Liberal Mind

Rotational Presidency: Daura’s Outburst

By Adetunji Ayobrown
Equity is a constant flagship for peace and good governance, and without it, there will always be continued agitations and crises. And more than a professional courtesy, we all have a duty, our responsibility is to keep our eyes peal on any irregularity that may affect our individual and collective national security.
Funny enough, some people have spicy senses for things already in playing mode, no big deal because it is already known to all. Watered substance, medicine after death as considered by most the statement credited to Buhari’s nephew, Mamman Daura after his personal assessment of country seems belated. But who can dare pronounce such statement, except someone to who should stood by before the 2019 presidential elections.
With our country’s present scenario, suggestion that the most qualified Nigerian, irrespective of zone, religion should succeed his uncle in 2023, his admittance that all is not well with the present arrangement as headed and corroborated by the President himself.
The system of rotation that produced his uncle, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 is not faulty but his choice, which not only failed but it has failed himself, his region and the entire nation woefully.
You don’t choose someone to lead a country on the basis of returning favour, instead vast and better experience is needed for service to a nation like ours. You don’t use typewriter engineer’s expertises to fix a computer system, imbued with outdated experience except technical know-how in computer science or engineering is added.
If care is not taken, such statement may have a sweep-over catastrophic resultant effects. Nigeria could be said to be passing through this at the moment, with events that are hitherto strange to us or how else can we describe those things happening now across our nation especially and mostly in the north?
Self-serving, many tagged it. Our President nephew thinks since Nigerians have tried rotational presidency thrice, it would be better to go for the most qualified candidate in 2023, irrespective of whether he comes from the North or the South. Why now, they wondered.
Perhaps that is the divisive act in content, many most Nigerians are of the opinion that though the idea is good but coming from direct beneficiaries of the selection hype sounds pretentious. As if that were not enough. Reacting to Daura’s suggestions, another northern leader, Dr. Junaid Mohammed also voiced his agreement. President’s nephew statement already exposes northerners’ plot which most Nigerians are seriously warming-up against.
Caution, therefore is the watchword when the unsuspecting country seems overwhelmed by avalanche of insanity that is about to unload. Office of Nigeria’s president is neither a family inheritance, nor a conquered throne, or tea party affairs. Therefore, going into the Presidency should be based on competence, not ‘turn-by-turn’ is not to be decided by someone’s family.
For the records, not all leaders produced based on this premise of rotation have not delivered on mandate. But why this present administration did not performed to the least of even the northerner’s expectations is surprising to ask over there. Though, on the face of it, Daura’s suggestion may not be out of place but recall that the rotation or zoning convention was founded because of the June 12 imbroglio by patriots in 1998 and 1999 to make-up for the annulled 1993 MKO Abiola’s presidential election. PDP and now APC were beneficiaries because the contest in 1999 was between the PDP and the defunct Alliance for Democracy/All Peoples Party Alliance.
This should be classified as inciting statements aimed at pitting individuals, groups and ethnic nationalities against one another. Where we have people in the South East, whose agitation is for the emergence of a President of Igbo extraction believing that is what is required to strengthen Nigeria’s bond of unity.
But how do you advice an uncle many believed may be an issue for Daura. Though that should very easy except you don’t have a listening uncle, or perhaps no good advice was ever forthcoming in the first place, a twitter reaction. His father’s younger brother, where his father is the first born of their mother and General Buhari is the last, therefore, his truly his uncle, bound by blood.
The sparrow nest on the windowsill and the eagle takes the prey, not only in codes, he ought to use his relationship to make Buhari reconsider some of his positions before now. There are better Nigerians ‘strike men’ for the future rather than this, or may be Daura wasn’t around before 2019 presidential election to offer his uncle some advice.
For how long has Daura known his uncle? If his uncle were to be in opposition today, can he, Daura truly advise him to accept such? If not, then who is fooling who? Many believe Nigeria is not yet politically mature enough at this time to jettison zoning and rotation because other component parts of the country whose turn it is to produce president in 2023 already considered many actions of Buhari as an affront on their political sensibilities. They prefer to grab at their chances.
Fool me once; shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Actually, Nigerians don’t need such, as we all can see, even the visually impaired (with all apology) without any difficulty. And when expertises are needed for tall and broad achievements, most will never consider a man of rumble. What he has just told is a thanks for no thanks some Nigerians replied.
Though, not careless with the truth, Buhari’s mind made known, though denied. But remember public opinion matters a great deal. If a good man did a bad thing, or vice versa; posterity will judge. And the caution is that any attempt by the likes of Daura and others to foist this agenda on the country may backfire as it’s likely to throw the country into political division, cause civil strife and political instability couple with terrorism and banditries we are battling, think about this.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan many believed was pushed out of office in 2015 because the North believed it was their turn. And even among the qualified in zone, Buhari didn’t become President based on competence. And this government, most incompetent as stated by the elders from the north.
If being a good leader is easy, then everybody could become one. Unfortunately, it is not, it takes certain special breeds. Not even during the Nigeria three years brutal civil war did our country witness as much as the killing of soldiers or as many as over 300 soldiers resigning from their duties and pouring abuses on their commander. And the Commander of the Armed Forces thinks its okay under such service chiefs, then where is the good leadership. Security of a nation is a mission, and not an end to a mission. No bad army but bad generals.
But it is unfortunate that Daura and his kinsmen alone can not decide for Nigeria how or where the Presidency should go. Buhari became President because of the North and South zoning arrangement. So if he thinks Buhari was a bad selection, its okay because we all could see his incompetency.
Big city logic, no zoning no federalism. Any idea of doing away with this zoning formula without going back to federalism will not work in nation like ours. Majority has had its way, but let minority also have its say.
A good leader ought to know what needed to be done to stem such tides, instead of stocking the fire. The appeal is to please not set the nation on fire, Nigerians will decide if such will be in the future. Only poor leadership can so drag down the morale of people to this pitiable level without consideration for their well-being.

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