BY GABRIEL PRINCEWILL
The vow made by Nigeria’s new president to beat corruption and tackle the insurgency of terrorism that has plagued Nigeria for the past six years is a most welcome one. The former Military dictator who outsted the sitting President ,Jonathan Goodluck in an unprecedented achievement in Nigeria’s political history, promised to collaborate with neighbouring country’s in order to expunge terrorism and eradicate corruption from the country. Buhari congratulated Goodluck for peacefully handing over power after being the first Nigerian president to be unseated at the ballot box.
Jonathan who called Buhari to congratulate him following the celebrated victory has been hailed from all quarters as a statesman. In a statement, Jonathan said ”I thank all Nigerians for the great opportunity I was given to lead the country and I assure you I will continue to do my best at the helm of national affairs until the end of my tenure. I have conveyed my personal best wishes to general Muhammed Buhari. I promised the country free and fair elections. I have kept my word. Nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian The unity, stability and progress of our country is more important than anything else”. There had been allegations of rigging by some of Goodluck’s supporters, though international observers noted that no such observations had been noted. The victory for Buhari who leads the APC party is seen as a mark of liberation by most Nigerians in a country where ethnic and religious divisions are rife and often form the basis of positioning for political posts.
Many had criticised Goodluck for failing to include the Yoruba tribe in his fold, a move the newly elected President made in putting a politician of Yoruba descent as his vice president. Additionally. many felt he took too long to address the notorious Boko Haram Insurgency guilty of abducting 80 girls last year and killing countless of innocent citizens in a spate of attacks that horrified the international community. Those shortcomings alongside the unbridled levels of corruption in his party and in the country enlarge spelt the end of his reign as President. Many had simply had enough. Even in his native Rivers State, many had been disappointed at the impotence he showed in ensuring that the governorship was zoned to the Riverian area in accordance with the constitution and the hallowed principle of the rule of law. Goodluck got more votes from the Rivers people, simply because they did not want a Northerner, their votes were not an expression of their contentment with his leadership. With Buhari now in power for the second time, many are optimistic of change in the country, though it is not the first time such hopes have been held only to be dashed. Its a new dawn for many Nigerians, one many believe will alleviate the dire poverty that has woefully stifled the economic progress of many of its citizens, in a country blessed with oil and natural resources.
Buhari garnered the bulk of his votes from the North which had suffered bitterly in the hands of the notorious Boko Haram group who ridiculously aspire to establish an Islamic Caliphate in Africa’s most populous country. He also managed to get most of the votes from Lagos State, Abuja, and many other states, many of whom had become disillusioned with the weakness and failure of the former President in addressing corruption and stamping out the notorious evil that is Boko Haram. the PDP party over which Jonathan Goodluck formerly presided had become overly corrupt, with outrageous levels of corruption rearing its ugly head in the governorship primaries of last year December. Aggrieved governorship aspirants form several States sought redress of the appalling state of affairs that sometimes witnessed more votes by delegates than the number of delegates registered themselves. Goodluck in particular had agreed to meet with aggrieved aspirants from Cross Rivers State but never followed through with his word. In addition, many had grown tired of seeing his wife, Patience Goodluck, overstep her boundaries as the president’s wife, and getting too involved in the political arena. Her presence was becoming a detriment to Goodluck’s image, furthering the perception that he lacked the strength of character to be a strong leader.
Goodluck’s ascendance to power was quite spectacular, as he did not have to take part in a single election. He was handpicked to be the Vice governor and by default became the governor. In the same manner he was selected Olusegun Obasanjo to run on the PDP’s ticket as Vice Chancellor and then took over as acting president when the sitting President, Yaradua became ill and later died. Goodluck was then sworn in as president. Hence his name as Goodluck became somewhat of a Cliché, epitomising the grand degree of luck that characterized his political career. However, his luck seemed to be fading when his main backer, Obasanjo wrote an 18 page letter which was widely circulated, asking Goodluck to step down. It reinforced any negative feelings many had of the former President.
A former Lecturer and P.H.D, Goodluck is the first real intellectual to occupy the seat of the Presidency. He brought some positives to the country. He was the first to achieve a National conference aimed at improving the constitution. He is also credited with being the first to enshrine the freedom of Information Act into law. He also outlawed toll collection at illegal checkpoints in Nigeria and improved the electricity distribution of power supply more than any president before him had done in the last 100years.
Goodluck definitely improved the country to a degree, but unfortunately it was not sufficient for a vast majority of the electorate. Boundless corruption was beyond his control. Boko Haram remained an incurable cancer in the country. Complaints by University females of sexual harassment and emotional blackmail from lecturers have continued unabated without any available channels for redress. These issues were critical. Too critical to be overlooked because of his other positive achievements. Leadership entails dealing effectively with the most crucial issues under one’s leadership. Despite his strong points and commendable achievements, a large void still remained unattended. Only time will tell if the new President, Mohammed Buhari can fill those. There is no guarantee Buhari will do much better, but he is a change and Nigerians wanted a change. It remains to see if real change will materialize under the rule of the former Military dictator.