Certainly Not Uhuru: Why Is President Buhari Jubilating? 

Prior to the February 25th 2023 Nigeria’s Presidential election, there were strong permutations that if the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission led by Prof Mahmood Yakubu failed to conduct a free and fair election, the nation will explode in flames. The reasons for this projection are not far-fetched. Personally, I had projected a repetition of the Biblical scenario where the Israelites told King Rehoboam “to your tent oh Israel” after the king failed to agree to their request of alleviating their suffering.

Contrary to the projections, the nation has enjoyed an uncommon and perhaps needful peace (ordinarily, no responsible and patriotic citizen will opt for violence if the leaders are doing what they are voted to do) since the declaration of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the election. This is not to overlook the dark cloud, sorrow and excruciating pains that engulfed the nation shortly after the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the election. Majority of Nigerians, particularly the Youths, had prior to the election clamored for uhuru, having been tired of the misrule of the APC. Tinubu had in his acceptance speech, ADMITTED that “I know many did not vote for me. And you are disappointed that your candidate is not where I now stand. I understand your hurt. To you, I extend the embrace and comfort of one family member to another.”

Following the growing peace the nation has continued to enjoy after the election, President Muhamadu Buhari has continued to praise himself for ‘conducting a free and fair election’. The President believes that, that the nation is peaceful, is because he conducted a credible election that reflected the ‘will of the people’. Though, the President had in his military style of leadership, warned that “There should be no riots or acts of violence after the announcement of the election results”.

Buhari had even boasted that “I was in Doha (Qatar), and people were congratulating me from different parts of the world. I guess some people had been expecting that all hell would be let loose in Nigeria. And they were disappointed.”

On his part, Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina who had in the past described those who were loyal to their principals, as ‘bootlickers’ and has also turned a bootlicker since his appointment as Buhari’s aide, opined that the Nigerian leader gave the world a good disappointment by ensuring that doomsday projections for the presidential election held on February 25 did not come to pass.

Adesina went further to say that “I am proud to say we achieved this feat and delivered on the promise made by President Muhammadu Buhari to the people. For the first time in living memory of our elections, there were no allegations of vote-buying and outcry over all the other ills associated with the conduct of our elections. Rigging may not be dead, but it has been decapitated. Our democracy is maturing, and we are maturing with it.”

Days after the election, Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari met with Buhari in Daura and later disclosed to the press that Buhari is happier than Tinubu because his party won the election. This is a President whose administration led this great nation into the inglorious and shameful status of the poverty capital of the world. Buhari’s government led Nigeria into two crushing economic depressions and under this government, the unemployment statistics have continued to skyrocket, hospitals, roads, schools have all but collapsed and organised social crimes, terrorism and anarchy have continued to surge unabatedly. YET, HE IS ONLY HAPPY BECAUSE HIS PARTY WON DUE TO HIS PERFORMANCE.

Masari said “And you know as President leaving office and getting a successor from his party, you don’t need to ask me if he was happy. The answer is positive and he is happier than the candidate because this is his election; it’s a verdict on the performance of his government, that is the reason people voted for the APC.”

The President is all out rejoicing, on the assumptions that there is no post-election violence because he conducted a credible election. His subordinates and of course members of the ruling party also have this assumption. Contrary to this, the candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi who was projected by the Youths and many Nigerians who were tired of the excesses of APC, had sued for calm after the election, opting for a legal redress.

Nigerians are peaceful people – and have demonstrated high level of comportment in the last eight years. However, I am afraid of what the situation will be if the Judiciary fails to administer justice in the electoral petitions. Peter Obi may have succeeded in taming the angry youths after the election, but I fear that he may not be able to control the movement if the court disappoints Nigerians by not adhering to its principles in delivering the judgments.

So, before Buhari jubilates, let the court first rule over the petitions.

Stanley Ugagbe is passionate about effecting change through writing.

 

ugagbestanley@gmail.com

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