President-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari
In this piece, TOLUWANI ENIOLA traces the evolution of Nigeria’s democracy and the emergence of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, as the President-elect of the country’s 4th Republic
The history of Nigeria is dotted with dramatic changes in power. Since the country gained independence in 1960, it has witnessed turbulent political transitions, culminating in a series of bad leadership which has earned the country a negative reputation. With a record of six military coups and long military administration, the country has been unlucky with its crop of leaders who stole the country blind and frustrated its advancement. Since independence, the quest for change had been elusive.
The yearnings for change assumed a fresh dimension in 1999 when the nation returned to democratic rule. Expectations of the masses were, however, dashed with the poor performances of successive governments. The disillusionment of the masses with the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party in power strengthened the clamour for a change. The disillusionment produced the revolutionary seed that precipitated the coming together of opposition parties which bonded along the progressive pathway in the struggle to oust the PDP. The merger eventually gave birth to the All Progressives Congress.
The APC was formed on February 6, 2013, two clear years before the 2015 elections. The APC, an alliance of the four biggest opposition parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Congress for Progressive Change, the All Nigeria Peoples Party and a faction of the All Progressive Grand Alliance – merged to take on the PDP in what observers described as a significant historic alignment capable of changing the story of the ‘Giant of Africa’. Basically, by the reason of its place of operation, which is the South-West, and by the politicians in its fold and its manifesto, the party is regarded as an offshoot of the Unity Party of Nigeria. Led by the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, the UPN was seen as the bastion of democratic socialism and progressivism in the Second Republic.
On August 21, 2013, the party unfolded a 31-page manifesto of its cardinal programmes featuring war against corruption, food security, integrated transport network and free education. Others are devolution of power, accelerated economic growth and affordable health care. According to the party, the programme will transform Nigeria into a progressive state anchored on social democracy.
“Our government shall vigorously pursue the expansion of electricity generation and distribution of up to 40,000 megawatts in four to eight years,” the APC said in the manifesto.
The ruling PDP congratulated the APC on its registration as a political party but boasted that the APC would stop President Goodluck Jonathan from returning to Aso Rock after the presidential election. The “largest party in Africa” had boasted that it would rule for 60 years. The highpoint of the 2015 presidential campaign was on December 11 last year when Buhari, who had contested the presidential elections three times, polled 3, 430 to defeat four other aspirants of the APC in the presidential primary held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
Meanwhile, disillusionment and discontent trailed the Jonathan administration as Nigerians complained of growing insecurity, corruption, epileptic power supply and inflation. The agitation for a better life by Nigerians made the APC a viable alternative to the ruling party. But some critics saw Jonathan and Buhari as Nigeria’s “miserable choices” while Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, however, described Buhari as the “better of the two evils.”
The APC presidential campaign rode on the wavelength of drama, pomp and circumstance, focusing on its manifesto and highlighting the problems facing Nigeria. Nigerians became excited with the possibility of change. Buhari’s running mate, who is a Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, added a new dimension to politicking when he boarded BRT buses to propagate the party’s manifesto. said he boarded the buses to show that the APC was interested in the welfare of average Nigerians.
Like his PDP counterpart, Buhari’s campaign promises are numerous. He promised to create one million jobsfor Igbo youths by revamping huge coal deposits in Enugu State for the generation of electricity and export. He also said one of his first priorities in office was to bring down the rate of the dollar to the naira.
The retired general excited Nigerians with his anti-corruption stance, using his no-nonsense reputation to underscore his determination to fight corruption. He promised to probe the activities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the fuel subsidy accounts just as he vowed to deal with corrupt government officials and fix the power sector. The Daura-born military general also promised to provide the nation with security, reduce the pump prices of petroleum products and build operational refineries.
During his campaign in Adamawa State, Buhari said, “What we save from the fight against corruption and leakages, we will invest heavily in education, infrastructure, equipment, and teachers. The best we can do for our generation and future generations is to give them qualitative and quantitative education. An APC government throughout the country definitely will do that.”
While delivering his speech at the Chatham House in the United Kingdom last year, he said, “Let me assure you that if I am elected President, the world will have no cause to worry about Nigeria as it has had to recently; that Nigeria will return to its stabilising role in West Africa; and that no inch of Nigerian territory will ever be lost to the enemy because we will pay special attention to the welfare of our soldiers in and out of service. We will give them adequate and modern arms and ammunition to work with.
“We will improve intelligence gathering and border control to choke Boko Haram’s financial and equipment channels. We will be tough on terrorism and its root causes by initiating a comprehensive economic development plan, promoting infrastructural development, job creation, agriculture and industry in the affected areas. We will always act on time and not allow problems to irresponsibly fester, and I, Muhammadu Buhari, will always lead from the front and return Nigeria to its leadership role in regional and international efforts to combat terrorism.”
Buhari’s victory at the March 28 presidential election and his inauguration which would take place on Friday is laced with hope and expectations – reminiscent of the great hopes that greeted the nation’s independence 55 years ago.
Contesting the office for the fourth consecutive time, Buhari polled 15,424,921 votes against President Jonathan’s 12,853,162 votes to clinch the presidential seat. Thousands spilled onto the streets, brandishing brooms, the APC’s symbol of change to celebrate the victory. Not a few Nigerians hold the belief that the ex-Head of State would place Nigeria on the path of rediscovery from the failures of the Jonathan administration.
The Coordinator of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reforms, Ayo Opadokun, described Buhari’s victory as the beginning of the remaking of Nigeria.
Trade unions such as the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress have vowed to hold the incoming government accountable in respect of his party’s promises to Nigerians and workers in particular.
Not unwary of the daunting challenges ahead, Buhari has told Nigerians not to expect miracles, adding that all hands must be on deck to make Nigeria work again. In a statement, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, lamented that the APC would inherit a country in crisis, saying that the Jonathan administration was leaving a distressed country for the APC to inherit. The Vice President-elect has also raised the alarm about the state of the Nigeria’s economy. On May 9, the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, lamented that Nigeria’s economy was nearing collapse. Odigie-Oyegun lamented that Buhari would need N4.1tn to pay the outstanding salaries of public servants at the state and federal levels, fuel subsidies, as well as debt servicing, among other expenses.
As the hard times, caused by the fuel scarcity, global fall in oil prices and non-payment of salaries bite harder, all eyes are on Buhari who is expected to perform ‘miracles’ by redeeming the country from her dwindling fortunes.
Buhari, during his Chatham House lecture said, “I cannot change the past. But I can change the present and the future. So, before you is a former military ruler and a converted democrat who is ready to operate under democratic norms and is subjecting himself to the rigours of democratic elections for the fourth time.”
The next four years would determine the APC’s credibility as a change agent and whether Buhari is a converted democrat as he claimed.
Copyright PUNCH.
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