Buhari’s heady victory

The emergence of General Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential election of Thursday the 28th March 2015 met the expectations of most Nigerians who had come out en-mass to vote. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) dominance of the political sphere in the 16 years of democracy was all because it vied with small fragmented parties with limited support bases. The results of the 2011 presidential election bear this out. The emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) resulting from the merger of the Congress of Progressive Change (CPC), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and others, changed the political party structure in Nigeria. It signalled the arrival of a party that could challenge the PDP in spread, influence and reach. After having frittered away its goodwill on the altar of visionless rapacious governance and pointless hubris to the distaste of Nigerians, all indications showed the PDP was about to bite the dust. And so it did as the election result showed.

GMD’s victory was therefore writ large since he emerged as the APC’s presidential candidate. A number of factors explain this outcome:- the APC’s formation already mentioned, GMD himself whose enigmatic magnetism earned through his fabled incorruptibility foists on

By Steve Ayorinde

him easily a leadership role and of course, the Nigerian citizenry tired of a rudderless government exemplified by cant, chicanery and disdain for the governed, much of which were put on show shameless during the election. It should not be forgotten also that the salutary outcome of the presidential election was due to the singularly competent, transparent and altruistic manner the electoral process was managed. Oh yes, there were isolated glitches, such as the curious incidents in Rivers State that provoked the APC in that state to near boycott of the election and the violence in Gombe State. But those incidents took nothing away from the hardheaded sagacity with which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), personified by Professor Attahiru Jega conducted its assignment; which he adroitly brought to a close at the INEC Collation Centre (ICC).

For me, more than his innovative introduction of the card readers which sought to limit multiple voting and rigging-which in turn sadly became a source of fruitless litigations by agent provocateurs-- the spectacle at the ICC where results were collated as the whole world looked on, was a performance that would be etched in the annals of Nigeria. Jega’s performance at the ICC showed a determined display of transparency and accountability. It was a splendid acting out of high mindedness and probity at ones assignment, the type of which has not been seen before in Nigeria’s electoral enterprise. As every returning officer reeled out figures which Jega duly wrote down himself, sometimes asking for a repetition, other times urging the reader to take the figures slowly, as well as demanding the figures be read from the master list and not from some copied variant of the figures in another paper being submitted. At the end asking what untoward incident occurred in the area covered by each returning officer that should not have occurred, which made the whole process a long drawn out one. But it was all well worth the time spent in watching because it ensured the world saw an electoral process like no other, conducted in a calm and methodical manner, so squeaky clean it showed Nigeria in a different light than she had been known. Thanks to Jega, free and fair election was shown to be possible in Nigeria.

There will be time enough for stocktaking later. For now it is time to luxuriate in the heady and intoxicating sensation of the emergence of GMD as president. In his earlier incarnation as a military ruler, he and his colleagues saw the need for instilling discipline as a national way of life to arrest the chaos that was taking a foothold then. Over 3 decades later this same chaos has eaten so deep into the fabric of the nation that it is now threatening the very existence of Nigeria. Paradoxically, his election as president means he has been called upon to root out the same evils that continue to plague Nigeria and have turned her into a plodder amongst her peers. GMD’s victory is remarkable on a number of levels:- for him, it shows persistence pays, having now won his coveted prize on the fourth attempt. A wicked wit remarked loudly while we were on the queue on Election Day that he would be voting for Buhari because he has earned the right to be the president in this his fourth attempt, that most people at his age would have long abandoned the quest! It is also a ringing recognition that his quest for power is not motivated by selfish aims but by the good of the society, and at 72 no one can dismiss this as an empty claim. If nothing at all, at least Nigeria’s money would be safe with him in charge and every kobo would be applied as it should. In other words, his tenure would be nothing like the obscene rapaciousness witnessed in the outgoing administration.

Still, it must be said that winning the presidency, as arduous as it was, was the easy part, the hard part lies ahead. Nigeria is in need of social and economic regeneration and renewal that have defied even the most honest and concerted attempt at bringing about. It will therefore take a gargantuan effort and some time for the new government to institute the reversal. At 72, certainly no one is under any illusion that his will be a totally hands-on government, characterised by cracking the whip and banging the table in a frenetic breakneck speed of racing against some imaginary time. True, Nigerians may harbour high expectations but they would not be overly discouraged if in 2 years some stability has been brought to the economy such that inflation come down considerably to give a breather to the proverbial common man. And within that period the foundation for a new moral and ethical standard of behaviour, particularly if you are in public office has been laid down, not through undue duress and force but by suasion through appeal to the good sense of the people.

To achieve this minimum a lot would depend on building a good team that could fashion out such programme and policy to implement the needed social and economic renewal. Such a team needs to reflect the diversity of the country such that no one part would feel short-changed. After all, no president can be elected without a nationwide spread of votes reflecting his acceptability. It is gratifying that GMD is mindful of this as his acceptance speech duly indicated, thus hinting at him being the father of the nation. The APC is replete with highly competent hands in all facets of national life, it would not be difficult to get appropriate and dedicated people that buy into the change the government seeks to bring about.

One does not expect any sea -change away from the broad philosophical underpinning of Nigeria’s economic framework and policy. GMD is certainly not about to institute a wholesale replacement of Nigeria’s free market system with some state control contraption, in any case the former has become too entrenched for any reversals to make any meaning. What is needed is the commitment to provide the broad framework capable of making the market economy efficient and capable of bringing growth and prosperity.