It's the Dawn of A New Era

Nigerians will pause today for the inauguration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as President and Vice President of the country, respectively. It will mark the end of one era, the Buhari-Osinbajo era, and the beginning of a new era.

There are understandably mixed reactions or verdicts on the Buhari era. President Buhari entered office in 2015 with solid political capital, enormous goodwill, and public approval; he is leaving against the background of widespread discontent and a low popularity rating.

Fortunately, the ultimate verdict of history is incorruptible. Buhari's successes and failures are left for posterity and historians to articulate and pontificate on. Nigerians lived experiences, left in the sands of time during his administration, will form the ingredients of such historical evaluation.

It is now time to put behind us whatever views, disenchantment, or even praise we have for the Buhari era and build on whatever successes he achieved and fix the areas he failed, mindful of the fact that no leader is infallible. Moreover, Nigerians romanticise past administrations when current administrations dash their hopes and aspirations. Little wonder, people reminisce and glorify the days of former presidents they felt were terrible before leaving office when faced with the harsh realities of the new administration.

In Tinubu-Shettima, we are not expecting a perfect president and vice president, but at least it is a new dawn - a new beginning for a country in dire need of unity, peace, and progress. All Nigerians are beckoning on the new administration to create a new vision of Nigeria and work hard towards actualising that vision.

Nigerians are holding on to the renewed hope this administration promised during elections – an audacious hope of a better Nigeria built on our strength in diversity, harnessing our great human and natural resources, and leveraging the successes of past administrations in creating the Nigeria of our dreams.

We recognise that the road ahead is bumpy and rough, but we trust the instinct of Nigerians who gave Tinubu-Shettima the mandate to drive them through this rugged terrain and their undeniable belief in their ability to take them to safety and progress.

Most Nigerians, suffering from adverse economic hardship, poverty, insecurity, and poor living standards, view this new dawn as a good situation, a ray of hope and an opportunity to start afresh. As Tinubu- Shettima assumes office, they must recognise the enormity of the weight of the hopes of millions they are carrying.

Millions of Nigerians are not asking for much from this administration; they want a better life for themselves and their families, and they believe that brick by brick, this new administration will create the enabling environment that will make life good for many people.

The inauguration marks the end of politicking, and all opposers to the administrations are left with the judicial process to seek redress for any perceived electoral maleficence. As the TinubuShettima administration is sworn in, they are now the president and vice-president of Nigeria. As advised by ex-President Uhuru Kenyatta in the pre-inauguration lecture in Abuja, they must rise above party politics and assume the leadership position of the presidency entrusted to them. “The contest is now over and the hardwork of building a prosperous and United Nigeria begins,”enjoined Kenyatta.

But we know that managing victory is even more complex than securing it. With electoral victory comes the laborious act of managing the expectations of multiple stakeholders, managing claims and counterclaims of people who participated in securing the win, managing politicians and your party, and managing the hopes and aspirations of Nigerians. While it is legitimate to expect new energy and new approaches to familiar problems, let us be