2019: Between Buhari’s Right, Common Sense and Performance
LThe ‘Big’ News ast Monday, Nigerians received the ‘big’ news that President Muhammadu Buhari has decided to offer himself up for a second term, come 2019. Sections 135(2) and 137(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended in 2010)(the Constitution), permit the President to hold office for a maximum of two four-year terms. President Buhari is yet to complete his first term, so why the ‘hullabaloo’ about him going for a second term? It is not as if he’s trying to change the Constitution, and go for a third term like some people, or become President for life like some others! President Buhari is simply exercising his constitutionally given right.
Even if in the past, President Buhari had said he would serve for only one term or half a term, does it matter? Is he not allowed to change his mind? After all, I do not think he made a blood oath/ covenant or carved it in concrete, that he would not seek re-election.
As far as I am concerned, as long as President Buhari’s decision is lawful; and it is; he has the right to go for a second term. That is the essence of democracy.
Common Sense is not Common However, the President’s bid for reelection, has met with a huge public outcry. Last week, as soon as his decision was announced, I watched a clip of a video which made the rounds on social media, of Nigerians in the UK protesting against his decision. I have also watched several pro and against debates on television, from when the President’s re-election bid was just mere speculation. Many reasons were espoused, as to why the President should not seek re-election in 2019, ranging from his age, to the state of his health, to incompetence, and so on.
Last Tuesday, a young man in the person of Abayomi Rotimi, the National Youth Leader of National Intervention Movement, stated in an interview on Sunrise Daily, Channels TV, that he was sad and disappointed that President Buhari had decided to go for a second term. He added that “commonsensically, the President should not run”. Mr Rotimi, who told you that common sense is common? I have often wondered how wisdom and intelligence, something that God endows only to those whom He chooses, like King Solomon in the Bible, and in many cases, a gift that one has to pray fervently to God for, can be referred to as “common”! Age and Health With respect to the issue of age, by virtue of Section 131(b) of the Constitution, the President only has to have attained the age of 40 years to qualify to be President. The President is over 70 years old. The Constitution does not place a retirement age, on the President.
Some have complained that, the President does not have the moral right to run, the reason being that he cannot give Nigeria the required attention, not just because of his age, but because of the state of his health, the status of which has been kept secret from Nigerians; therefore, not allowing us to make an informed decision on this particular matter. Recently, 96 year old Prince Phillip, husband of the Queen of England, was admitted to a London Hospital for hip replacement surgery. The whole world was informed. So, why the secrecy on President Buhari’s part? Perhaps, his handlers believe that, if Nigerians are aware of the true state of his health, they may not vote for him, because their fears that he is not strong or fit enough for the task, as many now believe, on account of his long stays in hospital in London, will be confirmed. As it is, the President is back in London again. Should we be suspicious? Or, rather, should we believe (as his handlers want us to), that today, President Buhari has fully recovered, and is feeling invigorated and euphoric, a sense of hardihood – in short, feeling on top of the world, as if he has a new lease on life, rearing to go for his second term?
Incompetence The third reason espoused for President Buhari not to seek re-election, is incompetence. This complaint is probably the most germane, and it is one which we should examine thoroughly. Many are of the opinion that, this government has failed abysmally in delivering on its campaign promises, and therefore, the President, again, does not have the moral right to go for a second term.
However, we Lawyers know that, one of the first things that we learnt in Jurisprudence, is that though there is sometimes an intersection between law and morals, many times, that which is immoral, may not necessarily be unlawful. For example, in Exodus 20:14, the Bible says “You shall not commit adultery”. Adultery may be immoral, a sin in the Bible, but I do not believe that it is a criminal offence in Nigeria. However, on the other hand, in many States in America, adultery is classified as a misdemeanour, attracting a $10 fine in places like Maryland, and a stiffer penalty of up to 3 years imprisonment in Massachusetts.
Parameters for Running for Elections
The bottom line, is that in a real democracy, the normal thing is for your performance and achievements to speak for you. They should be the determinants of whether you seek re- election, and whether the people should vote for you.
If a President chooses not to use these parameters, to guide his/her decision in whether to seek re-election or not, and rather decides to succumb to boot lickers (pursuing their own agendas), encouraging him/her to run for election, the electorate reserves the right to use these same parameters to decide whether or not to vote for him/her! Unfortunately, the issue of election rigging and malpractices, has made many Nigerians cynical - many believe that our votes simply do not count, and that now that President Buhari has declared his intention, performance or not, it is a given, that he will most certainly be declared the winner of the 2019 election.
President Buhari concentrated on 3 main issues, which he promised Nigerians that he would fix, if he was elected President in 2015 (though APC had its 9 point manifesto) – in no particular order, Corruption, Economy and Security. How has President Buhari fared in delivering on his campaign promises?
I am not really going to bother to go into what my opinion is, on how President Buhari and his administration have fared, since in the past, I have written on many of these issues, ranging from the weak state of the economy, to insecurity (Boko Haram and Herdsmen), corruption, poor state of health and education, high cost of governance and unnecessarily high recurrent expenditure, low capital expenditure, lack of infrastructure, lack of focus on the part of this administration, glaring tribal slant in government appointments, constantly blaming PDP and everybody else for failures, instead of taking responsibility, hunger in the country, and so on. You know my views. Suffice it to say, a friend of mine described this administration thus: ‘A primary school pupil being asked to sit for a PhD examination. He/ she will certainly not understand the question paper, talk less of pass the examination’.
These are the things that voters should consider and evaluate critically, in deciding on who we vote for in 2019.
Qualities of a Good Leader I did some research, on what qualities a good leader must possess. They include Honesty, Integrity, Clarity and Straight Forwardness, Transparency, Focus, a good measure of Intelligence, Passion, Compassion and Care, Excellent Persuasion Abilities, Excellent Communication Skills, Taking Responsibility, Assembling a strong team and leveraging on their strengths.
In becoming the President in 2015, President Buhari was portrayed as being a ‘Messiah’. Three years on, Nigerians have realised that he is not. Going forward, in making the decision as to how to cast our votes, Nigerians must evaluate the President, based on his performance in the last 3 years, and decide whether he even possesses any of these necessary qualities. Barring any election malpractices, power resides in us, the electorate. Let us register to vote, collect our PVCs, and use our power, instead of complaining and ‘crying over spilt milk’!
“THE THIRD REASON ESPOUSED FOR PRESIDENT BUHARI NOT TO SEEK RE-ELECTION, IS INCOMPETENCE. THIS COMPLAINT IS PROBABLY THE MOST GERMANE, AND IT IS ONE WHICH WE SHOULD EXAMINE THOROUGHLY”