Buhari eyes 2019: Matters arising

For those who are belly aching over whether President Muhamadu Buhari will seek a second term in office come 2019, they do not have to look further. Several indicators have manifested to clarify that indeed he is not only in the race but is likely to remain the sole candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Among these are various instances including his body language in recent times, utterances by his close associates and the traditional assumption by any elected office holder in Nigeria that a second term in office is a birthright whether the constituents represented like it or not. Beyond the fore going is the recent confirmation that Chibuike Amaechi the Transportation Minister has been appointed the Director General of the Buhari 2019 campaign. It is easily recalled that Amaechi was also the campaign manager for Buhari’s ascent to the Presidency in 2015. Hence it would seem that Amaechi’s appointment is a gathering of sorts for the ‘winning team’ for a repeat performance.

For Buhari, the reality of his possible return to office in 2019 has generated heated debates across the length and breadth of the country, courtesy of the widespread state of discomfort to which Nigerians are subjected, widely believed to be orchestrated by the failure of his government to fulfill its promises. Against the backdrop of the copious parade of promises the administration made in 2015 at its inception Nigerians can count on the fingers how many of such have been fulfilled, two full years into the administration’s term. Little wonder that in some opinion circles in the country, the acronym APC for the ruling All Progressives is adrift at sea. Disaster remains the powers do not actually reside in the Congress has easily been assigned sure dividend of such enterprise, Presidency. to the rather pejorative phrase “All and for the administration these The Presidency may be the Promises Cancelled”. have manifested severally, even driving and coordinating arm of

Meanwhile, those who believe avoidably. governance, but it has diminished in the expediency of Buhari’s Yet 2019 elections is not just Constitutional powers to change return to power in 2019, base their about Buhari and his personal much in the other components argument on the traditional claim ambition to rule the country, but of the government machinery of the man’s superlative sense of largely another opportunity for such as the other arms of patriotism, moral uprightness and Nigerians to source a new team of government comprising the incorruptibility. Also in the kitty is leaders nationwide who will drive legislature (National Assembly) the less promoted argument that the processes of governance. It is and the Judiciary, as well as the he is the candidate of the North therefore rather self-defeatist and state and local government tiers. whose turn for the Presidency is a grand distraction for the country This situation calls for a broader now. Granted that these earlier, to commence rather early in the perspective of the structure and near divine attributes served their day, another round of wasteful processes of governance in the purpose in marketing him for indulgence around the personality country, with specific reference the electoral victory of 2015, the cult of an individual who in this to their expected roles in passage of time with him in the case is Buhari, to the exclusion of fostering good governance. It is saddle as President has thrown up addressing the real challenge of in this respect that the role of the a complement of incontinences, the day which is the absence of legislature as the primary culprit most of which are attributed to good governance across the land. in the enthronement of failed the acts of commission and or Nigeria statutorily has three tiers governance comes into relief. omission by his lieutenants. of governance namely the Federal Even the most cursory look at the

In the other vein, those who government at the centre, the thirty Constitution will reveal that there are belly aching over his return to six state governments and the 774 are more powers assigned to the office in 2019 pitch their primary local governments at the grass legislature at any tier of governance peg not necessarily on his person roots. With the avoidable fixation than any other arm. The problem but on the very serial incontinences on the fortunes of the Presidency, therefore is that the legislative of his administrative machinery as nd right at the beginning of this chambers in the country and in operated by the same lieutenants new 2018 being the preparatory particular the National Assembly as well as his inability to rein them ground for fast approaching 2019, often cite a reluctance to ignite in - due largely to his age, and the country’s focus may have to Constitutional crisis attendant to compromised health condition. He change to accommodate other disagreement with the executive has therefore unwittingly left them equally critical but marginalised arm, even when the latter is clearly to operate as loose cannons as it factors, especially in the light of act in breach of the Constitution. were, on a rudderless gun boat that the manifest situation whereby all This disposition of the

For Buhari, the reality of his possible return to office in 2019 has generated heated debates across the length and breadth of the country, courtesy of the widespread state of discomfort to which Nigerians are subjected, widely believed to be orchestrated by the failure of his government

to fulfill its promises This past week a lot of people have died. Either slaughtered in Benue or shot dead in Rivers or killed in Borno. These dead are only a sign that you are working legislature to abdicate its responsibilities of standing for the people, and play the ostrich in the face of executive breaches of the tenets of promoting the public weal, remains the most significant drawback that is impeding Nigeria’s march into the more refined levels of democratic governance and meaningful progress for the country. For instance, hardly can any other dispensation accentuate the complacence of the legislature than the ongoing round of voting by state houses of Assembly on the recommendations of the National Assembly in respect of amendments to the Nigerian Constitution. Granted that one of the key recommendations remains the grant of fiscal autonomy to the State Houses of Assembly, it is simply lamentable that the recommendation is suffering an attention blight in the public domain. This is in spite of its critical promise of freeing the state legislatures from the suffocating grip of the state governors. Meanwhile the state governors are neither mincing words nor wavering in their resolve to keep their respective state assemblies leashed as toothless bulldogs.

As the country moves on to 2019 the focus should be less on Buhari’s confirmed bid to return to power in 2019 but more on containing whatever excesses that may be associated with his administration from now on, through the instrumentality of a revived legislative arm. As one popular automobile company says in a commercial message “power without control is dangerous”. In a democracy, control of executive power lies with the legislature. It cannot be otherwise in a democratizing Nigeria. in the human rights angle. And even more so these days when our men of the Nigerian police have been exposed for their extortion, torture and extrajudicial killings. For women’s rights, we can have someone like Hajiya Laila Dogonyaro. Also can we have younger dead people? You know how our life expectancy is like 54-55. Just think about it. I don’t want to impose any dead persons on you. You seem to be doing just fine.

I think that one advantage of appointing dead people to parastatals is that dead men don’t complain. They are not greedy and they do not steal. And we both agree we don’t want any thieves spoiling our 2019 campaigns. You remember how Babachir almost spoilt things for us in the presidency with his contracts for grass cutting. By the way how far with him? I know you sacked him but is that enough? Anyway, I trust your judgment.

Remember my letter about names for our campaign. You know how in 2015 it was Change? Let us have something like: “Consolidation 2019: Because you can never have too much Change.” Whatever you choose, I wish you the very best this week as we kick off the campaign season. Sai ka yi!

Ps. My weekly reminder: Please think of the Shiite man who is still in prison, whose children and followers we massacred and buried in Kaduna. It is never too late to do the right thing. Especially now as we enter 2018. Release him, his wife and his people. Especially as we flag off this 2019 campaign season. We can even use it to score political points. I know you want to. Hugs.