It is high time a court of competent jurisdiction declared the office of Nigerian presidency as vacant without further delay. This is expedient as the current occupant of that seat in person of Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) has continued to blatantly display nonchalance and indifference towards the affairs of the nation and arrogantly showing disregard to supreme rule of law which is binding over every individual. Attempts to delay Buhari’s impeachment may elevate the country from a failed state to a banana republic where the situation may get out of control. The Nigerian people are steadfast, patriotic, diligent and tolerant humans. And this shall not warrant them to deserve the kind of treatment this current government is unleashing on them on a daily basis.
For how long do we continue to endure the government that has shown the lack of competence, responsibility, empathy and ultimately clueless to proffer proactive actions to address its citizens misfortunes? Currently, Nigeria is facing an avoidable flood disaster which has killed over 600 people and submerged many homes across the country. While over 2.5 million Nigerians have become homeless, despair, hopeless and targets to dangerous reptiles due to the persistent and ravaging flooding, the Nigerian government only response, so far, was to blame climate change and Lagdo Dam in Cameroon with empty promises to salvage the situation. The so-called Mr President who is ordinarily should be at the forefront by visiting the affected areas, giving assurances and raising people’s hopes, is rather in another well-cordinated country, South Korea, while millions of Nigerian citizens are in dire state, dying, perishing and languishing in the continuous severe flooding. Instead of making provisions on how to provide and quickly distribute relief materials to these affected people in order to eliminate and cushion the impacts of the devastation, the government are passionately preoccupied with politics for the forthcoming general elections, trading abusive and unprintable words with opposition parties. This has vividly shown that people’s welfarism is no longer a priority to the government, and they deserve to be sacked forthwith.
Moving on, the UK and US terrorists attack alerts is another indication of the failure of Buhari- led administration. Had these foreign countries not issued their security advisories to their esteemed citizens, perhaps the terrorists might have unleashed their terror, killed and maimed innocent Nigerians just like the recent Kuje Prison attack. Insecurity has now become a chronic epidemic which the government has proven to be unable to cure over these years. This is due to gross incompetence and biases of those who are at the security affairs in tackling the situation. Inasmuch as the government cannot carry out its primary and fundamental duty which is security for its people, then it is not too late to tell them that their time is over.
In addition, the good people of this State are tired of government who chooses when to obey court orders and judicial pronouncements. The latest is the case of the currently detained Nnamdi Kanu, who has been discharged and acquitted by a federal government appeal court. Similarly, another federal high court gave order that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra should be returned to Kenya where he was illegally extradited to Nigeria on June 19, 2021. Despite these rulings, the government has continued to arrogantly defy, disregard and shun the orders without any justifiable reasons. As I write, Nnamdi Kanu is still unlawfully held in the detention of the Department of State Security (DSS). When the government who took oath to always uphold the rule of law and abide by the constitution of the country has become too engrossed with power to violate the vow, then, such government does not deserve to continue in the office.
To add insult to the injury, the CBN recently announced to redesign some naira notes by December this year. The question is how will such step elevate the value of our currency in forex exchange? How will that translate into reduction of hike prices of basic commodities in the markets? How will that bring economic growth to the nation’s GDP and reduce poverty rate? How will it better a common man and an average Nigerian on the streets? This government has not desisted from misplacing priority.
To end, since members of the National Assembly are majorly from the camp and party of this ineptitude and irresponsible government, it is evident that they can never dare to champion the impeachment of the president. Hence, the judiciary should help to save the dignity of the country before further calamity. I urge the judiciary to declare the presidential office vacant and order interim administration to oversee the affairs of the country till after the end of the general elections.
Damilare Adeleye, a freelance journalist, writes from Lagos.
