Promise Adiele
IN the next three days, Nigerians will elect the man to serve them in the capacity of an executive president for another four years. Of course, a political office is that of service not of benefit, never mind the covetous mentality of the current political class. While other parties are seeking to dislodge the present government, the party in power, APC is seeking a renewal of mandate. However, it is clear to mortar and pestle that a straight contest beckons between Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Muhammadu Buhari of the APC. At the end of this week, Nigerians would have made a decision.
The election this week offers another opportunity to celebrate democracy, to be tolerant of one another, to allow peace to reign and to accept the outcome of the polls. There should be no violence, no blood should flow, whether that of Nigerians, monkeys or baboons or that of foreigners. The geography of violence and its embers ultimately extend to those who think they are protected by wealth or the law. Therefore it is in the interest of everyone that peace is maintained in this election period.
Since Muhammadu Buhari of the APC and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP are the two principal contenders in the forthcoming election, let us examine their chances at the polls and the factors that are likely to affect the decisions of the electorates. It is also important to scrutinize the positive and negative aspects of their political journey up till the present time and analyse the roles propaganda, facts, and fiction, all political ingredients, have played in the build-up to this election.
Muhammadu Buhari of the APC came to power in 2015 riding at the back of popular support predicated on his integrity posture. When the soldier turned politician assumed office, he gave his word as a man of integrity to serve for only one term and Nigerians believed him. He pledged to fight corruption which was seen as Nigeria’s biggest challenge. Today, there is a good level of accountability in government and in other sectors of our corporate life. Agencies of government are more accountable than in the past.
JAMB remitted N7.8 billion into government coffers in one year more than they did in 40 years. Also, the government has embarked on several road projects which account for the revival of the rail system. The most recent laudable gesture of the government is the payment of pension areas which past administrations could not do. In fact, in a demonstration of democratic commitment, the government has revisited June 12, duly recognizing it as Nigeria’s day of democracy. The government introduced the Social Investment Program (SIP) with its components namely, the N-Power, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), TraderMoni and School Feeding Programme. All these initiatives are a positive drive towards alleviating poverty.
However, President Buhari’s integrity posture has come under serious criticism. Some people have argued that if indeed he is a man of integrity, he would have kept his promise of serving for one term like the former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela of blessed memory. A man who cannot keep his words should not be dressed in integrity robes. Also, the APC administration lacks any economic direction, failing to enunciate a strong economic policy. This has made Nigeria the poverty capital of the world as affirmed by the British Prime Minister Theresa May when she visited Nigeria. Although the government has always declared its intentions to fight corruption, Nigeria’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has increased to 144 from its position of 136 in 2015. With the present rating, Nigeria is one of the most corrupt countries in the whole world. From these figures, one wonders the kind of fight against corruption in this country as always advertised by the current administration.
Many people have accused the Buhari government of sectional appointments which favours some parts of the country to the exclusion of other parts of the country, rehashing the rhythm of nepotism. Also, this government has desecrated Nigerian democracy in a number of ways that eviscerates the soul. The most recent is the unconscionable sacking of the former CJN without following the procedure for his constitutional removal. Nigeria’s debt has risen to $73.21 billion USD according to the Debt Management Office. Last Sunday in Epe, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo revealed that the government wants to borrow a further $500 million from the African Development Bank. According to him, the facility will be invested in creating jobs for the youths. The current government has borrowed more money in three years than the previous government borrowed in sixteen years further plunging the ailing country into the abyss of penury. The electorate should decide whether they have fared well under the current leadership and would want another four years of the same.
Atiku Abubakar of the PDP is not new in Nigeria’s political scene. He was a career customs officer who later joined politics and rose to become the vice president under Olusegun Obasanjo. As the vice president, Atiku was chairman of the administration’s economic council which came up with strategies that realigned the economic growth of the country. During his years as the vice president, Nigeria had her highest GDP growth of over 6% per annum which made Nigeria the fastest growing economy in Africa. The administration brought the mobile telephony network. Today, the Nigerian mobile telephony network and the operating companies employ thousands of people thereby reducing unemployment in the land. At the individual level, Atiku has distinguished himself as a consummate businessman who has created lots of jobs and understands new world economic order. After OBJ left office, following a face-off between the two, Atiku joined the APC and eventually returned to the PDP.
Many Nigerians are convinced that the PDP years in Nigeria witnessed the worst kind of pilfering, abuse of office and all manner of official criminality.
Then, people stole even what they did not need as long as it was taken away from the exchequer. During the PDP years, it looked like there was a determination by the ruling class to liquidate Nigeria’s commonwealth and consign the mother country to the necropolis. During these years, Atiku as the vice president was a principal officer of the government and therefore cannot be exonerated from the failings of that administration. Today, he is heavily linked with official heist that took place under his watch as the head of the economic team while he was vice president. Like an albatross, the collar of corruption hangs on his neck going into the presidential polls. Although he has promised to create jobs, turn the economy around, end poverty in the land and ensure adequate security across Nigeria, it remains to be seen if the electorates will believe him and forget the past or reject him at the polls.
Dr. Adiele writes via [email protected]