The Presidency And Nigerian Politics: 2007

By

Bekeh Utietiang

bekehutietiang@gmail.com

Questions are already being asked about the future of Nigeria in 2007. Some persons are advocating a third term for President Obasanjo while others are scouting for his deputy, Atiku Abubakar to succeed him. Others still want another soldier to rule Nigeria. Here in the United States, groups have been meeting around Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia area strategizing on returning IBB to power. Buhari is still interested in being the President in 2008. The Igbo’s think they have waited so long, it is now their turn to provide the next president. There are many uncertainties concerning 2007 and how thinks emerge will have greater effects on the future of Nigeria’s democracy.  

The greatest achievement of President Olusegun Obasanjo after his second term will not be the global system of mobile communication licenses he sold that made every average Nigerian capable of owning a phone, neither will it be his appointment of fine Nigerians like Okonjo Iweala and Professor Soludo to his economic team. It would also not be his big privatization and monetization policies. Obasanjo has succeeded in introducing some financial sanity through his anti- corruption programs, yet, this is not his greatest achievement. These are wonderful things he has done. However, his greatest achievement still lies ahead of him. This achievement is not stabilizing the economy, creating more jobs, prosecuting corrupt people, privatizing Universities, stalling the rate of inflation, paying leaving wages, running a transparent and open government, wooing foreign investors, etc. All these are great things you can expect from any democracy in the world. Nigerians expect Obasanjo to fulfill all these. The biggest challenge however for President Obasanjo and his greatest achievement would be a smooth handover of power to another democratically elected Nigerian in a free and fair election, and establishing a democracy that is stable, sustainable and continuous.

The last elections were marked with widespread rigging, maiming and killing of people of opposition parties. This is not the country Nigerians wants. The two big parties, the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Nigerians Peoples Party share the blame for these problems. Obasanjo is challenged today to show Nigerians that he is truly a good leader by running the two thousand and seven elections in a free, fair and democratic way. No Nigerian above the age of eighteen years should be disenfranchised as we saw in the last elections. Obasanjo needs to invite the United Nations to partake in monitoring these elections and the electoral commission should be allowed true independence. The voices of Nigerians should once more be heard in electing whom they want to govern them in 2007.

Though Obasanjo has tried to fix things in a country that was literarily killed by military dictators and waiting to be buried, his greatest challenge is continuity. Other administrations can continue from where he stops and move Nigeria forward. Clamoring for a third term for Obasanjo is rather an insult on Nigerians saying, it is only he who is qualified to be a leader in the country. This is the mentality behind military and non-military dictatorships. President Mugabe of Zimbabwe is a good example of non-military civilian dictatorship. Though one may argue that his land reforms have benefited traditional Zimbabweans, his overall policies and ability to lead the country forward is a disaster. Obasanjo’s successful handover in 2007 will among many other things accomplish two principal things: it will lay the foundation for a solid democracy not only in Nigeria but in Africa; and it will shame the critics of African democracies who constantly argue that Africa is not yet mature for democracy. If Nigeria continues to pride herself as the giant of Africa, she must become a model for a sustainable and enduring African democracy.

For my “friends” who are arguing for Babangida’s second return, I repeat the infamous words of IBB, “Enough is Enough.” Though IBB may have killed fewer people than Abacha did, his dictatorial regime was a national disaster. Nigeria had the worst inflation in history and many Nigerian’s once more became hewers of wood and drawers of water, a situation that forced Nigeria’s independence from Britain. These guys here in the States that advocate Babangida’s presidency, I ask them the question, Why are you here? Many of them came here in search of a brighter future, running away from a country that had an opaque future. These guys were guys that left during the Babangida, Abacha era to America for greener pastures. Unfortunately, most of them failed to understand that far away fields look green. Faced with this reality and their failures here in the States, they are returning to Nigerian politics, trying to establish a corrupt regime in which they will make what they have not been able to for many years. Nigerian’s experience of some of them as governors, members of the Senate and House of Assembly, and local government chairmen has been disappointing. Nigerians in their simplicity saw these men coming from overseas as men who have been vested in Western democracies and would instill that culture of transparency and accountability in the country. To the dismay of many Nigerians, these guys have been more corrupt than the home groomed politicians. There is no doubt that there are some distinguished Nigerians from the United States serving the country with a disinterested love for service. Nigerians however need to be wary of those “Nigeo-American politicians” that have interested love for service.

The question of Atiku’s presidency remains a very difficult one to answer. Nigerians would decide through their ballots if they want him or not. There is no law that says the vice-president must become the president. Though this is helpful for effective continuity, there are numerous instances all over the world where vice presidents did not continue the policies of their predecessors. Atiku should not delude himself that he would have a smooth ride to the presidency. The way Atiku packages himself to Nigerians would determine his success in the elections. Atiku’s selling point to Nigerians in the next presidential elections is his willingness to retain key persons in the Obasanjo’s economic team. Nigerians would love to see Professor Soludo continue his reforms of the banking sector, as well as Okonjo Iweala continue her economic reforms and working on total debt cancellation for Nigeria.

Igbo presidency is a recurring issue in the Nigeria polity. There is nothing that prevents an Igbo person from being president, just as nothing prevents a Cross Riverian, a deltan, an Idoma person, etc. to be president. The Igbo’s have a right to the presidency just like any other Nigerian tribe. Since it is a democracy, every Igbo man has the equal chances of becoming a president. I will love to see an Igbo president in my generation, but the problem most often is that the Igbos sabotage themselves. For the Igbos to get the presidency, they have to be of one voice. Producing eight Igbo candidates at each election only help to split the votes. Another factor is money. For the Igbos to get the presidency, they must put their Igbo identity and heritage before any political or financial gains. There are numerous cases of Igbo persons who went to the Jos PDP convention to vote Ekwueme as the PDP presidential candidate only to turn around to vote Obasanjo for N400,000. While money shouldn’t be a determinant factor in a democracy, unfortunately because of the level of poverty and the “get-rich-quick” syndrome in Nigeria, many persons vote money and not principles and values.

The 2007 elections pose a big challenge for Mr. President and the Nigerian people. The success will be the joy of any right thinking Nigerian.

Bekeh Utietiang writes from Washington, DC. He researches and writes regularly on African Religion and Culture.