Who Wants Buhari for Third Term?

In our clime, it is often said that big things that have very far reaching impact start or come in small packages. Most times, you hear them as tiny rumors and in another time, it is a gossip. If you are a good student of history who has watched such trends before, there is your lead because there is certainly no smoke without fire. Within the corridors of power, governments are known to test the waters with some policies to feel the pulse of the people on the desirability of such policies or otherwise. In other times, it is the fifth columnists, according to the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who, in their intent to undermine government, would release some negative information to the public to create fear, cause confusion or misinform the public about the intentions of a sitting administration.

So when the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, recently in an oped said the President would eventually end up as one of Nigeria’s best president’s in apparent response to barrage of criticisms that greeted some of his unpopular policies, I suspected that there was more to this self adulation than Shehu was posturing. I reasoned that had such a remark emanated from some other quarter, preferably the opposition, it would be worth appraising. But how can the presidency approbate and reprobate? Here is an administration that condemns and sees nothing good in others before it positioning itself as the indisputable King? I suspected there was a larger picture yet to be unraveled and it was not long that it manifested as we started noticing the unmasking of the big masquerade.

Within days of his remarks, Shehu issued a statement alluding to some individuals and groups pressuring the president to seek a Third Term in office. He went on to distance Buhari from the undemocratic approach and weighed in on Obasanjo with whom he squared up condemning his attempt to manipulate the constitution in order to secure a Third Term. He described Obasanjo’s Third Term bid as not only undemocratic but also condemnable. Yet, he failed to mentioned those individuals or groups clamouring for Buhari to continue beyond his two-term limit as prescribed by the constitution.

He him: “The Presidency wishes to correct internet-based gossip and un-informed media commentary regarding presidential term limits, given credence by so-called support groups, staging street demonstrations asking President Muhammadu Buhari to do a third term. There are no circumstances – nor set of circumstances – under which President Buhari may seek to amend the Constitution regarding the two-term term limit on holding office as President.”

He went on to state that “President Buhari intends to serve his full second elected term in office, ending 2023 – and then there shall be a general election in which he will not be a candidate. There is not even the faintest possibility that this will change.”

Not done yet, Shehu proceeded to extract a pound of flesh by taking a swipe at former president Olusegun Obasanjo who has relentlessly criticized Buhari’s style of administration. According to Shehu “It is important to note that there was a past attempt to change the Constitution to allow for the-then incumbent president to stand for a third term. That attempt was wrong, unconstitutional – and rightly rebuffed. No such attempt will happen under this President. President Buhari is a democrat. He respects the Constitution. Any activity aimed at altering the two-term limit will not succeed and shall never have his time nor support.”

Shehu failed to name any names because there is none. In truth, Buhari has come under severe criticisms largely for his human rights records and inability to respect the rule of law as enshrined in the constitution. The arbitrary arrests and prolonged detention of people like Sambo Dasuki, Omoyele Sowore, Ibrahim El Zakzaky and his wife even with orders from courts of competent jurisdiction for their release, the Buhari administration has continually shunned the courts and kept these political prisoners behind bars.

It is such developments and several many other instances that sparked the rumours that Buhari’s ultimate intention is to perpetuate himself in power. There are reasons why Shehu went to town with such a story. The reasons are simple: to create an unusual spin and change the discourse from negative criticism of principal to a topic that they would gain huge political capital from. In addition, it is in line with the messianic illusionary posturing and myth propagated by his supporters so he can be perceived as the only solution to Nigerians problems.

This pool of supporters see nothing wrong with the economy, even five years into a Buhari regime, they still find it auspiciously convenient to blame previous administrations for whatever ills the nation. Others will say that the problems Buhari met on the ground were more than he envisaged. Unfortunately, these same people have forgotten so soon that this same president was elected on the groundswell of public goodwill on the understanding that he possessed the magic wand with which he would magically wave away Nigerian’s problems in record time and usher in prosperity and Eldorado.

Today, most of these people have recanted and are full of regrets. In more civilized climes where the votes of every voter counts, It is would have amounted to passing a camel through the eye of a needle for Buhari to win re-election because he could not have run on a non-existent record. So why would someone want Buhari to perpetuate himself in office? Which of Buhari’s campaign promises has he fulfilled?

With three exchange rates regime which provides his hangers on opportunity of arbitrage, the naira has depreciated by over 300 per cent from N130-162/$ to N362 today. The so called self sufficiency in rice production has not reflected in the pockets of the common man. At best, the cost of rice has moved from N8 per 50kg bag to over N16; ditto other staples which are priced much higher than what they were when Buhari took over. The economy went from bad to worse forcing the country into recession, the first in 25 year.

He promised to end fuel subsidy regime but according to a PPPRA and NNPC recent report, Nigeria incurred over N10 trillion on subsidy payment between 2006 to 2018. Yet, Nigeria’s four refineries remain comatose under a regime that promised urgent change to cleanse the Augeans stables. In the area of security, one would have thought that given Buhari’s military background, the current Boko Haram menace would be over in a matter of weeks. However, despite the administration’s much vaunted claims of degrading the terrorist group, it was learnt from insiders in Borno that Boko Haram indeed still controls about eight to ten local government councils in the state despite the over $1bn deployed to the military to prosecute the war.

In the sphere of fighting corruption, the target is selective and aimed at the opposition. The wisdom today according to the ruling APC chairman, Adam Oshiomhole is that as a corrupt person, once you join APC, your sins are automatically forgiven.

Nigerians are still in darkness today including the presidency where they shamelessly budget billions for generators and diesel. Even former Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola - who boasted to Nigerians how it would be easy for an APC-led government to simply decree that let there be light - is now literally walking with his tail between his legs.