It’s
not anymore news that several groups of persons, particularly under the
auspices of the ruling party – the All Progressives Congress (APC), had for
some time now been calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to recontest for a
second term in office come 2019.
The clamour has been taking place in various quarters
across the federation as being engineered by the allies and protégés of the
country’s number one citizen, even though many are still in disagreement that
the Buhari-led administration does not deserve a continuity bid.
In spite of the contrary view of those
believed to be in opposition, two weeks ago, it seemed the clarion call assumed
a different dimension. During the period in review, on Thursday 5th
April 2018 to be precise, a set of Northern clerics under the aegis of Arewa
Pastors’ Peace Initiative (APPIN) paid a courtesy visit to the president at the
Council Chambers in Aso Rock Villa and therein outrightly endorsed the chief
host to vie for a second term.
In his remark on behalf of the group, the
leader of the guests, Bishop John Abu Richard disclosed that the call was
informed by the ‘numerous achievements’ recorded thus far under the watch of
President Buhari. According to him, within a short while, the president had
succeeded in fulfilling his campaign promises.
Just
the following week, barely a few days after the endorsement, Mr. President
publicly declared his interest to oblige the numerous calls to recontest for
the number one seat in the forthcoming general elections. The president stated
he considered accepting the calls from millions of Nigerians after a deep
thought. It’s noteworthy that the declaration had triggered mixed feelings
among the Nigerian citizenry, both home and abroad.
When I got the news of the ‘Northern
pastors’, I couldn’t help but continue to ponder over what the country’s
religious institutions had turned into, though the Christian Association of
Nigeria (CAN) had refuted the genuineness of the clerics’ existence. By that
display of the so-called Arewa pastors, every discerning mind wouldn’t desist
from ascertaining if our religious leaders have abruptly become political
gladiators.
When did the church begin to campaign
for, or throw their weight behind, a certain political aspirant? The main duty
of the religious bodies as regards elections is to stand neutral while
relentlessly conscientizing the various key players – including the electoral
umpire, political parties and the electorate – on the need to play by the
rules.
In
addition, they are – in their capacity – expected to preach to their respective
congregants on the need to participate actively in the elections so that they
can favourably elect anyone of their choice at the polls. It is their duty to
ensure that each of their followers whom has attained the adulthood could boast
of the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC), which remains the only tool that can
institute power in their hands.
It is
equally the duty of the clerics to ensure that their wards aren’t deceived or
cajoled by any aspirant or party, as may be the case. It is their civic responsibility
to ensure that none of them derails in the long run. Hence, it is not in their
calling to tell their followers who they ought to vote for; rather, they are
only meant to warn them not to vote against their conscience, or compromise
their future just for today’s token.
So,
endorsing a certain politician to vie for a particular position, even when he
was yet to declare his interest to do so, was enough indication to assert that
the supposed anointed men of God had derailed. Although I believe so much in
Buhari’s ability as a person and leader, but can never be a party to any form
of tokenism or sycophancy displayed by his allies under any guise.
Now that Mr. President has eventually
declared his intention to aspire for a second term, the pertinent question
becomes; does he really deserve a continuity bid? Before one could tender an
apt answer to the enquiry, there’s need to painstakingly dissect the thus far
activity of the present administration.
He graciously embarked on a mission in
2015 as the President of Nigeria with the seeming candid motive of considering
three key factors as priorities. He vowed to fiercely tackle corruption and
insecurity headlong as well as restore the country’s dying economy. So far,
every sector seems to have come to a standstill despite the dogged efforts of
the government to usher in change as earlier promised.
However, we can’t forget in a hurry that the
APC-led administration has succeeded in fighting corruption to an extent. The
outright introduction of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) and the Treasury
Single Account (TSA) are obvious indications. But the problem remains that till
date, no single individual or officer had been convicted of any corrupt
charges, and that is exactly where the worry of the people lies.
Similarly, we can’t equally ignore the fact
that terrorism had reasonably been fought in the recent times. Prior to
inception of the current administration, the said societal menace was occurring
virtually on a daily basis but at the moment, we only hear of it once in a blue
moon, although other forms of security challenges had sprang up within the past
two years.
My
optimum concern over the president’s second term bid is his age. We aren’t unaware
that age is against him, and handling such a critical and highly demanding
position required a heartier Nigerian. It would be recalled that he had
remarked earlier, precisely in 2015 “Old age will limit my performance…”
Similarly, back in 2011, he declared he
would serve for only one term, stating “age is not on my side”. One, therefore, would wonder what prompted the
u-turn seven years after. Well, it’s not unconnected with the fact that anyone
who has tasted power wouldn’t like to vomit it.
As much as I candidly wish him
well, I urge his Excellency to reexamine himself towards ensuring that he’s
truly fit and willing to run, and not based on his allies’ quest. Think about
it!
Comrade Fred Nwaozor
Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub (DRH) - Owerri
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Twitter: @mediambassador
