough!
JideOladosu

Very insightful, Prof. Buhari will surely face a lot of heat from both mainstream and social media (fair and unfair) and it is for this reason that I used to caution Jonathan’s opponents against peddling unfounded theories and allegations against him and his government. I wanted Nigerians to use only fair criticism because I feared that should unfair criticisms and allegations become a way of life, the tables might turn after the elections and Buhari could get on the receiving end of similar stuff.
Raji Bello

I think that you have offered the in-coming president (In Shaa Allah) good advice. I believe he should remain focused on his campaign promises and ensure that his administration does not give much attention to vengeance. Governance should not be based on such trivial issues like going after perceived enemies; it should be based on a collective will to entrench good governance and a virile foundation for a sustainable development for Nigeria and Nigerians. To achieve this feat, Rtd. General Buhari needs to allow people of proven integrity to help deliver the promises he has made to Nigerians throughout this struggle. Nepotism and ethnic chauvinism should not have a place in his administration. His choice of media representatives should be meticulous so as to avoid the mistakes of past administrations – no personal attacks. He should refrain from making prevaricated statements cum attempts to satisfy the aspirations of every single person because expectations are too high at this time from Nigerians.
I pray that God Almighty Will give him the wisdom and courage to take Nigeria to a high pedestal of development. Thank you.
TijjaniAbubakar

It’s so refreshing to read about your interest to stay put as a professional journalist which you are. Your words are so reassuring because I have been following your pieces of journalism. I know you can criticiseBuhari and he would be glad that you are one Nigerian who cares.
Sahara Reporters? That would be interesting and would really elevate the ratings from the ruling party who usually saw the online reporter as a willing tool for the opposition. But I think your comment is hypothetical as those examples are not weighty enough. The recent contest is not to be measured with any. We are talking about 16 years of PDP rule which may be politically correct to say that there is likely to be no supporter of the ruling party in their team. How professional can they be? Too early to position Sahara Reporters as that credible watchdog.As for the General, thank God Nigeria still has someone like him left. Whether he would heed to your good advice is equally unknown. Everyone is anxious to see our president-elect help reshape this country. I’m also hoping that he can compete favourably with President Jonathan in press freedom. He really needs to work on that because the number of “internautes” has highly rocketed.
Awunor Augustine

Very interesting as usual, although I was expecting to read your take on the supposed sudden transfiguration of President Goodluck Jonathan into a “super hero” merely because of his timely concession of defeat. No doubt, he deserves some little commendation for the sportsmanship he exhibited in doing so, but I don’t think he should be celebrated as his staunch, apologetic supporters and loyalists would want us to believe. His was the case of a man who’d lost all hope and who was left with no other options. Jonathan, if he had his way, would’ve marred the whole process…and his actions during electioneering lent credence to this. He only wanted to use the action to explain away his atrocities and maybe because a lot of us forget so easily, we fell for this prank. HE’S NOT A HERO.
ÀmàUsman Mohammed